Charlotte with Caramelized Apples

You can, but the charlotte will be a little less airy. If you are in a hurry, beat the whole eggs with the sugar into a fluffy pale foam (4–5 minutes on high mixer speed). Add the flour with the baking powder and fold it in gently with a spatula. This is faster, but the texture is denser. For a "classic" fluffy charlotte it is still worth spending the extra 2 minutes on separate beating – the result is worth the effort.

The ideal choices: Granny Smith (tart, firm, hold their shape), Antonovka (with a tartness), Semerenko (firm flesh), Renet Simirenko. Avoid soft varieties (Melba, Grushovka) – they "spread" in the pan. For winter varieties (Gala, Golden) add more lemon juice. The best wedge thickness is about 1 cm. Wedges that are too thin will fall apart, while ones that are too thick will not soak up the caramel.

In the fridge in a closed container – 3 days. On the second day the flavour is even brighter – the cinnamon and caramel soak into the sponge. Reheat for 5–7 minutes in the oven at 150 °C, or eat it cold (also delicious). It can be frozen (up to 1 month) – thaw at room temperature for 2 hours. At room temperature – 1 day under cling film. For a "Sunday" breakfast, make the charlotte on Saturday evening, and on Sunday morning it will be especially tasty.

A classic: with tea or coffee. With a scoop of vanilla ice cream – the famous "apple pie a la mode". With whipped cream. With creme anglaise (English vanilla custard). With Greek yoghurt (for a lighter version). For breakfast with warm milk. For a festive table – decorate with fresh mint leaves and a cinnamon stick. For a "grown-up" version – serve with a glass of apple cider or Calvados liqueur.