Polish Apple Cake - Szarlotka
This is my absolute favorite Polish dessert to eat while in Poland. It is very simple and traditional, fruity and not too sweet. Here is my version made in America. 😋 Recipe makes one 8"x 8" cake, serves 9.
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 5 ea Large Green Apples peeled and diced small
- 30 ml Lemon Juice 2 Tablespoons
- 50 grams Light Brown Sugar ¼ cup
- 28 g Butter 2 Tablespoons
- Water, as needed
Streusel crumb topping
- 150 grams All Purpose Flour 1¼ cups
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
- 85 g Butter 6 Tablespoons
- 50 g Light Brown Sugar ¼ cup
Bottom Cake Layer
- 113 g Butter, softened 1 stick or ½ cup
- 50 g White Granulated Sugar ¼ cup
- 1 ea Egg, large
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 200 g All Purpose Flour 1 ¾ cups
- 120 ml Milk ½ cup
Instructions
Prepare Apple Filling
- Peel, core, and chop apples into a small dice.
- Toss apples in lemon juice and brown sugar.
- Stew apples over medium-low heat until soft. Add water as needed to allow for them to soften and create a juice.
- Remove apples from heat and add butter, stir until melted. Cool while you assemble the rest of the cake.
Prepare Streusel Crumble Topping
- Mix flour and baking powder.
- Cut chilled butter into cubes and add to flour.
- Use your fingers to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.
- Place aside.
Prepare the Cake
- Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
- Add the egg, the vanilla and mix well; scraping the sides as needed.
- Add the all purpose flour and the milk and mix until blended; scraping sides as needed.
- Scrape cake batter into prepared 8" x 8" square dish. Hint: I suggest using a glass dish so you can see the bottom of the cake as it cooks.
- Batter will be thick, smooth top of batter with wet fingers to evenly distribute it.
Assemble the Cake
- Pour the apples on top of the cake batter prepped in the square baking dish.
- Sprinkle the Streusel on top of the apples, distribute evently.
- Bake cake in a preheated 350℉ oven for 40-45 minutes until cake is browned on the bottom and streusel begins to brown on the edges.
- Remove and cool on a wire rack. Store in refrigerator.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or chilled.