Polish apple pie goes by the name Szarlotka. Its rich filling of tart apples and a hint of cinnamon is sandwiched between two layers of shortcrust. The best way to enjoy it is when it's still warm, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. But I also like it at room temperature, with whipped cream instead of ice cream.
A cousin recipe to Russian apple cake sharlotka, and a favourite in many lands of Eastern Europe, szarlotka is quintessential Polish grandma cake material. My mom and grandma are Polish, so here I am featuring my family recipe. Variations exist, but this is one that we serve in my family. With a little twist in the process.
By the way, there is also a cocktail named after this cake, as it combines the flavours of apple and cinnamon with Polish vodka. You can find it linked at the bottom of this post.
Ingredients & equipment
- Apples - here I used White Transparent
- Flour - regular flour
- Butter - I use salted butter
- Sugar - granulated white sugar
- Egg - you will need one whole and one yolk
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Lemon
For detailed quantities, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
I baked this pie in a 24-cm (9-in) springform pan. I used the food processor to make the pie dough. You need a peeler and knife to process the apples. A large bowl to mix the apples with lemon and cinnamon.
First time making shortcrust? Start with my sweet shortcrust dough to get a broader view of what it implies.
How to make Polish apple pie "szarlotka"
1. Add the flour, baking powder, cold butter and sugar to a food processor and blitz. Slowly pour in the egg yolks & white. Stop when the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Separate 200 g and work the rest into a homogeneous dough and press onto the bottom and sides of the pan. Keep both refrigerated.
2. Peel and core the apples, then proceed to cut into a rather small dice. Press lemon juice on the diced apples to prevent them from browning. I generally end up using the juice of a whole lemon, added little by little as I dice the apples.
3. Transfer the apples to a large bowl, sprinkle the cinnamon all over and toss to distribute. I generally don't add any sugar to the apples, but if you are working with very tart apples you may consider adding some at this point.
4. Prick the bottom of the shortcrust with a fork and spread the apples all over it. Top with the crust crumbs all over so the apples are evenly covered. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on top of the crumbs.
5. Bake in the pre-heated oven at 180C (356F) for 35 minutes, or until the top crumbs have turned to a golden hue. Remove the sides of the springform pan, let cool for 15-20 minutes and serve warm.
Polish apple pie Szarlotka recipe tips
Original szarlotka is baked in a square pan and served in square bits, topped with a dusting of powdered sugar. So if you visit Poland, you can expect to find it in a different shape than what I'm presenting here. I guess we can blame the round shape of my szarlotka to the influence of Italian crostata. My szarlotka is the child of two cultures, just like me.
I did not only rebel when it comes to the shape of the pie: as I mentioned above, in this recipe there is a twist. I make my shortcrust dough in the food processor. My grandma and my mom always make the pie dough by hand. If you want to do as the women in my family before me, make sure you use room temperature butter.
For this recipe my mom has 2 go-to apples types: White Transparent (known in Polish as Papierówka) or Reinette. Another favourite in Poland is Antonovka (Antonówka), but a more international variety that can also work is Granny Smith. If using more tart apples, consider stirring a couple of tablespoons of sugar along with the cinnamon, as the lemon juice will only make their acidity sharper.
More Polish deliciousness
Let's take "polish" and "apples" as keywords here, and enjoy some more recipes from my collection. First off, the apple vodka cocktail that is the cake's namesake. Then we continue with a Polish cocoa apple cake. A rice porridge with apples and cinnamon. And last but not least, my favourite Polish cake of them all: honey semolina cake (ok, no apples here, but I just love it so much I need you to know it).
If you tried this recipe, let me know your thoughts in the comments. If you're planning to try it another time, pin this recipe to Pinterest. Please consider subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Instagram and on Pinterest.
Polish Apple Pie Szarlotka
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Food processor
- 24 cm springform pan (9 inches)
Ingredients
- 800 g apples whole
- 300 g flour
- 120 g sugar +1 tablespoon divided
- 120 g butter
- 2 eggs (2 yolks and 1 white)
- 8 g baking powder
- 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon ground
Instructions
- Add the flour, baking powder, cold butter and sugar to a food processor and blitz. Separate the egg whites from the yolks and discard one white. Slowly pour in the eggs. Stop when the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Set 200 g aside and work the rest into a homogeneous dough, which needs to be pressed onto the bottom and sides of the pan. Keep both refrigerated.
- Peel and core the apples, then proceed to cut into a rather small dice. Press lemon juice on the diced apples to prevent them from browning. I generally end up using the juice of a whole lemon, added little by little as I dice the apples.
- Transfer the apples to a large bowl, sprinkle the cinnamon all over and toss to distribute. If you are working with very tart apples you may consider adding 2 tablespoon sugar at this point.
- Prick the bottom of the shortcrust with a fork and spread the apples all over it. Top with the crust crumbs all over so the apples are evenly covered. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on top of the crumbs.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven at 180C (356F) for 35 minutes, or until the top crumbs have turned to a golden hue. Remove the sides of the springform pan, let cool for 15-20 minutes and serve warm.
Notes
- 800 g of whole apples equals about 650 g peeled and cored.
- The nutritional information provided is generated with an online calculator and only meant to be used as a guideline.
