Zalewskis Polish Apple Cake Recipes

JABłECZNIK: POLISH APPLE CAKE

Steps:

• Peel the apples and divide into wedges. Remove the core. Chop each apple wedge into a few smaller chunks.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter on a large frying pan. Add apple pieces, 4 tablespoons of cane sugar, a teaspoon of cinnamon and fry for about 10 minutes. If you can't fit them all in one go, fry just a half and repeat the process. Make sure not to overcook the apple chunks, they should soften but keep their shape.
• At the end of frying, add juice of one lemon. Set aside to cool.
• All the cake ingredients should be at a room temperature.
• Melt 1 stick of butter (in a microwave or on the stove) and set aside to cool.
• Grab a large bowl, or use a bowl that goes with your stand mixer. Add 5 large eggs (whites and yolks together) and two-thirds of a cup of caster sugar. Using a stand mixer (or a hand-held one), beat the mass until a white foam forms and expands three times in volume.
• While still mixing, gradually pour melted butter, then 3 tablespoons of milk.
• Sift the flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder directly into the eggy foam. Combine together with a spatula.
• Line a baking pan with parchment paper (mine is sized at 9x13 inch / 23x33 cm)
• Pour half of the batter into the baking pan and bake for 15 minutes in 175ºC/350ºF, until the cake turns golden. Do a 'toothpick test': poke the cake, if the toothpick is dry - that means it's done.
• Remove the baked cake from the oven, pour in the apple filling and cover it with another layer of batter. Continue baking for another 30 minutes in 175ºC/350ºF. Do a 'toothpick test' again to check if the cake is done.
• Remove to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, or cover with icing.
• To make some icing, drop 2 tablespoons of icing sugar into a cup. Add a few drops of water and mix together with a fork. If it's still to dry, add more water. Just a tiny bit! A drop of water goes a long way. If your icing is too watery, add more icing sugar. Pour the icing over the cake and let it dry.

POLISH APPLE CAKE (SZARLOTKA)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line a 20 x 29cm baking tray with baking parchment.
• For the filling, zest the lemon half and leave aside for the dough. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples, then squeeze over the juice of the lemon to stop the fruit turning brown. Put the apples in a large pan and add the sugar, 200ml water and cinnamon. Cook for 5 mins, then remove from the heat and leave to cool in the liquid (you'll need this later).
• To make the dough, put the flour and baking powder in a food processor or into a large bowl and pulse or stir to combine. Add the butter and mix again until the mixture is sandy. Add the sugar, egg yolks and egg, yogurt, lemon zest and vanilla extract and mix into a dough. Tip it out onto a floured surface. Bring it together with your hands and roll it into a ball.
• Split the dough in half, wrap one half in cling film and freeze for 1 hr. Roll out the other dough half so that it is big enough to fill the bottom of the lined tray. With the palm of your hand, push the dough about halfway up the sides of the tray until the whole base is covered. Prick the dough with a fork and bake in the oven for about 15 mins until it is golden and lightly springy to the touch.
• Spoon over the apple filling, with about half the cooking liquid, then set aside.
• Remove the dough from the freezer and coarsely grate, as you would a block of cheese. Sprinkle the grated dough over the apples and bake for 40-45 mins until it is golden and the topping has cooked through. Leave to cool completely, dust with icing sugar, then cut into squares. Whip the cream until thick, stir in the cinnamon and serve alongside the cake.

POLISH APPLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Cream sugar and butter (or margarine).
• Add vanilla and eggs and beat well.
• Sift flour, salt, powder and soda together. Add to egg mixture and alternate when adding sour cream.
• Fold in the pear and apples.
• Grease a 13x9x2" pan and pour in the mixture, spreading evenly.
• Combine topping mixture and spread evenly on top of batter.
• Bake for 45 minutes.

ZALEWSKI'S POLISH APPLE CAKE

Steps:

• 1. preheat oven to 350 degrees 2. in a large mixing bowl, sift flour, sugar, and salt 3. w/ a pastry blender, cut butter/margarine into flour mix until crumbly. 4. lightly butter a baking sheet w/ sides, using empty wrappers from butter/marg. 5. seperate eggs. 6. add egg yolks, vanilla, and sour cream to the flour mix and mix thoroughly w/ a mixing spoon 7. spread on buttered cookie sheet. 8. after batter is made, wash and peel apples. 9. core and slice apples lenghtwise into a med. sized mixing bowl. 10. measure and add the rest of the ingredients for the topping to the apples. mix, being sure to coat all the apples w/ sugar mix. 11. spread apples over batter evenly. 12. place in oven for 30 minutes, be careful not to overbake!!! ends up kinda plastic-y. serve with things like you would like apple pie, and ENJOY!!!