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Hand holding a slice of apple charlotte cake showing soft apple layers inside

Easy Apple Charlotte Cake with Cinnamon and Almonds

A light and airy Eastern European apple cake layered with sweet-tart apples, cinnamon, and sliced almonds, then topped with a fragrant cinnamon-sugar crust.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Eastern European
Calories: 220
Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 large eggs at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup +1 tablespoon granulated sugar (160 g total)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (160 g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 4-5 medium sweet-tart apples
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon divided
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds (40 g) divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar for topping
  • 1 teaspoon softened butter for greasing the pan

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the bottom of a 9-inch round pan or 9 × 9-inch square pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides with butter.
  2. Peel and core the apples, then cut them into thin slices.
    Peeled whole apples on a wooden board with apple peels and cinnamon sticks
  3. Beat the eggs with 160 g sugar, vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract), and salt for 7–8 minutes, until pale, thick, and fluffy.
    Cracking an egg into a stand mixer bowl to make apple charlotte cake batter
  4. Sift the flour with the baking powder. Gently fold it into the egg mixture with a spatula, working from the bottom upward.
    Fluffy cake batter in a mixing bowl with peeled apples nearby
  5. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.
    Thinly sliced apples on a wooden board beside a pan of cake batter
  6. Arrange the apples over the batter. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and half of the sliced almonds.
    Unbaked apple charlotte cake layered with apples and almonds, ready for the oven
  7. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and gently spread it evenly.
    Pouring cake batter over a layer of apples and almonds in a baking pan
  8. Mix the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. Sprinkle it over the cake and add the remaining almonds.
    Baked apple charlotte cake topped with sliced almonds in a ceramic baking dish
  9. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted into an area of batter comes out dry.
  10. Let the cake rest in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then carefully transfer it to a board or wire rack. Cool slightly before slicing.
    Overhead view of apple charlotte cake with cinnamon sticks and fresh apples

Video

Notes

  • Whip the eggs and sugar for at least 7–8 minutes to create the cake's airy texture.
  • Fold in the flour gently and stop mixing as soon as no dry streaks remain.
  • Use firm sweet-tart apples and slice them thinly.
  • Do not open the oven during the first 20 minutes of baking.
  • Test doneness in an area with more batter; a tester inserted into the apple layer may remain moist.
  • Sliced almonds can be replaced with chopped walnuts or omitted for a nut-free cake.
  • Baking time may vary slightly depending on the oven and pan.