Polish Apple Cake (Szarlotka)

Difficulty Level: Medium

Crust

• 3 cups of flour
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 2 sticks of butter (250 g)
• 1 egg+ 3 egg yolks

Mix all ingredients with your hands.

Spread 3/4 of the dough at the bottom of a pan and set it aside.

Filling 

• About 10 apples
• 6 Tbsp of sugar (optional- depends on sweetness of apples)
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp of ground cinnamon

Peel the apples and chop them into large cubes.

Put them them in a large pot along with the vanilla and cinnamon and just a tiny bit of water to cover the bottom of the pot.

Cook and stir occasionally until the apples are soft.

Set aside to cool. If the apples release a lot of juice and it doesn’t condense after cooling, drain the juice.

Pour the cooled apples on to of the dough.

Topping

• 3 egg whites
• 3/4 cup of sugar

In a dry bowl, mix the egg whites until they are white, stiff, and fluffy.

Then, add the sugar in about 5 portions constantly mixing.

Spread the egg whites on top of the apples.

Sprinkle the remaining dough on top the egg whites.

Bake at 380 F (180 C) for 55-60 min

Thoughts

This is, for sure, my favorite fall dessert. It never disappoints. There are hundreds of recipes for this very popular dessert in Poland, but this one, by far, is my favorite. It is very delicate and the topping is heavenly. This is a family favorite and the first thing I want to bake when the apple season begins.

It goes great with vanilla ice cream when still warm or with whipped cream. However, for me, the best way to serve it as is, but I do enjoy it with ice cream, on occasion.

This can be a great treat for a Thanksgiving dessert. If you are wanting to surprise your family with a show stopper dessert and something they have never tasted before, this is the dessert you want to make!

Enjoy and I’m looking forward to hearing your feedback!

Other Autumn Recipes

Pumpkin Bread: https://thesweetworldsite.wordpress.com/2018/10/22/pumpkin-bread/

Apple Cobbler: https://thesweetworldsite.wordpress.com/2018/09/24/apple-cobbler/ 

Pumpkin Cake: https://thesweetworldsite.wordpress.com/2017/11/26/pumpkin-cake/

Beet Cake: https://thesweetworldsite.wordpress.com/2018/08/03/beet-cake/

Carrot Cake: https://thesweetworldsite.wordpress.com/2018/10/10/carrot-cake/

Pear Cake: https://thesweetworldsite.wordpress.com/2018/10/29/pear-cake/

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