When You Wish Time Would Slow Down
Seven years.
Seven years of nubby tail wiggles, muddy adventures, camping trips, hiking trails, couch cuddles, approximately zero respect for personal space (for me or him? You'll never know), and making me laugh every single day.
Stanley isn't just my dog. He's my best adventure buddy and, dare I say it, my rock. I know. It's cliché. But so is saying your dog changed your life, and here we are.
Every year on his birthday, I make him a homemade birthday cake because, let's be honest, if anyone deserves to be completely spoiled, it's the guy whose full-time job is supervising me while I work and aggressively reminding me when it's dinner time.
Our tradition continues with what I lovingly call Beef Cake for My Beefcake. Partly because it's made of beef. Mostly because Stanley is, in fact, an absolute beefcake.
The recipe is simple, packed with dog friendly goodness, and guaranteed to disappear in record time. I don't think he's ever actually chewed it.
Stanley's Beef Cake Birthday Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- ⅓ cup steel cut oats
- 1 teaspoon spirulina
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- Dash of black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 cup shredded broccoli
Yam Icing
- 1 large yam
- Splash of cream
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, oats, spirulina, turmeric, black pepper, egg, and shredded broccoli. Mix until everything is evenly incorporated.
Press the mixture into a lightly greased baking dish or cake pan.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until the beef is fully cooked.
Step 2
While the cake is baking, peel and chop the yam into chunks. Boil until fork tender.
Drain well and transfer to a bowl. Add the coconut oil and a splash of cream. Using a hand mixer, whip until smooth and fluffy.
Step 3
Allow the beef cake to cool before adding the icing.
Spread the whipped yam over the top with a spatula for a rustic look, or pipe it on with a piping bag if you're feeling a little extra.
Then stand back.
Your dog will probably be staring at you like you've just become the greatest chef who has ever lived.
Optional Birthday Toppings
Want to make it even more festive?
Try decorating with:
- Freeze-dried beef liver crumbles
- Blueberries
- Thin carrot slices
- Fresh parsley
- Small strawberry slices
- A bully stick "birthday candle"
- A dog biscuit with your pup's age written in yogurt
A Few Notes
This recipe makes enough for a larger dog or several furry party guests. Leftovers can be refrigerated for a few days or sliced into portions and frozen for future special occasions. As with any homemade treat, if your dog has food allergies or dietary restrictions, check with your veterinarian before introducing new ingredients.
Another Year of Joy
As the birthdays keep rolling around, they seem to carry a little more weight. Maybe it's because dogs are so heartbreakingly good at teaching us to be present. Or maybe it's because every year I'm a little more committed to shamelessly indulging my boy. Probably both.
Dogs have this incredible way of reminding us that the best moments aren't usually the big ones. They're the walks in every season, the mud and drool decorating the inside of your car like some kind of abstract art installation, chasing gophers that they will absolutely never catch, and ending the day tangled together on the couch.
They don't ask for much. Just your time, your love... and maybe a bite of whatever you're eating.
So here's to seven years with my little baby beefcake. My hiking partner, my camping buddy, my professional taste tester, and the reason I own enough lint rollers to qualify as a wholesale distributor.
Whether you're celebrating a birthday or an UNbirthday, I hope this recipe helps spoil your own best friend. Because let's face it, if anyone deserves cake just for existing, it's our dogs.
Happy Birthday, Stanley. Here's to many more adventures together.