Polish apple cake - placek ze jablka (plaht-SEK zhe YAHB-kah) - and Polish cheesecake - sernik (SEHR-nik) - are two of the most frequently seen desserts at Polish tables. There are hundreds of recipes for both. This is how my family likes apple cake. The Polish version of apple pie is known as szarlotka. But this is truly a cake -- placek ze jablka literally means "flat cake with apples." Try plums, peaches or nectarines in this recipe to good effect.
Makes 12 servings of Polish Apple Cake Recipe
Makes 12 servings of Polish Apple Cake Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 + 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) soft butter + 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 4 large apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
Preparation:
- Lightly coat a 13"x9" pan with cooking spray. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and 3/4 cup sugar. Add 1/2 cup softened butter, milk and eggs. Beat at medium speed 4 minutes.
- Pour half the batter into prepared pan, then layer on half the apples. Spoon all but 1/2 cup of the remaining batter over the apples, covering completely. Place the remaining apples on top and dot the reserved 1/2 cup batter over the apples.
- Cut remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cloves into 3 tablespoons cold butter and sprinkle over the unbaked cake. Bake about 40 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan so the apple juices will be reabsorbed to create a moist cake. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired, and cut into 12 squares.
