SHARLOTKA APPLE CAKE
This is my wife Rita’s Sharlotka recipe, and I’m grateful she shared the recipe and baked it all for me. Apples and cinnamon are an amazing combination together, one that must not be tinkerevd with, even in the simplest of cakes.
The apples aren’t coated in cinnamon and sugar like they are in a pie, but are sprinkled on top of the cake just before serving. There’s a delicate balance of not adding too many apples otherwise the cake will fall apart. Too few apples, and it’s just a glorified sponge cake.
Sharlotka Apple Cake (Шарлотка)
This is the best Russian Apple Cake recipe. It's light, fluffy, moist and delicious. Not an apple pie, but a cake sprinkled with cinnamon sugar - Rita's Apple Sharlotka Cake (Шарлотка)
Course Dessert
Cuisine Russian, Slavic
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
Butter or nonstick spray for greasing pan
5 large tart apples (Bramley or Granny Smith)
3 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
cinnamon sugar to top your cake before serving
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a 9x3 round cake pan or springform pan with parchment paper. Butter or spray both the paper, and the sides of the pan. I believe butter gives a better aroma whilst baking instead of an oily chemical aroma.
Peel and core the apples, chop in quarters, then slice into thin bite size pieces.
Place the apples into the buttered cake pan.
Using a mixer or whisk, beat the eggs and sugar in a bowl until the sugar dissolves (around 5 minutes).
Add the vanilla and mix throughout mixture.
Gently add the flour and mix with a spoon until batter is thick and smooth.
Pour over the apples in the cake pan, spreading it evenly over the apples. Gently shake the pan to allow the batter to go down to apples.
Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes. Check cooking time at 40 minutes with a toothpick to see if cake is ready (Some ovens this is enough cooking time). Tip: Don't rush the cooking time, or the centre will remain raw.
When cake is ready, allow to cool on a baking tray for 10 minutes.
Using a knife, run along sides of the cake pan. Carefully flip upside down onto a baking tray. Peel off the parchment paper, revealing the apple base (now the top of your cake).
Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar to taste, and transfer to a cake stand or plate. Serve with thickened cream or vanilla bean ice cream.