Szarlotka (Polish Apple Pie)
As American as Apple Pie?
Think again.
Maybe if you're thinking of a classic double crusted apple pie, like our Brandied Apple Pie, then we can claim the American title, but Polish cuisine gives American apple pie a good run for its money.
While in Poland, we ate the most unique apple cake we have ever tasted. (The one on the left below.)
Towards the end of our trip, we searched for another taste of that Polish apple cake, and only came close with the version on the right.
Even in Poland, szarlotka varies tremendously from one baker to another.
Some have a filling that is just apples and spices, while others include raisins and still others feature almonds.
Some have a meringue topping, while others boast a crumble on top, and others have a whole second layer of cake!
When searching for recipes to make our Polish apple pie, the number of ways to make Polish apple cakes and Polish apple pies left us with a lot of options to sort through.
Polish Apple Cake or Polish Apple Pie?
Technically, you won't find 'pie' in Poland the way we think of it in the States
However, we're calling this apple dessert a pie, because it has a layer of apple filling, simiar to what you would find in a pie.
As you can see from the pictures, the "pie" itself is more of a layered cake or crumble with an apple pie filling.
Translating from Polish to English can be a bit tricky to land on the correct word, and the variations on szarlotka are so vast that one may not even look like another.
But, there is a whole different category of Polish desserts devoted to actual apple cake, called Placek z Jablka. Which is more of a slicing cake studded with apples. (More similar in style to this German apple cake.)
Hopefully, one day we'll tackle this treat too!
While there are a lot of variations of Szarlotka (pronounced shar-LOT-ka), a few things remain the same.
The apple filling of this dessert is definitely less sweet than what Americans think of as 'apple pie filling'. It is typically just apples and spices. And, if any sugar is added in, it is only in small amounts.
The cake also isn't overly sweet, which really lets the flavor of the apples and the contrasting textures shine through.
Our Szarlotka Recipe
We tried to mirror our Polish apple pie after the first pie we tasted while in Poland: the one with the dense, cakey bottom crust and the crumbly top.
This means that, for our szarlotka recipe, the bottom "crust" is a cross between a dense cake and a thick shortbread. It is only lightly sweet to really let the sweetness of the apples shine through. And it's consistency adds a wonderful, hearty texture to the pie.
To make the pie, the bottom crust is baked alone first and then topped with a warm apple and cinnamon mixture.
The top "crust" is a second layer of the same dough as the bottom crust that is crumbled or grated over top of the cake to give it a fun texture.
The double crust creates a wonderful combination soft and crisp textures to surround the ample center of spiced apple goodness.
This pie is a serious slice of apple heaven!
Serving Szarlotka
You will want to let this dessert cool completely before serving.
The apple mixture firms up as it cools, giving the pie more structure so that it holds up nicely when sliced.
You can make this apple pie in the morning to serve with dinner, but we find it best if szarlotka is made a day ahead of time.
Overnight, the moisture from the apples steeps into the crust, softening it and infusing it with a sweet, cinnamon apple flavor.
Szarlotka (Polish Apple Pie)
This Szarlotka recipe combines a thick layer of apples with a dense, cake-like crust and a crumble topping, to create a Polish apple pie that is sure to be a fall favorite.
Bake this apple pie in a 9" round spring-form pan for great presentation and easy serving. No spring-form pans laying around? Try it in a 9x9 baking dish or 9" diameter casserole dish with at least 3 inch high sides.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 4 c unbleached all purpose flour
- ½ c sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 c (½ lb) salted butter, softened
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon milk
For the Filling
- 2 lbs firm baking apple, (Gala, McIntosh, or Pink Lady), peeled, cored, and sliced
- 2 lbs soft baking apple, (Braeburn, Red Delicious, or Fuji), peeled, cored, and sliced
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Cut in the butter, using a pastry blender or a fork, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract until the mixture is evenly moist.
- Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with your hands after each addition until a firm but slightly sticky dough forms. (Add extra milk if necessary.)
- Turn the dough onto the counter and knead a few times, quickly (it may stick to the counter a bit) to finish bringing the dough together.
- Divide the dough into two pieces, roughly ⅔ and ⅓ of the dough. Wrap the smaller section in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 30 minutes, while you continue working. Press the larger section into a greased 9” spring form pan.
