Charlotte with apples in sour cream in the oven

Step-by-step cooking

1. Step 1:

   

   Measure out the ingredients for the dough listed in the recipe. Sift the flour without fail. The splendor of baking will depend on this. Take three large eggs or 4-5 small ones.

2. Step 2:

   

   In a large bowl, combine the flour sifted together with baking powder, ground cinnamon, corn starch. Stir in the dry mixture. Baking powder can be replaced with soda (1 tsp. l.). Extinguish it with 9% vinegar (1 tbsp. l.). It is important not to overdo it with soda, otherwise baking will acquire a specific taste. Starch absorbs moisture well, which makes baking light and airy. Corn starch can be replaced with potato starch, but take it half as much

3. Step 3:

   

   Peel the walnuts. Finely chop with a knife. You can grind them in a blender, but not very finely. It will taste better if the nuts are felt in the pie. Lightly dry them in a dry frying pan (about 2-3 minutes). The aroma and taste of nuts will become brighter and richer. To save time, prepare the nuts immediately and for the filling. Pour the required amount into a separate plate and set aside.

4. Step 4:

   

   Combine eggs with sugar in a separate container. Beat with a mixer at low speed until fluffy. The egg mass should lighten, increase in volume and thicken slightly.

5. Step 5:

   

   Add sour cream to the egg mixture. Continue whipping until smooth. Sour cream can be of any fat content. Keep in mind that a fatter product will increase the calories in the pie.

6. Step 6:

   

   In the sour cream mass, add the flour dry mixture in portions. Do not stir the dough for a long time. This way more air bubbles will remain in it and the finished cake will be more airy. If necessary, add a little flour (1-2 tablespoons), achieving the desired consistency. The dough should flow off the shoulder blade with a wide ribbon, resemble fatty sour cream in density, be smooth and without flour lumps.

7. Step 7:

   

   Pour the fried chopped walnuts and raisins into the dough. Dried fruits before use, be sure to steam them so that they become soft. To do this, pour the washed raisins with boiling water and leave for 10-15 minutes. Drain the water. Dry the raisins with paper towels and add to the dough. Stir thoroughly so that the dried fruits are distributed throughout the dough.

8. Step 8:

   

   Prepare all the necessary products for the preparation of the filling. Which apples will work best? Choose green apples, sweet and sour in taste and not very juicy, so that the pie does not turn out wet. The fruits should be dense so that they retain their shape when baking. Soft and loose fruits in the oven will turn into porridge, which will negatively affect the taste and appearance of the charlotte.

10. Step 9:

    

    Wash the apples. Dry it. The skin does not need to be removed, unless it is damaged or has spots. Cut the fruit in half. Remove the middle with the seeds. Cut the apples into slices or cubes of small size. To prevent them from darkening, sprinkle them with lemon juice (1-2 teaspoons). The shape of the slicing may be different. If you want, cut the fruit into medium-sized cubes.

11. Step 10:

    

    Send pre-prepared roasted chopped nuts to the apples. Pour in the granulated sugar. You can replace it with cane sugar. It will give the cake a pleasant caramel flavor and taste. Or use a sweetener that is not afraid of heat treatment. Add the raisins pre-steamed and dried with paper napkins and a pinch of ground cinnamon. It is important to take into account that if you take more cinnamon than necessary, the baking will be bitter.

12. Step 11:

    

    Mix apples well with nuts, sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Dried berries, such as cranberries, can be used instead of raisins. Steaming them in hot water is not required.

13. Step 12:

    

    Cover the round baking dish with parchment paper. Lightly brush with vegetable oil. Sprinkle the bottom and sides of the mold with semolina. Lay out the third part of the dough. Smooth the surface with a silicone spatula.

14. Step 13:

    

    Spread half of the apple filling on top. Cover the apple slices with the second part of the dough and lay out the apples again.

15. Step 14:

    

    Pour the remaining dough over the fruit. Level the surface. 10-15 minutes before baking, turn on the oven to warm up at 180C. Bake the charlotte with apples for about 40 minutes. It is important not to open the oven for the first 15-20 minutes of baking, otherwise the biscuit will settle. Don't forget that ovens may vary. Therefore, the temperature regime may need to be changed up or down. The baking time may also vary slightly.

16. Step 15:

    

    How to check that the pie is ready? When you see that it has noticeably increased in size and browned, pierce it with a wooden skewer in several places. If it comes out dry, without sticking raw dough, then the pie is ready. Take it out. Leave in the mold until cool. Then carefully transfer to a flat dish, do not forget to remove the paper. Generously sprinkle powdered sugar on top through a fine strainer.