🍏 A Tradition of Simplicity: The Heart of European Baking
The Apple Sharlotka, often simply called a French Apple Cake or an Apple Yogurt Cake, is a beloved dessert across Central and Eastern Europe. Unlike heavily spiced American apple pies or crumbles, the Sharlotka celebrates the pure, comforting flavor of fresh apples suspended in a light, incredibly moist sponge cake batter. The beauty of this dessert lies in its simplicity: a quick batter comes together in minutes and is poured over a beautiful, arranged layer of fruit, creating a stunning presentation with almost no fuss. The final result is a tender, fragrant cake with a caramelized top and sweet, soft apples throughout. This recipe is the perfect way to enjoy the autumn harvest or a comforting tea-time treat year-round. It is beginner-friendly and requires only simple pantry ingredients and a commitment to minimal stirring.
📝 Ingredients You’ll Need (Simple Pantry Staples)
This cake achieves its rich moisture and light texture through the use of yogurt and a balanced mix of butter and oil.
For the Apples:
- 4 Medium Apples (such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Fuji), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (about 1/8 inch thick).
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice (to prevent browning).
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon (optional, for spice).
For the Moist Cake Batter:
- 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour.
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder.
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda.
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt.
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature.
- 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil (for extra moisture).
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar.
- 2 large Eggs, at room temperature.
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract.
- 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt or Whole Milk Yogurt (room temperature is best).
For Finishing:
- Powdered Sugar (Confectioners’ Sugar), for dusting.
🔪 Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions (Perfecting the Batter and Bake)
The key to this cake is careful preparation of the apples and gentle mixing of the batter.
1. Prepare the Apples and Pan
- Preheat your oven to 350^\circ\text{F} (175^\circ\text{C}).
- Grease and flour a 9×9-inch square baking pan or an 8×8-inch pan for a thicker cake (as shown in the image).
- Toss the thinly sliced apples with the lemon juice and cinnamon (if using) in a medium bowl.
- Arrangement: Arrange the apple slices neatly in an overlapping pattern in the bottom of the prepared pan. This creates the beautiful, layered pattern seen in the top panel of the image.
2. Mix the Dry Ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.
3. Cream the Fats and Sugar
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) to beat the softened butter, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy—this should take about 3 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Finish the Batter
- Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Stir in the yogurt until blended.
- Add the remaining half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the batter is just smooth. Do not overmix, as this will result in a tough, dense cake.
5. Bake the Cake
- Gently pour the prepared cake batter evenly over the arranged apple slices in the baking pan. Do this slowly to avoid disturbing the apple layer too much.
- Bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Baking time will vary based on your pan size and oven.
- The cake is done when a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Cool and Dust
- Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let it cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes.
- Once the cake has cooled slightly, slice it into squares directly in the pan.
- Generously dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar (Confectioners’ Sugar) just before serving. The sugar will melt slightly into the warm cake for a sweet, caramelized finish, perfectly matching the final image.
⭐ Pro Tips and Flavor Variations (Taking it Further)
- The Room Temperature Rule: Ensure your butter, eggs, and especially the yogurt are at room temperature. This allows them to emulsify correctly, resulting in a smooth batter and a very tender cake texture. Cold yogurt will curdle the batter!
- Spice Adjustment: If you are a fan of warm spices, add 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg or allspice along with the cinnamon to the apples for a deeper autumnal flavor.
- Optional Glaze: Instead of powdered sugar, you can make a simple lemon glaze by whisking together 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Drizzle this over the completely cooled cake.
- The Best Apple Choice: A mix of tart (like Granny Smith) and sweet (like Fuji) apples offers the best flavor balance, ensuring the cake is not overly sweet.
- Preventing Soggy Bottom: Arranging the apple slices in the pan first and pouring the batter over helps to insulate the crust, preventing the bottom from becoming too soggy from the fruit’s moisture during the long bake time.