Sharlotka: The Fluffiest Apple Sponge Cake Without Butter

Sharlotka is the fluffiest apple cake. It consists of just three main ingredients: eggs, sugar, and flour. There is no butter or milk, and the fluffiness comes from the air you whip into the eggs. Beneath a thin, crispy crust hides a light sponge, and under that—a thick layer of soft, juicy apples.

Sharlotka comes from Eastern European home kitchens, where families have baked it for generations. Its biggest advantage is the amount of apples: a 9½-inch (24 cm) pan holds a full 2.2 lb (1 kg), making it one of the best ways to use up the fall harvest. Sometimes any sponge-like apple cake is called sharlotka, but true sharlotka never has butter or oil in the batter.

Sharlotka differs from an easy apple cake in texture and technique. A standard cake contains butter, making it moist and denser, while sharlotka is as light as a cloud. However, it requires patience: the eggs and sugar need to be whipped for 8–10 minutes, not just 3.

The full recipe is in the card below: you can recalculate the amounts for a different pan, check off what you've already added, and print it out. Below the card, each step is explained in more detail.

Ingredients and How to Choose Them

Since sharlotka has few ingredients, each one is important. The eggs must be at room temperature—cold ones whip slower and don't reach the required volume. Take them out of the fridge at least half an hour before baking or hold them in warm water for 5 minutes.

The classic sharlotka proportion is an equal volume of eggs, sugar, and flour, for example, 4 eggs, a cup of sugar, and a cup of flour. The recipe card also gives grams, because cup measures vary and sharlotka is sensitive to proportions: too much flour makes the sponge dry and heavy, too little makes it fall.

Tart baking apples such as Granny Smith are perfect for this cake. The sponge is sweet and has no butter or oil, so the tartness of the apples is especially needed here. If using sweet apples, be sure to sprinkle them with lemon juice.

True sharlotka has no baking powder—it rises solely from the whipped-in air. However, ½ teaspoon of baking powder is a good safety net for beginners: if the eggs aren't whipped enough, the cake will still rise.

How to Bake Sharlotka: Step by Step

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter the sides. A 9½-inch (24 cm) springform pan works best—sharlotka rises high, and you don't need to invert it.

Peel the apples, core them, and cut into ½- to ¾-inch (1.5–2 cm) pieces. In sharlotka, apples are cut larger than in other cakes: small pieces turn to mush, while large ones hold their shape. Sprinkle them with lemon juice, dust with cinnamon, and place them in the pan. The apples should fill the pan about halfway.

The most important step is whipping the eggs. Whip the eggs with sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt with a mixer on the highest speed for 8–10 minutes. The mixture should increase in volume 3–4 times, becoming almost white and thick. To check: lift the beater—the mixture falling from it should leave a ribbon on the surface that doesn't disappear for a few seconds. If the ribbon blends in immediately, keep whipping.

Mix the flour with the baking powder and sift it into the mixture in three additions. Each time, fold it in with a spatula from the bottom up, turning the bowl—as if lifting the batter over the flour. Do not mix with a mixer or in a circle: the air you whipped in over 10 minutes will escape in seconds. Fold only until no dry flour remains.

Pour the sponge batter over the apples immediately. Gently shake the pan so the batter flows between the pieces—do not stir or press. Some apples may remain visible on the surface; this is normal.

Bake for 40–50 minutes on the middle rack. Do not open the oven for the first 30 minutes: a sponge with no added fat is very sensitive to temperature drops and will fall from a draft of cold air. Sharlotka is done when the top is evenly golden, springs back when pressed with a finger, and a wooden toothpick comes out dry from the sponge layer.

Leave the baked sharlotka in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and remove the ring. The sponge will deflate slightly as it cools—this is normal because the apple layer underneath is moist. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Why Sharlotka Rises Without Butter

When whipping eggs with sugar, the egg proteins stretch and encapsulate millions of tiny air bubbles, and the dissolved sugar reinforces these films. In the oven, the air and water vapor inside the bubbles expand, causing the sponge to rise, while at the same time, the proteins set and lock in the fluffy structure. The flour is only needed here as a framework—its starch swells in the heat and prevents the cake from falling.

Because of this, sharlotka needs neither butter nor milk, but it is very sensitive to two things: fat and mixing. Even a drop of fat in the bowl or on the beater prevents the foam from forming, so it's worth wiping the utensils with a paper towel before whipping. And if the flour is mixed too long or too vigorously, the bubbles burst—the sponge bakes flat and becomes rubbery.

How to Serve Sharlotka

Sharlotka is best served warm or at room temperature, dusted with powdered sugar. Since the sponge is light and not overly sweet, it pairs perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, Greek yogurt with honey, or a glass of cold milk. Slice it with a sharp serrated knife so you don't compress the sponge and apple layer.

