Washington Post Recipe Apple Sharlotka

APPLE SHARLOTKA

Steps:

• 1 Position a baking rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees
• 2 Generously butter a 9-inch springform pan, line it with a parchment paper circle, and lightly butter or spray the circle
• 3 Peel, quarter and core the apples
• 4 Slice each quarter across into 1/4-inch thick pieces
• 5 In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, beat the eggs, sugar and salt on medium-high speed (high speed for handheld mixer) until thick and ribbony, about 5 minutes
• 6 Beat in the vanilla extract and cinnamon
• 7 Using a fine-mesh sieve, gradually sift a third of the flour into the egg mixture, then gently fold with a spatula until just combined and no flour streaks remain
• 8 Repeat twice with the remaining flour
• 9 The batter will be very thick
• 10 Place half the apples in an even, compact layer on the bottom of the pan
• 11 Cover with half the batter and use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly over the apples
• 12 Repeat with the remaining apples and batter
• 13 Gently rap the pan a few times against the counter to get rid of air bubbles, and transfer to the oven
• 14 Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out free of batter and the top of sharlotka is golden brown
• 15 Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then gently run a butter knife around the perimeter of the cake to loosen and carefully remove the sides of the pan
• 16 Using a fish spatula, gently transfer the cake to a serving platter and let cool completely
• 17 When ready to serve, dust sharlotka with the powdered sugar and cut into slices

SHARLOTKA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an oversized, deep, glass pie dish and spread apples inside.
• Combine eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the wire whisk attachment. Mix on the highest setting until eggs are foamy and change in color, 5 to 7 minutes. The goal is to achieve a consistency something close to meringue.
• Turn stand mixer off and switch the attachment to the standard mixing paddle. With the machine on its lowest setting, add flour, sour cream, salt, baking powder, and vanilla extract. Mix until just incorporated. Batter should be thick, fluffy, and airy. Do not overmix, as it will deflate the batter. Pour batter over apples in the pie dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top turns golden brown and a knife comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool just until it is safe to handle the pan; loosen edges and flip the cake onto a serving platter.

APPLE SHARLOTKA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
• Butter the paper and the sides of the pan.
• Peel, halve and core your apples, then chop them into medium-sized chunks. (Cut each half into four "strips" then slice them fairly thinly - about 1/4-inch - in the other direction.) Pile the cut apples directly in the prepared pan.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer or whisk, beat eggs with sugar until thick and ribbons form on the surface of the beaten eggs.
• Beat in vanilla, then stir in flour with a spoon until just combined. Batter will be very thick.
• Spread the batter and press it down with spoon or spatula into the apple pile. The top of the batter should end up level with the top of the apples. Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a tester comes out free of batter.
• Cool in pan for 10 minutes on rack, then flip out onto another rack, peel off the parchment paper, and flip it back onto a serving platter. Dust lightly with ground cinnamon.
• Serve warm or cooled, dusted with powdered sugar. Serve with barely sweetened whipped or sour cream.