Liver cake recipe for dogs

by | Sep 11, 2011 | 287 comments

Treat your furry friend to a nutritious and delicious homemade liver cake. Made with nutrient-rich organ meat, this cake is packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals, making it the perfect snack for dogs of all ages.

This liver cake recipe is a great source of energy and helps to support a healthy appetite. It’s also an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin B and folic acid, which are essential for maintaining good vision, a strong immune system, and healthy red blood cells. Copper, Iron and Omega-3 fatty acids present in liver helps to keep the dog’s digestive system healthy and aids in the absorption of nutrients. It’s also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for maintaining a healthy coat and skin.

This dog liver cake is easy to make and can be adapted to suit your dog’s dietary needs. If you’re unable to find liver, heart or kidney can be used as a substitute.

Follow our step-by-step recipe and images to make this healthy treat for your dog in no time.

 

Items Needed

  • 9″ cake tin
  • Hand Blender

Ingredients

  • 500g ( 1lb) of liver
  • 2 Eggs
  • 200g (7oz) Wholemeal flour
  • 1 crushed garlic clove or 1 small teaspoon of lazy garlic – optional. But isn’t garlic bad for dogs?
  • A splash of milk

Method

liver, eggs, milk in a jug

Step 1

Add the liver, the eggs, the garlic and a splash of milk to a jug.

blending cake ingredients

Step 2

And blend it. It should look a bit like a smoothie once done.

adding flour to cake mix

Step 3

Transfer the mix to a large bowl and add 200g (7oz) of flour.

mixed ingredients in bowl

Step 4

Mix ingredients until it’s a thick sticky goo. You can add a bit more flour if it’s not thick enough.  But it should be fine.

greases cake tin

Step 5

Grease a cake tin with a little butter.

liver cake mix in baking tin

Step 6

Empty your mix into cake tin, making sure it’s level.

liver cake baking in oven

Step 7

Put cake tin into the middle of a preheated oven at 160ºC (320ºF/Gas Mark 3) and cook for about 45 mins.

Liver cake just out of the oven!

Step 8

Right, it should now be cooked. Yummy!

liver cake

Step 9

It’s easier to cut while it’s still warm.

chopped liver cake

Step 10

Cut into squares and fridge. Freeze what you won’t use in a few days.

dog watching me baking

Step 11

If your dog is like mine, she will have watched you the entire time.

How to store

As a general guide if meat protein is present in recipe then it will last around 3 to 5 days stored in a cool place.  If it has second class protein in it eg. cheese, lentils, eggs, etc, then they will store for about 10 days in a cool place. You can use cake tins lined with baking paper – greaseproof. If there is no meat or second class proteins present then it will last around 3 weeks before they go soft like human biscuits.

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These dog treat recipes are now available to buy in book on Amazon.   An ideal gift!

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By Jamie Shanks

BDWS is owned and run by me, Jamie Shanks. I’ve been a professional dog walker since 2010. When I’m not walking dogs, I’m usually at home entertaining my three dogs and attending to five hens and my vegetable garden. 

287 Comments

  1. I’ve created a nightmare. He’s never stopped barking or jumping up my kitchen cabinets to get to his treats. Trouble is I can’t afford to give him anymore as he’s had 6 x 1 inch squares! I took a video which is hilarious. Thanks for this recipe. I used whoemeal flour which I bought for another dog recipe and never got around to using. I only made a third of the recipe and I cooked for one hour in a 12 inch square pan and I have about 100 3/4 inch treats. Thank you so much. I think! Can’t stand the barking for more though….

    Reply
  2. How long will a batch stay fresh for if refrigerated?

    Reply
  3. I believe the reason you shouldn’t give too much of it to dogs is that it is a good source of vitamin A, which is good in low doses but toxic if you have too much of it.

    Reply
  4. Brilliant my dogs are in love!, yum yum for liver cake ???

    Reply
    • Thanks Maria. Glad your pups like it.

    • My 4 Rescues fur babies LOVE the Liver Cake, made 3 so far, so successful , bagged up and froze for when we need em, I do add, grated carrot and oats too, make it all at once as have a large bowel and electric blender, brilliant getting it all done in one go, many thanks indeed, …. appreciate recipes as a pensioner it helps with the pennies.

  5. Does it matter what type of liver is used?

    Reply
    • no, any type is fine

  6. Hi my cockerpoo will do anything for liver cake! Like a drug for him! Other biscuits are just not the same. Someone told me though that you shouldn’t give them too much of it for health reasons – have you heard of this?

    Reply
    • Liver is a natural laxative so maybe that’s what they meant. Not too much at a time or poss a runny botty.

