Delicate, airy, and moist, sharlotka is the most popular Russian apple pie, mainly due to the ease of its preparation. It consists of eggs, sugar, flour, baking soda, and apple slices, but some people like to add honey or cinnamon into the cake in order to improve its flavors.

The cake is very low in calories, which might be another reason for its popularity. It is recommended to allow the cake to cool before serving and sprinkle it with powdered sugar on top.