Liver cake is one of the most popular homemade appetizers: thin liver crepes, vegetable saute, and mayonnaise come together in a multi-layered pie that requires no oven baking. The described version is based on a recipe by culinary blogger Anna Karpenko, in which liver layers are traditionally coated with a saute of carrots and onions with added mayonnaise. Editor Anastasia Ostapova slightly modified the classic scheme to make the taste of each bite more delicate and interesting.
The Secret to Tenderness: Alternating Two Fillings
The main difference in this homemade version is the addition of processed cheese. However, it is not mixed with the vegetables; instead, it is prepared as an independent filling layer. One liver crepe is greased with the traditional carrot and onion saute, and the next with processed cheese mixed with mayonnaise. This is how the fillings alternate until the entire cake is assembled. According to the author, this combination makes the appetizer more tender: the vegetable saute provides juiciness, while the processed cheese gives a soft, creamy flavor.
Liver Preparation and Crepe Batter
The liver is washed, membranes, large blood vessels, and other tough parts are removed, then it is cut into small pieces and processed in a blender until smooth; a meat grinder can be used if a blender is unavailable. Eggs, milk, salt, and ground black pepper are added to the minced liver and mixed thoroughly, followed by gradually adding sifted flour while continuing to stir to prevent lumps. The finished batter should be homogeneous and quite liquid so it easily spreads across the pan; if it turns out thick, a little milk is added.
Two Fillings: Vegetable Saute and Cheese Cream
For the first filling, onions are cut into small cubes, and carrots are coarsely grated. Onions are sautéed in vegetable oil until soft, then carrots are added and cooked with occasional stirring until tender without burning; the finished saute is allowed to cool. For the second filling, processed cheese is finely grated — if it is too soft, it is pre-chilled in the refrigerator. The cheese is mixed with mayonnaise, which is added gradually so the mixture does not become too runny; the result should be a homogeneous, fairly thick filling that spreads easily over the crepes.
Frying Crepes and Assembling the Cake
The skillet is heated, lightly greased with vegetable oil, and a portion of the liver batter is poured in, spreading it evenly into a thin crepe. Fry over medium heat on both sides until fully done, avoiding high heat so the crepes do not burn on the outside and cook through on the inside. The finished crepes are transferred to a plate and cooled. For assembly, the first crepe is placed on a flat dish, coated with the saute (optionally with mayonnaise), covered with the second crepe, and the cheese-mayonnaise mixture is applied. The fillings are alternated this way until the end, trying not to make the layers too thick so the cake holds its shape and does not fall apart when sliced.
Decoration and Serving
After assembly, the top and sides of the cake are coated with mayonnaise, smoothing the surface with a spoon or culinary spatula. For decoration, fresh dill sprigs are arranged in a circle on top, leaving the middle light — a simple decoration that looks great on a festive table. In total, approximately 200–300 g of mayonnaise is used for the cake, depending on the number of crepes and the thickness of the filling layers. The finished cake is refrigerated for at least two hours: during this time, the filling chills, and the layers hold their shape better, making slicing easier.
