Apple Charlotte

Ingredients

• 5Cox apples (or Braeburn or Russet)
• 4 knobsstem ginger in syrup
• 3 tbspstem ginger syrup
• ½lemon, juiced
• 125 gbutter
• ½ loafwhite farmhouse bloomer
• 1 small jar or tubclotted cream

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the apples

   Heat the oven to its maximum setting. Peel, core and coarsely chop the apples, then put them in a pan with the ginger syrup, lemon juice and 3 tbsp water.

2. 2

   Cook the filling

   Simmer the apples gently for about 20 minutes, until completely soft. Purée until smooth, like baby food; if the mixture is too runny, reduce it a little. Chop the stem ginger into medium dice or thin slivers.

3. 3

   Clarify the butter

   Gently simmer the butter in a small pan, skimming off the curds as they rise. Set the clear butter aside; a little residue at the bottom of the pan is fine.

4. 4

   Slice the bread

   Remove the crusts from the loaf and slice the bread carefully, aiming for slices about as wide as the nail on your little finger.

5. 5

   Line the basin

   Use a 16 cm pudding basin as a guide to cut a circle of bread for its base. Brush both sides generously with clarified butter and place it in the basin. Cut the other slices in half, butter both sides and arrange them around the inside, overlapping each piece by about 1 cm.

6. 6

   Close the lining

   Place the final piece so that it overlaps and tucks under the first piece. Keep a couple of bread slices aside for the top.

7. 7

   Fill and cover

   Spoon the apple sauce into the bread casing. Brush the remaining bread with butter and arrange it over the top. Cut two circles of cardboard to fit inside the basin, wrap them together in foil, and place them on top. Weigh the covering down with ovenproof weights or stones.

8. 8

   Bake until golden

   Bake in the heated oven for about 30 minutes. Check the bread for colour at the edges; it should be a good dark gold. Remove the weights and foil lid, then return the charlotte to the oven for a further 7 minutes. The top will be paler than the sides.

9. 9

   Turn out and serve

   When ready to serve, place a plate upside down over the basin and invert it using a tea towel or oven cloth to protect your hands. Lift off the basin. At the table, break open the top and spoon in 2 large dollops of clotted cream. Serve with spoons, taking care with the hot filling.

What is Apple Charlotte?

Apple Charlotte is a traditional English pudding made by baking apple purée inside a bread lining. The bread forms a browned shell, while the fruit inside stays soft and hot.

This version uses farmhouse bloomer and sharp, fragrant Cox apples, with stem ginger and lemon to add a lively edge. Clotted cream melts into the warm centre when the pudding is opened at the table.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 784 calories, 5g protein, 53g carbs, 63g fat.

The bread and apples provide most of the carbohydrates, while the butter and clotted cream contribute most of the fat. The apples and bread also provide some of the dish’s modest protein. For a more balanced plate, serve a smaller slice with fresh fruit alongside.

Choosing the apples

Cox apples: Their flavour suits the sweet, soft filling, and the recipe also allows Braeburn or Russet apples as alternatives.

Stem ginger: The syrup goes into the pan with the apples, while the chopped ginger is added to the purée. This keeps the ginger present in both the flavour and the texture.

Getting the bread lining right

Thin slices: Cut the bread to about the width of the nail on your little finger so it can line the basin neatly and cook through.

Overlapping edges: Brush the bread generously with clarified butter and overlap each piece by about 1 cm. Tuck the last piece under the first to help contain the hot apple filling.

Clarifying the butter

Gentle heat: Let the butter simmer gently and skim off the curds as they rise. Set aside the clear butter for brushing the bread; a little sediment at the bottom is not a problem.

Even coating: Brush both sides of the base, lining and top pieces. A thorough coating helps the bread brown as it bakes.

Checking the bake

Dark-gold edges: After about 30 minutes, look at the exposed bread around the edges to judge its colour. The outside should be a good dark gold.

Paler top: Remove the foil-covered weights and bake for a further 7 minutes. The top will not brown as much as the sides, so use the edges as the main colour cue.

Serving the pudding

Careful turning: Invert the basin onto a plate with a tea towel or oven cloth protecting your hands, then lift the basin away.

At the table: Break into the top and add 2 large dollops of clotted cream. The filling is very hot, so let the first spoonful cool a little before eating.

What to serve alongside

Clotted cream: The recipe serves the pudding with cream, which softens into the apple centre. Add it just before eating.

A lighter contrast: If you want something alongside, offer fresh fruit rather than another rich pudding. Keep the portions modest, as this charlotte is buttery and filling.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use bread that slices cleanly so the lining is easier to fit around the basin.
• Keep the apple simmer gentle so the fruit softens without catching on the pan.
• If the purée looks too loose, reduce it a little before filling the bread casing.
• Brush the bread thoroughly with clarified butter, including the pieces for the top.
• Have a plate and tea towel ready before turning out the hot pudding.

Variations

• Use Braeburn apples: Swap them for the Cox apples as suggested in the ingredient list.
• Try Russet apples: Use them in place of the Cox apples for an alternative filling.
• Adjust the ginger: Use fewer of the stem ginger pieces for a gentler ginger presence.
• Add more lemon: Use extra lemon juice for a sharper note in the apple filling.
• Serve separately: Offer the clotted cream at the table so each person can choose how much to add.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Loose filling: If the purée is too runny, reduce it a little before adding it to the bread casing.
• Gaps in the lining: Overlap the bread by about 1 cm and tuck the final piece under the first.
• Dry bread: Brush both sides of the bread pieces generously with clarified butter.
• Pale sides: Check the edges after about 30 minutes and bake until they are a good dark gold.
• Rushed turning: Use a tea towel or oven cloth when inverting the hot basin onto a plate.

How to store

Cool leftovers, cover and refrigerate, then eat within 2 days. Reheat portions until hot throughout; the bread may lose some of its crispness.

Frequently asked questions