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Charlotte with Apples and Plums
Instructions
Whisk the chilled eggs with the sugar thoroughly using a mixer for 5–7 minutes, until you have a white, fluffy mass that has increased in volume three to four times. Chilled eggs whip far better than warm ones and give a more stable foam.
Add ground spices to taste: cinnamon (for the classic autumn note), nutmeg (for a warm aroma) or ground anise (for an unusual sweet accent). Without spices, the charlotte loses half of its aroma.
Sift the flour through a fine sieve, add it to the batter and mix thoroughly with a silicone spatula or a blender on the lowest speed until smooth, for 1–2 minutes. Do not overmix – the gluten will make the charlotte "rubbery".
Add the baking powder and mix well until it is evenly distributed. Use only fresh baking powder – expired powder does not work.
Stir slices of apple (cut into large 2–3 cm pieces) and pitted plums (cut into quarters) into the batter. Use sweet-and-sour apple varieties and firm plum varieties (such as Hungarian plums) – soft varieties will fall apart in the batter.
Gently fold the batter together with the fruit using a silicone spatula, working from the bottom upwards (so as not to knock the air out of the whipped mass), and pour it into a silicone mould greased with butter. Bake for 35–40 minutes at 180 °C, until a skewer comes out dry. Do not open the oven door for the first 25 minutes!
The charlotte with apples and plums is ready. Let it cool in the mould for 10 minutes, carefully turn it out and dust it with powdered sugar through a small sieve – a pretty "snowy" decoration for serving with tea.
Tips
- 1
Experiment with spices: cardamom gives an oriental flourish, anise an unusual sweetish accent, and rum essence a grown-up, fragrant trail.
- 2
Use ripe but firm plums (such as Hungarian plums or mirabelles) – they will not fall apart in the batter and will keep their shape during baking.
- 3
Dust the finished pie with powdered sugar or cocoa powder before serving – it gives a pretty "snowy" decoration. I bake the classic apple charlotte on a similar principle.
- 4
The active preparation time is only 15 minutes; the oven does the rest. A convenient pie for guests.
FAQ
Can I use only apples, without plums? +
Yes, the classic charlotte is made with apples alone – that is the basic recipe. Plums add an interesting flavour and a lovely colour when cut, but they are not essential. If you use only apples, double their quantity (to 200 g). For variety, you can add a handful of raisins, dried apricots or nuts instead of plums. Fresh or frozen berries (cherries, blueberries, raspberries) also work well – they give a nice colour and a hint of tartness. The main thing is that the total weight of fruit is 200 g.
What can I replace the plums with? +
Pears (more tender, add sweetness), peaches (a summer option), apricots (a southern character), pitted cherries (give a bright colour and tartness), sweet cherries and grapes all work. Each fruit gives the charlotte its own character: with pears it is tender and sweet, with cherries bright and tart, with apricots summery. You can use frozen berries without thawing them – straight into the batter. Quince is also an excellent choice, but it needs to be partly cooked beforehand.
Why didn't the charlotte batter rise? +
The main reasons are: the eggs were not whisked enough (you need a firm, fluffy foam after 5–7 minutes of whisking), the baking powder was expired (check the use-by date), the eggs were warm (they should be chilled), or the oven was opened sharply in the first 20 minutes (the change in temperature makes the batter sink). The quality of the flour also matters – use premium-grade flour marked "for baking". Overmixed batter after adding the flour also loses its airiness, so mix only until smooth, no longer.
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