French apple cake

For ➑
95 g household flour
¾ tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
4 large apples, preferably from a different species (Boskoop or Elstar),peeled & quartered
2 large eggs (or three small ones)
150 g sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
115 g unsalted butter, melted & cooled
3 tbs rum
20 cm cake tin

Preheat the oven to 175°C.
Butter a cake tin of 20 cm.
Mix flour, baking powder and salt thoroughly.
Cut the apple quarters in two, first lengthwise, then again, crosswise.
Beat the eggs until they are frothy with an electric blender. Add the sugar to the eggs, and beat the mixture until it is quite firm.
Add rum and vanilla extract.
Add ½ of the flour mixture, and mix it with the hand..
Add ½ of the butter, and mix it with the hand..
Repeat with the remaining flour and the butter.
Use a rubber spatula to gently mix the apples into the batter. Make sure all the apple pieces have a layer of batter on it.
Pour into the buttered springform pan, and bake for 50 m to an hour.
The top will look golden brown and a knife should come clean out of the cake.
Allow at least 10 m (up to 1 h) cooling in the form. Proceed with a knife around the inside of the mold, to loosen the cake. Place a plate on top of the cake and turn the cake onto the plate, to remove the bottom of the springform pan (it helps again with a knife to cut along the inside of the pan).
Serve warm or cold. With whipped cream if wanted. The cake can be saved for 2 days.

The so-called 'Marie-Hélène French cake recipe' was a hype throughout the world as being the best apple cake recipe ever.

Sharlotka (Russian apple cake)

For ➏-➑
butter for greasing pan
6 large tart apples, such as Granny Smiths

1 lemon
3 large eggs
200 g granulated sugar
1 ts vanilla extract
125 g all-purpose flour
ground cinnamon, canella, to finish
powdered sugar, to finish

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Line the bottom of a 22 cm springform pan with parchment paper. Butter the paper and the sides of the pan.

Peel, halve and core the apples, then chop them into medium-sized chunks. (Or cut them fairly thinly). Sprinkle chunks with lemon juice to keep them from browning.

Pile the cut apples directly in the prepared pan.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl , using an electric mixer or whisk, beat eggs with sugar until thick and ribbons form on the surface of the beaten eggs. Beat in vanilla, then stir in flour with a spoon until just combined. The batter will be very thick.

Pour over apples in pan, using a spoon or spatula to spread the batter so that it covers all exposed apples. Spread the batter and press it down into the apple pile. The top of the batter should end up level with the top of the apples.

Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 m, or until a tester comes out free of batter. If necessary, cover with a sheet of foil to avoid too heavy browning.

Cool in pan for 10 m on rack, then flip out onto another rack, peel off the parchment paper, and flip it back onto a serving platter. Dust lightly with ground cinnamon.

Serve warm or cooled, dusted with powdered sugar. Serve with plain black tea.

Optionally, add a dollop of barely sweetened whipped or sour cream.

Sharlotka is a popular Russian dessert, made with autumn ingredients. You can add chopped walnuts to the mixture. The name reminds of a classic apple Charlotte, though that would be much more sophisticated.