гости на пароги, Sharlotka, Apple cake, Charlotte Apple Cake

My mom had this recipe in her book called, “Guests at the Door”. Most people call this “Sharlotka” or Charlotte Apple Cake. It’s quick and easy and in the fall, apples are abundant. What makes her recipe special is she added walnuts, and with the caramel sauce, it’s perfection.

Ingredients:

Cake:

2-3 tart apples

6 eggs (separate)

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 -1 cup walnuts roughly chopped

Caramel sauce:

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

3 Tbs butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Sift flour and baking soda. Get a 9” spring pan lined with parchment paper. Slice apples and cover the bottom of the pan as pictured and set aside. IN a standing mixer beat half the sugar with the egg whites till they are beautifully fluffy and pale in color, set aside and in a different or clean bowl whip up the rest of the sugar with the egg whites. Fold 1/3 of the egg yolks int he eggs whites, then fold in gently about 1/3 flour, repeat folding in the eggs and flour until all is just combined. Put the walnuts on top of the apples. Cover the apples with the batter and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F until a toothpick comes out clean when checking the cake. Allow to cool a bit, then turn the cake upside-down, removing the sides of the pan, and lift off the top of the pan and peel away the parchment paper. Allow to cool. Dust powder sugar on top and serve with the caramel sauce.

While the cake is baking, make the Caramel sauce.

in a small pan combine the water and the sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat. lower the heat and cook the sugar until it’s an amber color. I don’t have a candy thermometer, so I just keep my eye on it. DO NOT OVERCOOK this. however, if you undercook it, the sauce is a bit runny. Take it off the heat and as you are whisking, add the heavy whipping cream. It will bubble, just keep whisking. Then whisk in butter, dash of salt, and vanilla extract. It will thicken as it cools. Pour into a serving dish if you are serving the sauce on the side of the cake or cover the cake with caramel.