Russian Apple Sponge Cake (Sharlotka)
Шарлотка SharlotkaSay it: shar-LOT-kah
Sharlotka is Russia's everyday apple cake: a tall, pale-gold sponge held together by nothing but well-beaten eggs, sugar and flour, packed with juicy apple slices. It appears on home tables from late August, when the Antonovka apples ripen, right through the winter, and it is the first cake most Russian children learn to bake. The crumb is light and springy, the apples soften into tangy pockets, and the top crisps slightly. Dusted with powdered sugar, it needs no icing, no buttercream and barely half an hour of work.
Russian Apple Sponge Cake (Sharlotka)
Шарлотка, Sharlotka
Pronounced shar-LOT-kah
- Serves
- 8
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the cake
For the pan
To finish
Method
Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with the softened butter, dust it with the 1 tbsp flour, and line the base with a circle of parchment.
Peel, core and quarter the apples, then cut them into 1/4-inch (6 mm) slices. Toss them in a bowl with the lemon juice and cinnamon so they stay pale and evenly seasoned.
Put the eggs and salt in a large bowl and beat on high speed for about 1 minute, until foamy. Add the sugar in a steady stream and keep beating for 8–10 minutes, until the mixture is pale, thick and tripled in volume and falls from the beaters in a slow ribbon that briefly holds its shape on the surface.
Beat in the vanilla. Sift the 1 1/4 cups (160 g) flour over the eggs in three additions, folding gently with a rubber spatula after each — stop the moment no dry flour remains, keeping the batter airy.
Scatter the apples evenly over the base of the prepared pan and pour the batter on top, smoothing it level with the spatula. Tap the pan twice on the counter to knock out large air bubbles.
Bake on the middle rack for 40–45 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown, the surface springs back when lightly pressed and a skewer inserted in the center comes out with only moist crumbs.
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a thin knife around the edge, release the ring and slide the cake onto a rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
Dust generously with powdered sugar just before serving and cut with a serrated knife.
Regional variants
Some cooks fold the apples straight into the batter instead of layering them, which gives a more even distribution and a rougher, fruit-studded top. A popular modern version uses 1 cup (240 ml) kefir with 1/2 tsp baking soda and only 1 cup (130 g) flour for a denser, moister crumb.
Cook's notes
- Room-temperature eggs whip to the greatest volume; if the bowl feels cold, stand it in warm water for 5 minutes before you start.
- Fold, don't stir — the whipped eggs are the only leavening, so keep the spatula moving in a J-shape and stop as soon as the flour disappears.
- Choose firm, tart apples that hold their shape; very juicy fruit releases water and can leave the center of the cake dense.
Serve with
A spoonful of sour cream or a glass of hot tea; vanilla ice cream in summer.
Make ahead and storage
Keeps 2 days at room temperature under a clean cloth or 4 days refrigerated; it is at its best slightly warm on the day it is baked.
