This Sharlotka -- a Russian sponge cake -- is nice because it is actually very, very light. With less than 1 cup of flour, this is more of an apple crumble, but with form.
My Springform pan is 9", as opposed to the 8" in the recipe below. Therefore, the cake pictured here sprawls more, and is less tall, than what you might get if you have the proper pan.
Apple Sharlotka
Food and Wine, November 2014
4 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored, quartered, and thinly sliced
1 T lemon juice
1 c sugar
3/4 c + 2 T flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch salt
3 eggs
1/4 tsp almond extract
powdered sugar, for dusting
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease the bottom and side of an 8-inch springform pan.
In a large bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and let stand for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the flour with the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the almond extract and the remaining 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar at medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow and a ribbon forms when the beaters are lifted, 8 to 10 minutes. Gently fold in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.
Spread the apples in the prepared pan in an even layer, then pour the batter evenly over them. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the batter to sink in a little.
Bake the sharlotka for about 1 hour, until it is golden and crisp on top and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a rack and let rest for 15 minutes. Unmold and transfer to a serving platter. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm.
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