From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Sharlotka is an apple cake that is very popular in Russia. It is simple and inexpensive to make, and it is undeniably delicious. It is a marvelous fall dessert that can be made well ahead of serving and requires only 30 minutes to prepare. The version I'm featuring tonight is a riff on the classic cake. I was fortunate enough to find Canadice grapes in one of the markets I frequent and I love to bake with them. This is an early ripening seedless grape that is unique because its wonderful grape flavor also carries a hint of spiciness. It is smaller than most supermarket varieties, and, while it is small, it can stand up to mixing without bleeding into the surrounding batter. I decided to make the cake with grapes as well as apples to see what would happen. The sharlotka is a sponge type of cake that typically envelops an apple filling, and I thought the grapes would make a good cake really interesting. It worked. I really like this version of the cake. I prefer to serve it warm from the oven, but the cake can be made early in the day and reheated for serving if you know you will be pressed for time. In Russia the cake is served as is, but a scoop of ice cream will do it no harm. I do hope you'll try this simple peasant-type dessert. I suspect you'll really enjoy it. Here is how the cake is made.
