Youtube Instagram
Denis Elas The Chef
A blue and white patterned bowl filled with creamy penne pasta, peas, and ham, topped with golden toasted breadcrumbs and fresh parsley, set against a wooden background.
A finished bowl of Mongolian Tsuivan noodles served in a blue and white patterned ceramic bowl. The dish features thick, hand-cut noodles mixed with tender chunks of beef, julienned carrots, and onions, topped with a generous garnish of fresh chopped green onions.
A completed Strawberry and Raspberry Paris-Brest on a chevron wooden board with a slice removed, showcasing the thick interior layer of whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and whole raspberries.
A white bowl filled with a golden-brown pan-seared chicken breast topped with minced garlic and fresh parsley, served alongside roasted halved Brussels sprouts and multi-colored fingerling potato wedges in a light herb sauce.
A close-up of a perfectly baked maple coffee cake on a wooden cutting board, generously drizzled with white glaze. A slice is pulled forward, revealing a thick, cinnamon-sugar streusel ribbon baked inside.
A decorative white bowl filled with creamy orange cauliflower butter masala and fluffy white rice, garnished with fresh chopped cilantro.
A stack of four freshly baked carrot muffins on a blue and white patterned plate, with one muffin broken open to reveal the moist interior dotted with grated carrots.
Close-up of freshly pan-fried chebureki on a blue and white patterned plate, with one cut in half to reveal a juicy ground meat and onion filling.
Sliced matcha chocolate bars with melted dark chocolate chunks stacked on a blue and white patterned plate against a wooden background.
A final serving of golden British Flapjacks [Flapjacks Britanniques] on a plate.
A blue and white patterned plate featuring one whole Jamaican beef patty and several halved pieces, revealing the moist, dark savory meat filling inside a flaky crust.
Close-up of three glazed lemon cupcakes stacked in a pyramid on a blue and white floral plate.

Apple Sharlotka
[Яблочная шарлотка]

Apple Sharlotka [Яблочная шарлотка]

By Denis Elas The Chef
Print Recipe

Video

A slice of Russian Apple Sharlotka [Яблочная шарлотка] topped with powdered sugar on a blue patterned plate.
Apple Sharlotka is a classic, incredibly fluffy apple pie with a crisp crust, featuring tart apples folded directly into a delicate sponge batter.
This traditional Apple Sharlotka recipe was shared by Ulyana Tkachuk (Ульяна Ткачук) and is a beloved taste of her childhood. This specific version is my own personal take, combining concepts from both my mother Svetlana and Ulyana Tkachuk (Ульяна Ткачук). I was struck by how incredibly similar their two family recipes were, a beautiful reminder of how traditional flavors connect us across different homes and cultures.

Dedicated to my parents

Svetlana and Oleg ❤️

5 from 1 vote
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: European, Moldovan
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Rest Time: 10 minutes
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes

Equipments

Round cake pan
Mixing bowl
Hand mixer
Sifter
Spatula
Wooden Cutting Board
Wooden cutting board

Ingredients

The Batter

The Filling & Topping

  • 4 apples Granny Smith or Antonovka
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter for greasing the pan
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon optional, for sprinkling
  • 1 tsp turbinado sugar optional, for sprinkling
  • 1 tsp powdered sugar optional, for serving
8 slices

Cook Mode

To prevent your phone from sleeping (screen turning off)

Instructions
 

The Preparation

  1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
  2. Wash your 4 apples thoroughly. Since we are leaving the skins on for a rustic texture and extra color, ensure they are scrubbed clean. Core the apples and cut each one into 4 large quarters.
    Chef's Tip: You can remove the skin off the apple for a softer feeling. I kept it in this recipe as it is the more rustic way to do, but both are great.
    Slicing green Granny Smith apples into quarters on a wooden chevron cutting board for Sharlotka.
  3. Take 3 of your 4 apples (12 quarters) to create the juicy heart of the cake. Slice each quarter crosswise into triangles approximately less than 1 cm thick. Keeping these pieces chunky ensures they hold their shape during baking, providing a burst of moisture and a bit of bite from the skin in every mouthful.
    Dicing fresh green apples into small cubes on a wooden board for the Sharlotka cake filling.
  4. Take your last apple quarters to create the signature sun pattern. Slice the remaining 4 quarters lengthwise (from top to bottom) into ultra-thin, translucent crescents. These long, delicate filaments—complete with their colorful skins—are light enough to float on top of the airy batter without sinking, allowing you to arrange them in a beautiful, vibrant spiral.
    Prepared cubed and sliced green apples ready to be folded into the Sharlotka batter.