  7. 5

    Reply
  8. How much tuna would you use if you replace tuna instead of liver. …really gonna try this as my pup really took notice of the trainers liver cake and did anything he asked her, but ignored me lol

    Reply
  9. Can you use rice flour instead?

    Reply
  10. This recipe is excellent! Made it this morning and it came out perfectly he he!! At dog training class last Saturday they suggested we make homemade liver treats so I googled and hey presto I’ve made these. Whiskey loves them, he was interested in me making them and smelled them cooking and could hardly wait to try them. He had to do a ‘sit stay’ first tho lol. Thanks Jamie for the recipe! Have cut them into weanie pieces for training and a few larger squares for a game we play around the house where I hide treats and he has to find them and have frozen the rest in batches. Definitely a keeper.

    Reply
  11. Love this recipe, I’ve made it many times and freeze it for training treats.
    Be careful if you use an electric mixer. Make sure the stringy/Sinew on the liver is cut up or removed. I’ve twice nearly burnt out the motor on mine. ? It gets trapped on theblades.
    Thanks Jamie, my Paddy The Laddy and visiting dogs love it and it’s so cheap too.
    Trish x

    Reply
  12. OMG no sooner had the food processor come out of the cupboard and the fridge yielded it’s bounty of liver, did my two spoilt spaniels come charging in from the garden. Looking at the baking tray with mournful eyes and rumbling tums I felt guilty and let them lick the spatula! Fab recipe and I shall certainly be trying some of the others. Thank you Thank you Thank you!

    Reply
  13. thanks for the recipe. love the last photo!

    Reply
    • Thanks Tim

  14. Did you guys use plain or self raising flour? Tia x

    Reply
    • Plain. But I know self raising works too.

    • I have heard of people putting garlic in. Is it safe for dogs. They told me their dog goes mad for it.

    • Garlic is fine, yeah. Good for deterring fleas and ticks.

    • Isn’t garlic, like onions and various plant bulbs, poisionous to dogs? I appreciate it’ll be in small doses in this cake, but if it is isn’t it better to leave it out?

    • Garlic is fine, in fact it’s quite good for dogs. Google it or speak to your local vet for more info.

  15. what is the weight of this cake?

    Reply
  16. Met a fellow dog walker who’d used this recipe & I decided to give it a go today. Not keen on the texture of liver but overcame my dislike and persevered. Followed the very clear instructions despite not being the best cook in the world & despite causing havoc in my kitchen everything went to plan. I actually found the aroma rather pleasant & not at all overpowering . The result was perfect & felt incredibly proud that I’d made it. Our two yorkiepoo’s were very impressed with their mum’s masterpiece? & enjoyed a square each broken down into small pieces once cooled down. I’ve frozen 4 bags which will keep them happy for months. Many thanks for great receive.???

    Reply
  17. I made this as a 10th birthday cake for my 2 dogs and they love it. I used exactly half the recipe and cooked it for 45 mins but then turned the oven off and let it cool in the oven, that way you don’t get the smell drifting in the house as much and it seemed cooked perfectly! There was plenty left which I’ve cubed and put in the freezer, this is also very cheap to make, 500kg of liver only cost me £1.08 and the rest of the ingredients are in most store cupboards. Thanks very much for the recipe! ?

    Reply
    • Hey Kelly,

      Thanks for you comments. That’s exactly what I did Saturday for my pup’s 1st birthday. Forgot how easy it all was and how much they love it.

  18. Hi James,
    Thanks for this wonderful recipe. My mum Trish makes loads of it and freezes it in small amounts. It smells delicious and I sit by the hot thingy in the kitchen till its done. ??? She lets me have it when I take her training. (The cat, Yannis, sometimes has a few crumbs but it’s really big boy stuff. ?? ) My buddies at doggy training think it’s yummy too. It’s so good I watch mums hand all the time and try to do everything right, then she gives me lots of little bits . Thanks again
    Paddy The Laddy.

    Reply
    • Haha, thanks Paddy!

  19. Hi,
    Is the recipe for soft or hard cake? My three dogs love softer type. Thank you

    Reply
    • It’s quite soft, bready like.

  20. Do you think ox liver would be OK to use?

    Reply
    • Ox liver is fine

  21. Please can you confirm which liver to use P or L and can you add garlic cloves to it

    Reply
    • Eiher or, both are fine. Yes add one clove of garlic for extra taste.

  22. Hi, I was just wondering how long these would keep in the freezer?

    Thank you 🙂

    Reply
    • Hey Toni,

      If frozen fresh they will pretty much last forever since they are for dogs.

