Apple Sharlotka

from Smitten Kitchen

This recipe of Russian origin is astonishingly simple to make and consists of mostly apples (always a plus). You throw everything together. and let the oven do most of the work. The recipe calls for tart apples, but we found that when we made it with sweeter apples we could imagine it gracing the shelves of a french patisserie.

Ingredients:

  • Butter or nonstick spray, for greasing pan

  • 6 large, tart apples

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • Ground cinnamon and powdered sugar to finish

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

  2. Line the bottom of a 9-inch spring-form pan with parchment paper. Butter the paper and the sides of the pan.

  3. Peel, halve and core apples, then chop them into medium-sized chunks. Pile the cut apples directly in the prepared pan.

  4. 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. The batter will be very thick.

  5. Pour the batter over apples in pan, using a spoon or spatula to spread the batter so that it covers all exposed apples. Press it down into the apple pile. The top of the batter should end up level with the top of the apples.

  6. Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a tester comes out free of batter.

  7. 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.

  8. Dust lightly with ground cinnamon.

  9. Serve warm or cooled, dusted with powdered sugar.