Try this light and airy Apple Sponge Cake (also known as Sharlotka). Made just with a few simple ingredients, this easy to make apple dessert will become your new favorite Fall recipe.
Apple dessert recipes are my favorite during the Fall season. If you like them too, you need to try this amazing Apple Sponge Cake (also known as Sharlotka). It’s a light and airy dessert, packed with your favorite apples. The recipe is super easy to make and you will need only a few simple ingredients.
Similar to my Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake and Apple Crumb Cake, I love having some leftovers of this Apple Sponge Cake and serving it for breakfast with a cup of coffee.
Ingredients and Substitution
- Eggs. It is very important to use room temperature eggs. They will create a better volume.
- Sugar. Regular granulated or caster sugar will work well in this recipe.
- Vanilla extract. Adds more flavor and aroma.
- Flour. I use regular all-purpose flour. Just make sure to measure it correctly, so the batter won’t be too thin or too thick.
- Baking Powder. It helps the cake to rise more evenly.
- Salt. I always add salt to all desserts to balance the sweetness.
- Apples. You can use any apples you have. Although, my favorite ones for baking are Honey Crisp and Granny Smith varieties.
How to make it
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an ungreased 9-inch spring form with a parchment and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add 4 room temperature eggs. Using a stand or a hand mixer, beat the eggs for 2 minutes until the mixture starts to get lighter.
Then gradually add ¾ cup granulated sugar and beat again on high speed for another 10 minutes or until the mixture triples in size and forms thick and fluffy ribbons.
Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Using a sifter, sift 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt in 3 steps, folding with a spatula in between of each addition.
Add ⅔ pealed, cored, and finely diced apples and gently fold them in.
Transfer the batter into the spring form and top with the remaining diced apples.
Bake at 350F for about 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Take it out of the oven and let sit on the countertop for about 10-15 minutes.
Slide a pairing knife or a thin spatula around the edges to loosen the cake. Transfer the cake to a platter to cool off completely.
Tips for best results
- Sift the flour. Because we are making a sponge cake, it is better to sift the flour instead of just adding it to the wet ingredients. This extra step will help the cake stay light and airy.
- Don’t overmix the batter. When you mix the wet and dry ingredients, make sure you don’t overmix it. Otherwise the cake can deflate and lose the soft airy texture.
- Use a springform pan. Since this cake is very delicate, it is so much easier to release it from a springform pan than from a regular cake pan.
- Don’t disturb the cake while baking. When the cake is baking, don’t open the oven until the cake is almost done. If you open it too often, the temperature difference and the air flow might cause the cake to get flat.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are so many ways you can serve this Apple Sponge Cake. You can simply serve it as is, top with powdered sugar or caramel sauce. Sometimes, I also like to have it with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
While I prefer to use tart or semi sweet apples for this dessert (like Granny Smith or Honey Crisp), you can use pretty much any variety that you have at home.
Wrap the cake tightly in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
More Dessert Ideas:
- Baked Apples
- Apple Pie with Puff Pastry
- Chocolate Overload Cake
- Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake
- Apple and Blueberry Crumble
- Cinnamon Muffins with Glaze
- Chocolate Chip Banana Zucchini Bread
- Chocolate Cake from Scratch
- Old Fashioned Apple Crisp
- Classic Apple Pie
Apple Sponge Cake (Sharlotka)
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large apples peeled, cored, and diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an ungreased 9-inch spring form with a parchment and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add 4 room temperature eggs. Using a stand or a hand mixer, beat the eggs for 2 minutes until the mixture starts to get lighter.
- Then gradually add ¾ cup granulated sugar and beat again on high speed for another 10 minutes or until the mixture triples in size and forms thick and fluffy ribbons.
- Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Using a sifter, sift 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt in 3 steps, folding with a spatula in between of each addition.
- Add ⅔ pealed, cored, and finely diced apples and gently fold them in.
- Transfer the batter into the spring form and top with the remaining diced apples.
- Bake at 350F for about 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Take it out of the oven and let sit on the countertop for about 10-15 minutes.
- Slide a pairing knife or a thin spatula around the edges to loosen the cake. Transfer the cake to a platter to cool off completely.
Notes
- Sift the flour. Because we are making a sponge cake, it is better to sift the flour instead of just adding it to the wet ingredients. This extra step will help the cake stay light and airy.
- Don’t overmix the batter. When you mix the wet and dry ingredients, make sure you don’t overmix it. Otherwise the cake can deflate and lose the soft airy texture.
- Use a springform pan. Since this cake is very delicate, it is so much easier to release it from a springform pan than from a regular cake pan.
- Don’t disturb the cake while baking. When the cake is baking, don’t open the oven until the cake is almost done. If you open it too often, the temperature difference and the air flow might cause the cake to get flat.
- How to store. Wrap the cake tightly in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
Its light, airy texture and sweet, apple-infused flavor make it a timeless classic. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee
If this cake is like your cinnamon coffee cake sign me up! We love your cooking and baking, you have terrific ideas and recipes so I am making this cake this afternoon with my nieces. They want to bake something with me and your recipe is terrific, easy to understand, and looks delish. Do you think I can use pears as well as apples? I have a ton of lovely pears and am willing to make two cakes, one for each fruit. Thanks so much!
My grandma used to make a similar cake. It was always delicious! I’m excited to give this recipe a try!
This Apple sponge cake was simply pure bliss. It tasted so good that everyone wanted extra. Can’t wait to make it again!
I love apple cakes (and pies). This is my new favourite as it’s super easy to make, beautifully moist and flavourful!
I love a good pound cake and an apple one is perfect for this time of the year! We always have tons of apples later in the fall so I can’t wait to make it again then.
My family really loved how this turned out. I enjoy baking with apples during the fall but we don’t like apple pie, and of course the kids always was a dessert. So this was a great alternative.
I loved this with fresh picked honeycrisp apples from the orchard. The flavor and texture was perfect.
Thanks for the tip on the springform! This cake came out beautifully and was so, so tasty. Thanks!
This apple sharlotka was an amazing way to end our Sunday meal. I added just a small amount of cardamom to give it my own twist and it was perfect.