Polish Apple Cake (Szarlotka) Recipe

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Polish food is often characterised as comfort cooking, with plenty of hearty soups and stews using inexpensive cuts of meat and seasonal vegetables. Many dishes include grains and cereals, including kasza (a type of buckwheat), alongside dried forest mushrooms, juniper and fresh dill. Polish sweet treats are a delight, with hints of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Poppy seeds ground with vanilla and lemon zest makes a traditional
filling for breads and pastries. Dust with icing sugar and serve with cinnamon whipped cream, it’s perfect when the dark nights draw in.

Ingredients

FOR THE FILLING

half a lemon

6 large Bramley or cooking apples

4 tbsp soft brown sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

FOR THE DOUGH

450g/1lb plain flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tsp baking powder

200g/7oz unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus extra for greasing

225g/8oz golden caster sugar

3 egg yolks, plus 1 whole egg, at room temperature

1 tbsp natural yogurt

1 tbsp lemon zest, (from the half a lemon, above)

1 tsp vanilla extract

TO SERVE

icing sugar, for dusting

300ml pot whipping cream

1 tsp cinnamon

Method

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line a 20 x 29cm baking tray with baking parchment.
For the filling, zest the lemon half and leave aside for the dough. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples, then squeeze over the juice of the lemon to stop the fruit turning brown. Put the apples in a large pan and add the sugar, 200ml water and cinnamon. Cook for 5 mins, then remove from the heat and leave to cool in the liquid (you’ll need this later).
To make the dough, put the flour and baking powder in a food processor or into a large bowl and pulse or stir to combine. Add the butter and mix again until the mixture is sandy. Add the sugar, egg yolks and egg, yogurt, lemon zest and vanilla extract and mix into a dough. Tip it out onto a floured surface. Bring it together with your hands and roll it into a ball.
Split the dough in half, wrap one half in cling film and freeze for 1 hr. Roll out the other dough half so that it is big
enough to fill the bottom of the lined tray. With the palm of your hand, push the dough about halfway up the sides of the tray until the whole base is covered. Prick the dough with a fork and bake in the oven for about 15 mins until it is golden and lightly springy to the touch.
Spoon over the apple filling, with about half the cooking liquid, then set aside.
Remove the dough from the freezer and coarsely grate, as you would a block of cheese. Sprinkle the grated dough over the apples and bake for 40-45 mins until it is golden and the topping has cooked through. Leave to cool completely, dust with icing sugar, then cut into squares. Whip the cream until thick, stir in the cinnamon and serve alongside the cake.

PER SERVING

398 kcals, protein 5g, carbs 60g, fat 16g, sat fat 9g, fibre 3g, sugar 33g, salt 0.1g

Barbara Northwood

Barbara has over 38 years experience in the food industry, loves sharing advice, recipes and know-how on everything food. She’s a passionate gardener and being to grow fresh herbs, lemons and rhubarb and more, gives her great satisfaction.

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