Several weeks ago, some friends in the upper Midwest posted photos of an apple picking adventure in Michigan (which of course included a photo of their prize-winning apple pie). A little over a week ago I had the pleasure of a stroll through a local farmers’ market in Chicago, and the abundance of fresh-picked apples was incredible. Then, just this last week, a Ukrainian family it was our honor to host last year posted pictures of an apple picking expedition in their native Ukraine.
What struck me, in addition to the universality of apples in the Fall, was the part food, and the gathering of food in the company of friends and family, plays in uniting us, whether in Michigan, Chicago, Ukraine, or wherever.
Putting thoughts into action, and being in a baking frame of mind. I discovered Sharlotka, an apple sponge cake apparently with roots in Eastern Europe. A Ukrainian friend, when asked about it, was kind enough to reply in English, “Charlotte”, saying that it was a favorite. The recipe I’m providing came from The Saporito.
Apple sponge cake – Sharlotka (Charlotte) – while similar in composition and taste, is not the same as Apple Charlotte, which is a British apple dish more in the nature of a plum pudding. I opted for the Ukrainian version, and it’s a sure-fire winner. With a copious amount of apple (I used Honeycrisp), it’s full of apple flavor, and maintains its structure, not getting so soft that it collapses into an applesauce wannabe. Give it a whirl!!!
Sharlotka (Charlotte)
(Ukrainian apple sponge cake)
INGREDIENTS
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour. Use simple all-purpose flour
1 tsp (rounded) baking powder
3 large apples (Honeycrisp, or maybe Granny Smith)
1 Tbsp cinnamon (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Butter and flour a 9″ baking pan.
Compine and whisk the eggs and sugar until the sugar appears mostly dissolved.
Add the flour and baking powder. Mix well to form a smooth batter.
Cut the apples into cubes – 1/4 – 1/2″.
If using cinnamon, sprinkle it on the apples and toss to distribute uniformly.
Add the apples to the batter mixture, and mix well,
Pour the dough into the baking pan.
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake the pie for 1 hour (check readiness with a toothpick).
When done, remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. The cake will pull back from the edges of the pan.
Turn the cake out onto a wire rack to finish cooling; you may need to tap the pan to obtain release, but it should come out cleanly.
May be served warm or cooled to room temperature.
Right out of the oven, the top of the cake unashamedly says “apple”, as you can see from the photo. If this is the look you want, turn it out of the pan, then flip it back over to emphasize the apple.
Straight out of the pan, the cake takes on a more traditional sponge cake look, but with a decidedly layered look. The choice is yours. You can see this in profile in the lead photo.
Traditionally, the cake is served with a dusting of powdered sugar. I possibly went a bit too heavy, but it’s good, regardless, and the cake is not cloyingly sweet, making it perfect at brunch or for dessert, or just at “tea time’.
When cranberries are in the market, cranberry sauce is a must for me, and when it’s not quite time for turkey and dressing, cranberry sauce on apple sponge cake creates gastronomic fireworks.
never 2 old 2 start cooking 
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