Sharlotka for Different Pan Sizes

In sharlotka, amounts are calculated based on the eggs: one egg requires about 1.5 oz (45 g) of sugar, 1.3 oz (38 g) of flour, and 7 oz (200 g) of peeled apples. This makes it easy to recalculate the recipe for any pan—the table provides amounts rounded to convenient measures. Baking time is given for a 350°F (180°C) oven.

Pan	Eggs	Sugar	Flour	Peeled apples	Bake
8-inch (20 cm)	3	⅔ cup (135 g)	¾ cup + 2 tbsp (110 g)	1.3 lb (600 g)	40–45 min
9½-inch (24 cm)	4	¾ cup + 2 tbsp (180 g)	1 ¼ cups (150 g)	1.75 lb (800 g)	40–50 min
10-inch (26 cm)	5	1 cup + 2 tbsp (225 g)	1 ½ cups (190 g)	2.2 lb (1 kg)	45–50 min
11-inch (28 cm)	6	1 ⅓ cups (270 g)	1 ¾ cups (225 g)	2.6 lb (1.2 kg)	45–55 min
12×16-inch (30×40 cm) baking sheet	8	1 ¾ cups (360 g)	2 ⅓ cups (300 g)	3.5 lb (1.6 kg)	35–40 min

In a larger pan, the sponge layer is thinner, so it bakes faster, even though there are more apples. On a baking sheet, cut the apples smaller and spread them in a thinner layer.

Common Mistakes

Sharlotka is flat and rubbery. The eggs were whipped too briefly, or the flour was mixed in with a mixer. Whip for the full 8–10 minutes and fold in the flour only with a spatula.

The cake rose and fell in the center. The oven was opened in the first few minutes, the temperature was too high, or the cake was taken out underbaked. Stick to 350°F (180°C) (325°F / 165°C on convection) and only check after 35–40 minutes.

A wet, underbaked layer of batter at the bottom. Too many or overly juicy apples, cut too small. Cut them larger, and if they are very juicy, toss them with a tablespoon of flour or cornstarch.

The top burned, but the inside is raw. The pan is too high in the oven or the pan is too small. In an 8- to 8½-inch (20–22 cm) pan, bake 10 minutes longer and cover with foil after 30 minutes.

The sponge stuck to the pan and tore. The bottom wasn't lined. Always butter the sides and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Variations

Sharlotka with farmer cheese. Place a thin layer of farmer cheese over the apples: blend 9 oz (250 g) of farmer cheese (or dry curd cottage cheese) with 1 egg and 3 tablespoons (40 g) of sugar, then pour the sponge batter on top. The cake becomes more filling and moist, and will need to bake 5–10 minutes longer. If you like a lot of cheese, opt for an apple cottage cheese cake—where the cheese is mixed into the batter.

With walnuts or raisins. Scatter a handful of coarsely chopped nuts or soaked raisins among the apples—do not mix them into the sponge batter, as they will sink and knock out the air.

With other fruits. You can replace some of the apples with pears, plums, or cranberries. Always toss very juicy fruits with cornstarch.

With whole wheat flour. Replace half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour—the sponge will be slightly shorter and darker, but more filling.

Lighter Version

Sharlotka is already one of the lightest cakes because it contains no butter. Here is how the most popular tweaks change the calories per slice (when dividing the cake into 12 slices):

The only change that actually reduces the calorie count is less sugar: ½ cup plus 1 tbsp (120 g) instead of ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp (180 g) saves about 19 kcal per slice. We don't recommend reducing it further, as sugar in sharlotka not only sweetens but also stabilizes the whipped foam. Whole wheat flour barely changes the calories, while farmer cheese and nuts add 27–39 kcal, but make the cake much more filling.

How Many Calories Are in Sharlotka

One roughly 4-oz (110 g) slice has about 163 kcal—this is less than an easy apple cake with butter (about 200 kcal). More than half of sharlotka's weight is apples, and the only fat comes from the egg yolks. Below is how many calories each ingredient contributes:

How to Store and Can You Freeze It

Sharlotka is best the same day or the next morning. Covered at room temperature, it keeps for 1–2 days, and in the fridge—up to 3 days. A sponge with no added fat dries out faster, so store it in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap.

You can freeze sharlotka, but the apple layer becomes more watery after thawing, and the sponge becomes moister. If you do freeze it, cut it into slices, wrap in plastic wrap, and store for up to 2 months. Reheat a thawed slice for 5–7 minutes in a 320°F (160°C) oven.

If you prefer a moister and richer cake, try the easy apple cake with butter, and if you're counting calories—the healthy apple cake without sugar. Sharlotka remains the best choice when you have lots of apples but little time and few ingredients.