This apple sponge cake is a classic Russian dessert known as sharlotaka. It is made with five simple ingredients. This cake recipe will fill your home with the aroma of fresh baked apples.

This apple sponge cake is light, airy and packed with apples. Minimal ingredients and little prep time is needed to make this delicious apple dessert. I’m sure you already have everything you need right in your pantry! It’s perfect for brunch, breakfast or for your next family occasion. Pair it with coffee or a scoop of ice cream. Sharlotka is an apple cake everyone will love!
Ingredients needed to make apple sponge cake
- Flour: Bring structure to the dessert.
- Sugar: Add sweetness.
- Eggs: Eggs play a very important role in the sponge cake. Eggs will add air and make the cake light and fluffy.
- Baking powder:
- Apples: The star of the recipe! Feel free to use any kind of apples.
How to make the apple cake
- Prepare baking pan: Butter and flour the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Set aside.
- Prepare apples: Peel and core the apples. Dice the apples into medium sized pieces and set aside.
- Make the sponge cake: Sift the flour and the baking powder. Set aside. In a mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar on high speed. (6-8 minutes) The mixture should be thick, pale and triple in volume. Fold in the sifted flour in two additions. Fold until the flour is just incorporated. Do not over mix. Fold in the in the chopped apples and pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake before removing from pan. Dust with powdered sugar.
Tips for success
- Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. When the eggs are at room temperature they whip up at a much bigger volume than cold eggs. This is important especially because sponge cakes rely on the volume of the eggs.
- Whisk the eggs for 5-8 minutes on high speed or until mixture is thick and pale.
- Measure the flour correctly. Spoon the flour into the cup and level it with a butter knife.
- Don’t over mix when adding flour. Sift the flour first. This ensures the batter is lump free. Sifted flour also blends easier into the cake batter. Which ensures the batter is not over mixed. Over mixing can cause the cake to be dense.
- Use any kind of apple you have on hand. I prefer using honey crisp or granny smith. I like that they don’t get mushy after baking. However, feel free to use any apples of your choice!
Additions
- Add cinnamon to the cake batter or mix apples with some cinnamon and sugar before adding them to the cake batter. The cinnamon will add a delicious flavor to the cake.
- Instead of powdered sugar you can drizzle the cake with caramel or serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
More apple desserts you might like
ENJOY!
If you made this recipe, I would love to hear from you. Rate and leave a comment below. I would also love to see your creation! Share your photo by tagging tasty_treat_pantry on Instagram.
PrintRecipe
Apple Sponge Cake
Simple, quick and delicious apple cake. This cake apple sponge cake is a classic Russian classic cake known as Sharlotka. The five ingredient apple sponge cake will be one of the easiest cakes you will ever make!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs, room temp
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 3 medium apples, peeled and cored
- ¼–½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional) add to apples or cake batter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 340 F.
- Butter and flour the bottom of a 9 inch spring from pan. Set aside.
- Peel and core the apples. Dice the apples into medium sized pieces. Set aside. They will be added into the cake batter.
- Sift the flour and the baking powder. Set aside.
- In a mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar on high speed for 5-7 minutes. The mixture should be thick, pale and triple in volume.
- Fold in the sifted flour in two additions. Fold until the flour is just incorporated. Do not over mix.
- Fold in the in the chopped apples and pour mixture into prepared pan.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Run a knife around the edges and let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
- Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. When the eggs are at room temperature they whip up at a much bigger volume than cold eggs. This is important especially because sponge cakes rely on the volume of the eggs.
- Whisk the eggs for 5-8 minutes on high speed or until mixture is thick and pale.
- Measure the flour correctly. Spoon the flour into the cup and level it with a butter knife.
- Don’t over mix when adding flour. Sift the flour first. This ensures the batter is lump free. Sifted flour also blends easier into the cake batter. Which ensures the batter is not over mixed. Over mixing can cause the cake to be dense.
- Use any kind of apple you have on hand. I prefer using honey crisp or granny smith. I like that they don’t get mushy after baking. However, feel free to use any apples of your choice!
ashok
My Family Loved it. I am definitely sharing Guys, Thanks For sharing this Great Recipe. this recipe and this website with my friend. Hope they also love it. Thank you again for sharing such a great recipe.
nataliyadudley
I’m glad you enjoyed the cake! Thank you.