Polish Apple Cake (Szarlotka)

Name: Polish Apple Cake (Szarlotka)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: Serves 12
Cuisine: eastern european
Ingredients: half a lemon; 6 large Bramley or cooking apples; 4 tbsp soft brown sugar; 1 tbsp ground cinnamon; 450g plain flour plus extra for dusting; 1 tsp baking powder; 200g unsalted butter cut into pieces, plus extra for greasing; 225g golden caster sugar; 3 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg, at room temperature; 1 tbsp natural yogurt; 1 tbsp lemon zest (from the half a lemon, above); 1 tsp vanilla extract; icing sugar for dusting; 300ml pot whipping cream; 1 tsp cinnamon

4.55 (26)

⏱ 95 mins 🍽 Serves 12 🌶 eastern european ✅ Easy 🏷 Dessert

This classic Eastern European dessert, known as Szarlotka, is a spiced apple cake perfect for sharing. It involves creating a shortcrust pastry dough, which is used to form a baked base and a grated topping. The filling consists of Bramley apples cooked with cinnamon and brown sugar. Once assembled and baked, the cooled cake is dusted with icing sugar and served with freshly whipped cream flavoured with cinnamon. The recipe yields 12 servings and takes about 95 minutes to prepare and bake.

Ingredients

half a lemon
6 large Bramley or cooking apples
4 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
450g plain flour plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
200g unsalted butter cut into pieces, plus extra for greasing
225g golden caster sugar
3 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg, at room temperature
1 tbsp natural yogurt
1 tbsp lemon zest (from the half a lemon, above)
1 tsp vanilla extract
icing sugar for dusting
300ml pot whipping cream
1 tsp cinnamon

Method

Set your oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Prepare a 20 x 29cm baking tray by greasing it and lining it with baking parchment.
Prepare the lemon for the filling by zesting the half and setting the zest aside for later. Peel and core the apples, then slice them thinly. Squeeze the juice from the lemon half over the sliced apples to prevent browning. Transfer the apples to a large saucepan and add the soft brown sugar, 200ml water, and the tablespoon of cinnamon. Cook this mixture for 5 mins, then take it off the heat and allow it to cool in the pan with its liquid.
For the pastry dough, combine the 450g plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder in a food processor or large bowl. Add the 200g butter pieces and mix until the texture resembles sand. Incorporate the 225g golden caster sugar, the 3 egg yolks, the 1 whole egg, 1 tbsp yogurt, the reserved lemon zest, and 1 tsp vanilla extract, mixing until a dough forms. Turn this out onto a floured surface, bring it together with your hands, and shape it into a ball.
Divide the dough ball into two equal halves. Wrap one half in cling film and place it in the freezer for 1 hr. Roll out the remaining dough half to fit the base of your prepared tray. Use your palm to press the dough up the sides of the tray about halfway, ensuring the base is fully covered. Prick the base all over with a fork and bake for about 15 mins until golden and lightly springy.
Spread the cooled apple filling over the pre-baked base, using approximately half of the cooking liquid from the pan. Set the tray aside.
Take the frozen dough half from the freezer and coarsely grate it over the apple layer. Bake the assembled cake for 40-45 mins until the topping is golden and cooked through. Let the cake cool fully, then dust it with icing sugar and cut it into squares. Whip the 300ml cream until thick, stir in 1 tsp cinnamon, and serve it with the cake.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories398 kcal

Fat16 g

Saturates9 g

Carbs60 g

Sugars33 g

Fibre3 g

Protein5 g

Sodium40 mg

Recipe details

Skill levelEasy

CategoryDessert

Cuisineeastern european