Szarlotka — Polish apple cake

i. Origin & history

Szarlotka takes its name from the French apple charlotte, but the Polish version evolved into a distinct cake form rather than a layered moulded dessert. It is everyday Polish home baking.

ii. Ingredients

Makes 16 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust

• 400 g plain flour
• 200 g icing sugar
• 250 g unsalted butter, cold
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch salt
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1½ kg cooking apples, peeled and chopped
• 100 g sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 30 g unsalted butter
• Icing sugar to dust

iii. Method

1. Stew apples with sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and butter 15-20 min until soft and dry. Cool.
2. Make pastry: rub butter into flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and zest. Mix in yolks to a dough. Chill 1 hour. Divide in half; freeze one half briefly.
3. Press one half into a 23 × 33 cm tin. Spread apple mixture.
4. Grate the frozen pastry half over the top.
5. Bake at 180 °C for 50-60 min until golden. Cool; dust with icing sugar; cut into squares.

iv. Tips & common mistakes

• Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
• Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
• Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.

v. Variations

Sernik on szarlotka sandwiches the apples between cheesecake and pastry layers. Modern szarlotka includes raisins or walnuts. Szarlotka z bezą tops with meringue.

vii. More from Eastern European

• Apple Pie — British apple pie
• Apfelstrudel — apple strudel
• Apple Turnover — French chausson
• Flaugnarde — French stone-fruit cake
• Tufahije — Bosnian poached apples
• Babka — Polish yeast cake