Sharlotka Apple Cake

Made with pantry ingredients and just one apple, sharlotka is the perfect recipe when you want to whip up a quick dessert! This delicious russian apple cake is simple, yet incredibly addictive!

originally published 3.13.2019

Sharlotka (шарлотка) is an incredibly popular cake across Russia, probably in part due to its simplicity and affordability. In fact, this cake was the first thing I learned to bake while living in Norway where groceries can be quite expensive. Now, many years later, I still find myself making this recipe from time to time — it’s a great dessert to serve when friends or family drop by on short notice or when you’re simply craving something sweet.

making sharlotka

Start by mixing a few eggs with sugar and salt and beating the mixture until it turns pale and frothy. Next, gently fold the flour into the batter. Sifted flour works best here and leads to less clumping, but if you’re in a hurry it’s not absolutely necessary. Stop folding as soon as all of the flour has been incorporated. Finally, core an apple and cut it into 16 slices.

Now let’s build our apple cake! Cover the bottom of a greased cake pan with half of the batter. Then layer the apple slices on top in a single layer and pour the remaining batter over the apples. This method will give you an even distribution of apples throughout the cake. If you’d like a shortcut, you can also start by layering the apple slices directly on the cake pan and then cover them with the batter.

And after baking for 30 minutes your apple cake is ready to be enjoyed!

make it your own

This recipe really lends itself to adaptations. You can use different apple varieties — I prefer a firm and mildly sweet apple, but even apples that are a bit softer or on the sour side have gone over well in this cake. And you can even try this recipe with other types of fruits such as pears!

If you’re looking for more flavor, try adding a bit of vanilla extract, cinnamon or any other warming spices to the batter. And if you want to up the presentation of your sharlotka, try dusting it with powdered sugar, covering it with sliced almonds (for the last 15-20 minutes of baking) or serving it alongside a scoop of ice cream!

And if you’re looking for more apple inspiration, check our our apple crumble cheesecake or apple fritters!

Loving this Sharlotka Apple Cake? Make sure to check out these Russian and Ukrainian dishes as well:

• Russian Honey Cake Medovik
• Russian Pryaniki (Honey Spice Cookies)
• Beef Borscht Recipe
• Russian Pelmeni (Meat Dumplings)
• Pampushky – Ukrainian Garlic Bread Rolls
• Cranberry Mors Drink

Sharlotka – Russian Apple Cake

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• Author: Viktor Kapustin
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 8
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Russian

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Ingredients

• unsalted butter for greasing
• 2 large eggs
• ⅔ cup (130 grams) granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (125 grams) all purpose flour, sifted
• 1 large (200 grams) apple (gala and honeycrisp work well)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
2. Grease an 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan.
3. Combine eggs, sugar and salt in a bowl. Beat the mixture until it turns pale and becomes frothy (about 3 minutes).
4. Gently fold in half of the flour until just mixed. Repeat with the remaining flour and be sure not to overwork the batter.
5. Core the apple and cut it into 16 slices.
6. Add half of the batter to the cake pan and spread it across the bottom. Place the apple slices on top in a single layer. Cover evenly with the remaining batter.
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. The cake is ready when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

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