Chefs Binge · Polish · Serves 12 slices
Szarlotka (Polish Apple Cake)
Szarlotka is the classic Polish apple cake - a buttery, tender shortcrust (kruche ciasto) packed with spiced tart apples and finished with a golden grated crumble. Less sweet and more apple-forward than American apple pie.
Prep
40 min
Cook
1 hr
Total
1 hr 40 min
Serves
12 slices
Per serving
417 kcal
Ingredients
For the shortcrust dough (kruche ciasto)
400 g plain flour
85 g powdered (icing) sugar
250 g cold unsalted butter - cubed
4 large egg yolks
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp vanilla sugar - or 2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp sour cream - 45 g, optional, for tenderness
1/4 tsp salt
For the apple filling
1.5 kg tart apples - about 1.2 kg once peeled and cored
60 g granulated sugar - to taste; tart apples need more
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp breadcrumbs or semolina - 30 g, to line the base
For the topping
1-2 tbsp powdered (icing) sugar - for dusting
Equipment
9x13-inch baking tin · Box Grater · Kitchen Scale · Wide pot or deep frying pan · Food processor or pastry cutter
Method
1
Make the shortcrust. Rub the cold butter into the flour, icing sugar, baking powder and salt until you have coarse crumbs (or pulse in a food processor). Work in the egg yolks, sour cream and vanilla just until the dough clumps together - it stays crumbly, not smooth. Divide into two portions, roughly two-thirds and one-third.
2
Chill. Wrap both pieces and chill for at least 30 minutes (or freeze the smaller piece for 20 minutes). The dough must be properly cold and firm so you can grate the top later.
3
Cook down the apples. Peel, core and coarsely grate or dice the apples. Cook them with the lemon juice, cinnamon and sugar in a wide pot over medium heat, covered, for about 10 minutes until the juices release. Uncover and cook 3-5 minutes more, stirring, to drive off the moisture.
4
Cool completely. Take the apples off the heat and let them cool completely. This step is the secret to a crisp base - warm apples steam the pastry and make it soggy.
5
Heat the oven and press the base. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C / 170°C fan). Grease or line a 9x13-inch tin. Press the larger piece of dough evenly across the bottom and prick it with a fork. For an extra-crisp base, pre-bake it for 8-10 minutes, then scatter the breadcrumbs or semolina over it.
6
Add the apples. Spread the cooled apples in an even layer over the base. Do not press them down.
7
Grate the crumble on top. Take the chilled smaller piece of dough and coarsely grate it over the apples on the large holes of a box grater. Do not press it down - loose shards bake into a proper golden crumble (kruszonka).
8
Bake. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top is golden and the apples are tender. If the top colours too fast, tent it loosely with foil after about 40 minutes.
9
Cool before cutting. Let the szarlotka cool completely in the tin before slicing - it is crumbly while warm and firms up as it cools (it is even better the next day). Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Chef’s notes
- Cool the apples fully: the single biggest fix for a soggy szarlotka. Cook off the juice and let them go cold before assembling.
- Breadcrumb barrier: the layer of breadcrumbs or semolina under the apples soaks up any stray juice and keeps the bottom crisp.
- Grate, do not press: grate the top dough from well-chilled or frozen and leave it loose for a golden, craggy crumble rather than a dense slab.
- Tart apples win: Antonowka is traditional; Granny Smith, Bramley or Braeburn all work. Sweet, soft apples turn to mush - keep the filling tart and adjust the sugar to taste.
- Not very sweet by design: szarlotka lets the apples shine. If you like it sweeter, dust generously with icing sugar rather than adding more sugar to the dough.
Per serving Calories 417 kcal · Protein 5 g · Carbs 56 g · Fat 20 g · Saturates 12 g · Fibre 4 g · Sugar 25 g · Sodium 115 mg
Recipe © Chef Łukasz Babral · chefsbinge.com · for personal use only
chefsbinge.com/szarlotka-polish-apple-cake
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