Apple Sharlotka Cake

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Mom is in the house and that means there’s a lot of baking going on. Today she surprised me with this light, fluffy apple cake. It’s a Russian recipe called Apple Sharlotka. The recipe contains no butter and uses very little sugar, so it is not a sweet cake; although, mom added a bit more sugar than the standard 1 cup and I agree! We tried it both ways and the extra 1/4 cup is tastier, although still mildly sweet. You’ll love how light and airy this cake is for afternoon tea or a late night snack.

Apple Sharlotka Cake

Recipe adapted from Natasha’s Kitchen Apple Cake

Ingredients:

  • 5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and cut into 1/4” chunks
  • 1 tablespoon lemon rind
  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • Granulated sugar, to dust top of cake

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with a circle of parchment. Lightly apply a nonstick spray or softened butter on the paper and the sides of the pan.
  • Peel, core and cut up apples.
  • In a large bowl, toss the apples with the lemon rind, set aside
  • Add eggs to the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and beat on high for 1 minute until foamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating on high for about 8 minutes or until thick and you can see ribbons forming on the surface as you are mixing. Beat in almond extract.
  • In a small bowl, whisk flour and baking powder.
  • Sift flour mixture into egg batter in 3 increments – folding with a spatula between each addition.
  • Fold in apple pieces, reserving 1 cup for the top.
  • Pour batter into prepared springform pan, spreading evenly with a spatula. Scatter remaining apples over the top.
  • Bake for 50 – 55 minutes until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and rest in pan for 15 minutes until cool.
  • Slide a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen, unsnap springform pan, and transfer cake to a plate or board to cool.
  • Dust with confectioners sugar and/or whipped cream, and serve warm.