- Bake the bottom crust in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until it is puffy and starting to turn golden around the edges. When the crust is done, remove it from the oven to a cooling rack.
For the Filling
- While the bottom crust is baking, mix the apples and cinnamon in a large sauté pan or large pot. Heat the apples over medium-high heat and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until the apples soften slightly and the mixture becomes fragrant. Remove the mixture from the heat.
Putting It All Together
- Spread the warm filling over the warm crust. (It will look like you have A LOT of apples. Don’t worry; they cook down.)
- Take the last ⅓ of the crust out of the freezer and grate it over the apple filling using a cheese grater (or crumble it over top of the apples using your fingers).
- Place an aluminum foil lined baking sheet in the oven on the rack below where the pie will go, to catch any dripping from the spring form pan.
- Return the pie to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden.
Cooling and Serving
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Once the pie is cool it can be served or covered lightly with plastic wrap and left on the counter overnight, to be served the following day. (This pie is great when made a day ahead of time, because the flavors develop and the crust softens overnight.)
Notes
This pie can be stored, covered, on the counter for up to 2 days. After 2 days, store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
This recipe was updated it in October 2016. We made a few tweaks to make the pie even better. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 127
This is one of the recipes from the early days of Curious Cuisiniere. We've updated our pictures since we first shared it, but we've left some originals here, in case you've found us in the past and are looking for that old, familiar image.
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Placek kartoflany- potato pancake
Naleśniki- crêpes/ thin pancakes
Placek when referring to cake means traybake!!!
For Hunters Stew/ Bigos have freezer bag which is used solely for leftover roast beef or pork or duck ( not lamb as overwhelms flavour). This is brilliant for Bigos with some pork ribs for stripping after cooking.
Thanks for the tips Theresa!
I have made this recipe many times and always get rave reviews. When I was growing up there was a bakery in our neighborhood that made Szarlotka but instead of the pie crust type of base they used more of a cake like base. My brother (he is the cook in his family) and I have tried to duplicate it, and have come close but not quite perfect...sometimes too much base sometimes not enough...we will keep trying. Perhaps if anyone has the secret they can share
We have been working on something like this, and have yet to get it just right they way we ate it in Poland. Maybe another reader will have some tips! (You may also want to take a look at the comment below from Donna S. also. As she gave some tips for a lighter cake base.)
Hi Sarah!
Adding to your question about the “placki” confusion.
If you say “placki z jabłkami” a Pole would most probably imagine something like pancakes with apple pieces. We usually use sour milk or kefir (kind of fermented yoghurt) in the dough to make it fluffy. “Racuchy” on the other hand are usually made with yeast.
“Pie” is a concept we only know from American movies and for most people “szarlotka” will be classified as “ciasto” as a general term for all kinds of cakes that you cut into pieces to serve. “Placek” can be used to refer to a flatter, easier cake, but it’s rather regional and on its own usually refers rather to the fried potato pancake served with goulash (look up “placek po węgiersku” it’s quite amazing 😉).
Hope this helps!
PS. My grandma adds some sour cream to the szarlotka dough instead of milk. Makes it wonderfully fluffy 😀
Thank you so much Dorota. This helps a lot!
Just to clarify. Szarlotka is a polish cake, not a pie. In fact, Polish cuisine does not actually have any pies.
I am Polish, born and raised. You can also make it with a meringue topping that might help the cake be more moist for those that might find it to dry.
Thanks for your insight and tips Kinga. How would you classify the difference between Szarlotka and Placek z Jablka?
Places z jablkami is more of a pancake with apples or apple fritter depending on how dense the dough is, the size and shape but does translate to pancake with apples. Thai is usually pan fried ?.
Although most translations from Polish to English are actually quite bad. If you googled placki z jablkami, you would get images of sharlotka. There are actually no pancakes in Poland either so they usually use the term placki loosely for different cakes that may be considered simple. The closest comparison to a pancake would be called a placek gzybowy - which translates to mushroom pancake but is actually just close to a plain pancake - no mushrooms. Unfortunately, a lot is lost in translation since the Polish language is quite unique.
Very interesting. Thank you so much for your insight. A few follow up questions, if you don’t mind. What would be the difference be between placki z jablkami and racuchy z jablkami? Also, what would you call a slicing cake that had apples baked into the cake batter (not a layer of apple ‘filling’ like szarlotka)? (I’ve seen some of these referred to as placki z jablkami.) Finally, are these terms pretty set across the country, or are there regional variations in what the terms could be used to describe? Thank you again!
