Apples make up 80 percent of Poland’s entire fruit production. It should not come as a surprise that the fruit is cheap and easily accessible to Poles all over the country. This is why it is used a lot in baking.
Polish apple cake is one of the popular and easy desserts to make. Adding meringue to the recipe transforms the cake and adds a nice white layer to the otherwise brown cake. The layer also adds an additional sweetness to the cake too.
What Is Meringue?
Meringue is a type of dessert. Made of egg white and sugar, you will find that it is light and extremely sweet. The trick to making good meringue is all in the whipping of the egg white. You need to have stiff peaks. This means that there is a lot of air incorporated into the mix. When you bite into the meringue, it melts in your mouth.
There is an interesting reason why this happens. Both egg white and sugar are hygroscopic. This means that they draw in water and dissolve. Not only does this make meringue dissolve in contact with saliva, it also makes them become soft when kept in high humidity and in refrigerators.
The best way to store meringue is in an airtight container. This way, it does not interact with the moisture in the air and remains crisp for longer.
Polish Apple Cake With Meringue Recipe (Jabłecznik Z Bezą)
Make The Dough
Part I – Separate The Yolk From The Whites
Use 5 eggs for this recipe. Gently separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and keep them in separate bowls.
Part II – Knead The Dough
The egg yolks will be used to make the dough. In a large mixing bowl add 4 cups of all purpose flour, ½ cup of sugar and 2 tsps. of baking powder. Mix them thoroughly. Now add in 7oz (300gm) of butter, 2 tbsps. of sour cream and the 5 egg yolks.
Knead the dough well. The trick is to knead quickly. Once the dough is done, don’t over knead it.
Part III – Wrap The Dough
Wrap the dough using a plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Prepare The Apples
Part I – Peel And Grate The Apples
Part II – Squeeze The Apples
Squeeze the grated apples to remove all excess juice from them. The extra juice usually oozes out when baking and interferes with the texture of the dough. Once you are done, set the apples aside.
Assemble And Bake The Cake
Part I – Preheat The Oven To 355°F (180°C)
Part II – Divide The Dough
Divide the dough in half. Line a 9×13” baking pan with parchment paper. This will prevent the cake from sticking to the bottom and will also help you remove it easily. Place one half of the dough on the baking pan. Spread it out evenly.
Part III – Put The Second Part Of The Dough Back In The Refrigerator
Part IV – Bake The Dough For 10 Minutes
Place the baking pan in the oven and bake the dough for 10 minutes.
Part V – Make The Meringue
While the dough is in the oven, start preparing the meringue. Add a pinch of salt, 2 tbsps of potato starch and 1 cup of sugar to the egg whites. Beat the mixture till the egg white forms stiff peaks. This will form the meringue on the cake.
A great way to see if the egg white is ready is by turning the whisk upside down. If the egg white remains pointed at the top then you can stop. If not, keep whipping the mixture till you get stiff peaks.
Part VI – Layer The Dough With Apples
Remove the baking pan from the oven. Spread the grated apples on the pre-baked dough.
Part VII – Cover With Meringue
Cover the apples with meringue. Make sure to be very gentle when layering the meringue. You do not want to bang or shake the pan at any time as this could cause the air incorporated in the meringue to escape.
Part VIII – Grate The Remaining Dough On Top Of The Meringue
Part IX – Bake For Another 35-45 Minutes
FAQ About Polish Apple Cake With Meringue Recipe
What Are The 3 Types Of Meringue?
There are 3 major types of meringue that are traditionally used in baking. These are divided based on the country that the recipe they are used and are called Swiss, French and Italian.
The difference between these recipes is how the egg white and sugar are blended together.
Swiss Meringue – For this recipe, the egg white and sugar are whisked while heat is gently applied using a double boiler.
French Meringue – French meringue is the easiest recipe. Here the egg white is whisked to form soft peaks. Sugar is then gradually added while whisking till you get stiff peaks. This is then baked.
Italian Meringue – This is the most difficult to make. Here the sugar is made into syrup but it has to be thick enough that it forms a ball. It is then added to the egg whites that have been whipped. The tricky part is getting everything ready simultaneously and ensuring that the egg white remains fluffed up.
What Are Some Other Polish Desserts That Can Be Made With Apples?
Apples are one of the most popular fruits that are used in desserts in Poland. Here are some great recipes that you can try at home.
- Polish apple cake recipe
- Polish apple pancakes
- Polish apple poppy seed cake recipe
- Fluffy sponge cake with apples
- Apple cinnamon babka recipe
Polish Apple Cake With Meringue Recipe (Jabłecznik Z Bezą)
Ingredients
- 4 cups (480g) of all-purpose flour
- 7 oz (300g) of butter
- 1 ½ cup of sugar
- 5 eggs
- 2 tbsps of sour cream
- 2 tsps of baking powder
- 2 tbsps of potato starch
- 4.5oz (2kg) of apples
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
Make The Dough
- Separate egg yolks from egg whites.
- Use egg yolks for the dough. Knead them with flour, ½ cup of sugar, butter, sour cream, and baking powder.
Do it quickly, don't over-knead the dough. - Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Prepare The Apples
- Peel and grate the apples.
- Squeeze the apples to remove the excess juice.
Assemble And Bake The Cake
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
- Divide the dough in half. Place one part on the 9x13" baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Put the second part back into the fridge.
- Bake the dough for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, make the meringue by beating egg whites with a pinch of salt, potato starch, and 1 cup of sugar until stiff.
- Place the grated apples on the pre-baked dough.
- Cover with meringue.
- Grate the remaining dough on the meringue.
- Bake for another 35-45 minutes.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 268Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 125mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 5g
These data are indicative and calculated by Nutritionix