The Batter

  1. Separate the 4 eggs whites from the yolks.
    Chef’s Note: My mother usually beats the whole eggs with the sugar for about 5–8 minutes instead of separating them. Both methods work! However, I’ve used Ulyana's separated egg method here because it creates a slightly lighter sponge and that iconic crackly, meringue-like crust on top that makes Sharlotka so special.
    Separated egg yolks and egg whites in small metal bowls on a wooden cutting board.
  2. In a clean mixing bowl, beat the 4 eggs whites with 150 g sugar until stiff peaks form.
    Using a red hand mixer to whip egg whites into stiff peaks in a stainless steel bowl.
  3. In another bowl, beat the 4 eggs yolks with the remaining 50 g sugar until the mixture lightens in color.
    Whisking egg yolks and sugar with a red hand mixer for a fluffy Sharlotka sponge.
  4. Very gently fold the whipped egg whites into the yolk mixture.
    Hand folding flour into the whipped egg mixture using a red spatula in a metal mixing bowl.
  5. Add the pinch of 1/4 tsp salt and the 1 tsp baking powder. Sift the 200 g all-purpose flour into the egg mixture in small portions, folding it in gently with a spatula. The batter should end up slightly more liquid than cupcake batter.
    Sifting all-purpose flour through a fine-mesh strainer into the Sharlotka cake batter.

The Assembly

  1. Add the chopped 4 apples directly into the batter and fold gently to combine. Pour the mixture into your prepared baking pan.
    Folding freshly diced green apples into the thick Sharlotka cake batter in a stainless steel mixing bowl.
  2. Arrange the final apple, cut into thin crescents, on top of the batter in a circular "sun" pattern, starting from the outside and working your way in.
    Arranging thin slices of Granny Smith apples in a decorative spiral pattern on top of the Sharlotka batter.
  3. Sprinkle lightly with a mix of 1 tsp turbinado sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
    Sprinkling a mixture of cinnamon and sugar over the sliced apple topping before baking the Sharlotka.

The Baking

  1. Generously grease a round cake pan (a pan with a removable bottom is ideal) with 1 tbsp unsalted butter. The butter helps create a delicious, tasty crust! You can also line it with parchment paper first if your pan tends to stick.
    Greasing a dark blue springform cake pan with butter to prevent the Sharlotka from sticking.
  2. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
    DO NOT TAKE THE PIE OUT IMMEDIATELY! Turn off the oven, crack the door slightly open, and let the Sharlotka rest inside for 10 minutes.
    A golden-brown, freshly baked Apple Sharlotka [Яблочная шарлотка] cooling in a springform pan on a wooden board.

The Serving

  1. Remove the cake from the oven, release it from the springform pan, and sprinkle some sifted 1 tsp powdered sugar.
    Sifting a fine layer of powdered sugar over a slice of Sharlotka using a small mesh strainer.
  2. Enjoy your Apple Sharlotka [Яблочная шарлотка]. It is delicious both hot and cooled down.
    A slice of Russian Apple Sharlotka [Яблочная шарлотка] topped with powdered sugar on a blue patterned plate.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 245 kcal (12%) | Carbohydrates: 48 g (16%) | Protein: 5 g (10%) | Fat: 4 g (6%) | Sodium: 115 mg (5%) | Fiber: 2 g (8%) | Sugar: 32 g (36%)

Elasdenis.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While I do my best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, I am not a certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.

My own adaption of

My mother Svetlana and an amazing fan of the website Ulyana Tkachuk.

Sharing

Facebook Twitter Bluesky
Have you tried or tasted this recipe?

One Response

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you so much for publishing the recipe.

    It makes me happy to think that people might find the recipe and want to try making it. This is the taste of childhood for many people in Russia across different generations. The Sharlotka is very simple to make and doesn’t require many ingredients. That’s why people in Russia love baking it so much.

    I hope the readers of this page will be interested in trying a flavor that many in Russia would call the “taste of childhood.” 🐻

    Reply
5 from 1 vote

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Denis Elas The Chef
The Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2024-2026 Denis Elas
All rights reserved