Perhaps it was the apples I used( Granny Smiths, because it was what I had on hand) but it was very dry and I found that the bottom crust was way too thick.
Hi Karen. If you are expecting this pie to be like an American apple pie, you will be disappointed. As you can see from our images, the bottom crust is thick, and it's more like a dense cake layer. There also isn't the gooey "apple pie filling" layer in Polish apple pie, like American apple pie has. It's more of a layer of cooked apples that soften slightly yet hold their shape between your thick cake/pastry layers. If you're looking for more of a traditional apple pie, you may want to try this recipe out: https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/brandied-apple-pie/.
I would love the original Polish apple cake recipe that Melinda requested Oct 23, 2016 @ 12:47 PM please.
I am of Polish descent and love to find Polish recipes.
Do you have a recipe for Bigos (Hunters Stew)? Or a recipe that was served Christmas Eve , Mushroom Soup made from dried Polish mushrooms.
My husband and daughter lovingly named it "Ditch soup"..
Hi Rita. Have you tried this recipe? The original that Melinda is referring to was our own recipe that we tweaked after making it a couple more times. We really feel that this one offers a much better crumb and consistency. We do not currently have a recipe for Bigos or the Christmas Eve Mushroom Soup, but both are on our list of things to make and get up on the site. Hopefully you will see them later this year!
Your cake looks like szarlotka tatrzanska 😉
Thank you Justyna!
Made using Bobs Mills 1 to 1 gluten free flour using cooked blueberries and sprinkled with coconut. It was excellent!!
Sounds tasty! Glad you enjoyed it!
Have a similar recipe, The apples are grated.
We have seen versions like that as well. I bet it is delicious that way too!
Hi, I remember seeing a lady grate her apples too& have never found the right Szarlotka recipe, would you be willing to share your recipe???
Could this be like apple charlotte.
Hi Penny, A Charlotte is a moulded dessert where the mould is lined with bread and then a filling is poured inside. While the names seem like they could be related, the Charlotte is an English dessert that was probably named after Queen Charlotte in the late 1700s. Now you have us wanting to make an Apple Charlotte. Yum!
Thanks for recipe
You are welcome! We hope you enjoy it!
Apple cake is a classic in Eastern European baking. As many apple varieties as we have, there are equally a similar number of Apple cake recipes. As a frequent home baker, may I suggest that if you want your apple cake to look like your apple cake from Poland, that you make the following changes: use cold butter, not room temperature. It is hard to cut in butter to form crumbly crust if the butter is softened. It also affects the end result. Consider using only egg yolks, instead of whole eggs. Instead of milk, can snider sour cream, as it acts as a leavening agent due to the acid. The end result will be a higher lighter batter, and will be less dense than your dough crust. It will look more like photo from Poland.
Thank you Donna! We will give your suggestions a try!
I second all of these suggestions...which is how my Grandmonther and mother make szarlotka. Plus they use only Granny Smith apples (shredded with a grater (as if grating mozzarella for a pizza),
Looks delicious! Next on my list of things to try!
Thanks Marcella! We hope you enjoy it!
Hi!
Am I completely wrong, or did you change your recipe at the same time as you changes the pictures?
I make a polish apple cake a couple of weeks ago, and it was just delicious. I would love to make it again, but I can't find the same recipe. I read a lot of recipes before I decided which one to use, so I might make this up in my head, but I think it was from your page, I also recognice the old pictures you now have at the bottom of the recipe.
The recipe I used had for example yogurt in the crust, and added water and flour to the apple mixture.
Sorry if this is a mistake, but I really want to be able to make this fantastic apple pie again!
Hi Melinda! You are correct! As noted above the recipe, when we updated the images, we tweaked the recipe a bit. We think this version is even better, and we would encourage you to try it and see what you think about it compared to the earlier version you made. But, if you are set on making our original recipe again, please let us know and we would be happy to send it to you. You can respond here in the comments, or send us an email directly to sarah(at)curiouscuisiniere(dot)com . (We tried to send you an email in response to your comment, however our email would not go through to the email address you provided in your comment.) Please let us know what you decide!
What a great version of apple pie. I love that there are so many traditions with apple pie.
Thanks Virginia! It is fun how many versions of apple pie there are out there!