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If you enjoy my Middle Eastern desserts like Baklava and Knafeh, you’re going to love this viral TikTok recipe called Phyllo Crinkle Cake. It’s a Greek and Turkish recipe that recently gained popularity on social media and I like to think of it as a mix of Baklava and french toast casserole and I’m absolutely obsessed!
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This Crinkle Cake went viral on TikTok when Ramena Avakian (her TikTok account is no longer active) shared the recipe two years ago. She basically built a business selling the crinkle cake dessert and finally shared her secret recipe after years of customers asking her for it.
Tips for Making the Best Phyllo Crinkle Cake
- Don’t open the phyllo dough until it comes to room temperature. This makes is so much easier to unwrap without breaking the delicate layers of phyllo.
- Cover the unused phyllo while working. Use a damp towel or paper towel to help it from drying out which can happen within minutes when working with phyllo.
- Don’t skip the initial bake without the butter. This crinkle cake does pop into the oven three different times and you might be tempted to skip the initial bake. But this helps to crisp up the dough so that it doesn’t get soggy when you add the toppings later.
- Work quickly but carefully: Phyllo dough can be very sensitive and break easily especially when it starts to dry out. Covering the unused ones will help, but you also want to make sure that the one in the pan don’t dry out too quickly either.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Use condensed milk instead of the homemade custard. Instead of using the milk, egg, sugar, vanilla and cardamom mixture, try it with condensed milk for a faster way to make the recipe.
- Switch out the spice. I love cardamom with Middle Eastern desserts, but if you don’t like or or have it, switch it out for cinnamon.
- Try lemon zest and lemon juice in the simple syrup. You can try it in addition to the rose water or instead of the rose water. It really brightens up the whole dish with a fresh flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is definitely best to enjoy within a few minutes out of the oven to enjoy that crispy phyllo. But it will definitely still retain some crisp factor after storing. Just keep it in an airtight container and try reheating it in an oven or toaster oven to get the phyllo to crisp up again.
More Dessert Recipes:
If you try this feel good Phyllo Crinkle Cake recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Crinkle Cake
Ingredients
- 1 pound box of phyllo 9″x14″ sheets, room temperature
- 1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar divided
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon rose water
- ¼ cup pistachios crushed, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with some of the melted butter.
- Take two sheets of phyllo dough at a time, crinkle them like an accordion, and place them into the baking dish. Repeat this process until the dish is filled. Keep the unused phyllo covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.
- Bake the crinkled phyllo dough for 10 minutes. This helps to keep the dough from getting soggy when you add the toppings later.
- Remove the dish from the oven and pour the melted butter evenly over the crinkled dough. Return to the oven and bake for another 12 minutes, until the dough turns golden and crispy.
- While the dough bakes, make the custard by whisking together the milk, eggs, 1 cup of sugar, cardamom and vanilla. Make sure the mixture is fully combined.
- Once the phyllo has finished its second bake, remove the dish from the oven and pour the custard mixture over the top. Return the dish to the oven one more time and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the custard is set and the top is golden brown.
- While the cake bakes, prepare the syrup. In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1 cup of sugar with ¾ cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the syrup thickens. Stir in the rose water, and let the syrup cool completely.
- When the cake is done baking, take it out of the oven and immediately pour the cooled syrup over the top, allowing it to soak into the cake.
- Before serving, garnish with crushed pistachios.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Would it work if pumpkin puree & pumpkin pie spice is added when making custard for a fall flavor?
Oooh, that sounds so good!! I haven’t tried it but I think it could work! I hope you’ll experiment and let me know how it turns out!!
Do you have to add the rose water? What would be a replacement for rose water?
You can try lemon zest and lemon juice in the simple syrup instead of rose water.
Can’t stop making this crinkle cake. My family is obsessed with it. Couldn’t believe how simple it was to prepare and how light and delicious it is!
Aww, that’s awesome to hear! So glad your family loves it and you find it easy to make!! Thanks, Naydean!