  23. Am about to embark on my first liver cake my wife has some concerns regarding the smell of the baking process ,can anyone offer some enlightment
    Much appreciated

    Reply
    • The smell isn’t that bad. I’d say it isn’t bad at all. There is a smell as you are cooking in the oven but nothing that will linger or stink the house out. No worse than any other sort of baking (in my opinion).

    • Want to make this for my dog’s birthday – rescue dog – almost a year with us. Wondered if I could freeze this and how long it would need to defrost or could it be stored in the fridge for a few days?
      Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

    • Yeah, it will last a few days in fridge but also defrost in about an hour or so if you freeze.

  24. My dogs recall has dramatically improved with this cake as a treat. Every 5 mins during the walk I call him and he comes straight away. I only use it on walks and walking is now so much more relaxed and enjoyable…

    Reply
    • Hey Ali. Thanks for your comments. Real dog treats just work in a way commercial ones cant. I’m glad the recall is so much better, keep going and it’ll become habbit. Wanna try something else sometime, try the sardine oatcakes and don’t forget to let me know how it goes!!

  25. hi there
    would this be ok for me to give my 7 month cockerpoo?

    Reply
    • Yeah, in moderation.

  26. Thanks for the recipe:) if I was to use half the mixture, how long do you reckon it would take to cook?

    Reply
    • Hey Holly

      Oh that really depends on the size of the tray, thickness of cake etc. But you could start with half the time and see how that goes.

  27. I heard do not use pigs liver as dogs can have bad behavioural reactions with pork.

    Reply
  28. Hi Jamie
    To celebrate World Galgo Day today (1/2/2015), I’ve just made yet another batch of your recipe for liver cake for our Galgo, Tango. Your recipe is by far the best one we’ve tried (my making, his eating) in the last 11 months since Tango came to us.
    As time is pressing today, I’ve experimented, made half the quantity & cooked it in the microwave in a well known make of oven-to-tableware glass dish.
    Oiled the dish & cooked it in 2 batches, four mins each on high in a cat E oven.
    Success.
    PS sardine biscuit & banana bombs – fantastic! Thanks for your great website.
    Janet.

    Reply
    • Instead of using flour, try using porridge oats. Better for your pooch, good texture too.

  29. ****Warning****
    Decided to make this today.I imagine Barry (our pooch) will love this once it’s done but my goodness the smell is like nothing I have smelt before. I recommend a full bio hazard suit!! Thanks for the recipe though! 🙂

    Reply
  30. Hi, how old do the dog have to be to have the liver cake? Thanks

    Reply
    • Well, prob best that dog was an adult and if they’ve not had it before then small bits to begin with so they get used to it.

  31. Hi, can I ask how many cubes the recipe makes if cutting into 1 inch cubes please?

    Reply
  32. Hi…Like an idiot I picked up a pack of beef heart instead of liver in Tesco’s; can I use this as a liver sub? Shame if I can’t as I’ve got the magi mix revved up ready to get going!

    Reply
    • HI Simon!

      Yeah, beef heart sounds good – don’t see any probs. Let me know how it goes!

      Jamie

  33. Love this cake, made first batch to try and tempt a dog in rescue to take his meds as everything else had failed. This was a major success and now he is in his forever home his new humans are still making it for him. It freezes so well and retains it consistency once defrosted so is still easy to squidge tablets in to.

    Have made a fresh batch today as we have a new dog in that is very very stressed, fingers crossed this will win him over.

    Reply
    • Also, if you don’t mind handling the liver, if you chop it up before (i use scissors) then it blends so much easier x

  34. Oops, I only cooked mine for 30 minutes – I didn’t actually have a recipe – only the ingredients. Seems to have turned out okay – except, I almost blew up my blender. I made the big mistake of putting the ingredients (although, luckily, only half) all in at once! Will follow this recipe next time.

    Reply
  35. Hi
    Any idea how long you can store the liver cake for? Is it suitable for freezing?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Yeah, just freeze for when you need it.

  36. Fab easy recipe :0) kept tripping over the dogs as they followed me round the kitchen. Have tried some in novelty cupcake bases to see how they come out. Bonus being my friendly butcher gave me the liver for free :0)

    Reply
    • Thanks Ebony and wow that you can get liver for free!

  37. Wow I made this for my dogs tonight.
    They love it. So easy and cheap to make.

    Reply
  38. simply superb mate.my three dogs work wonders now thankyou!!!

    Reply
    • Cheers Karl! Glad your dogs like them!

  39. Is it ok to use plain white flour?

    Reply
    • Any flour will work. Gluten free better still.

  40. What kind of liver did you used?

    Reply
    • Hi Monika!

      I used pigs, but ox and lamb are just fine and you wont notice any difference except that Lamb costs a lot more.

    • Hi can I use chicken liver?

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