You don't have to be a baker to pull off this stunning Crinkle Cake. It has that pretty sheen and crinkly swirled top of a fancy pastry, but is actually a simple dessert based on store-bought frozen phyllo dough! I had so much fun playing with the flavors and toppings of this TikTok trending recipe, adding my favorite combination of cardamom, rose, and pistachio. It was heavenly.
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The Inspiration
Crinkle Cake went viral on TikTok when @ramenasaidwow shared her secret recipe for the dessert that she built a business on. I saw frozen phyllo dough and I was in! I'm always on the lookout for easy dessert recipes with simple ingredients that I can keep on hand for when the occasion arises. This Crinkle Cake is so amazing I'll be making up reasons to bake it! And I am adding this to my collection of fav TikTok Recipes.
The Twist
I love desserts that can be customized! This recipe has a simple custard and syrup that can take on any flavors you choose. I added warm, earthy cardamom to the custard, delicate rose essence to the syrup, rose petals, and chopped pistachios to the top for color and crunch. This combination is magical together and works perfectly for Indian holidays and festivals. I can't wait to delight my guests at our next party!
It's Seriously Simple
This Crinkle Cake is wonderfully low-effort. If folding the phyllo sheets accordion-style feels tricky, no worries; just crinkle them loosely and place them in the pan. The steps are minimal, and you won't need any special tools or hard-to-find ingredients. Yet the final result looks like something straight out of a bakery case!
The Taste and Texture
Let me just say-WOW! The texture is similar to baklava with a gorgeously sticky, crunchy top and intricate layers of flavor-soaked and crisped phyllo. In contrast, the custard binds everything together and keeps the center nice and soft. Adding the rose essence and cardamom complements the sweetness and gives an alluring aroma to the dessert. Mouthwatering.
How to Make Viral Crinkle Cake
Cut and Serve as is, or add a sprinkle of powdered sugar or a side of fresh fruit and whipped cream. Crinkle Cake is an anytime treat; from dinner parties to brunches, tea times, and potlucks.
More fun Viral Recipes
Recipe
Crinkle Cake
Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 box phyllo dough
- 2 sticks butter melted
Custard
- 1 cup milk
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon rose essence
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 eggs **
Syrup (See notes)
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon rose essence **
Garnish
- ½ cup chopped pistachios
- 1 tablespoon rose petals
Instructions
- Defrost the phyllo dough as per the package instructions. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Take 2 layers of phyllo dough together at a time holding the sheets together at the top and let them hang from your fingers. Using your fingers to "crinkle" the sheets, gently fold back and forth in an accordion-style drawing the bottom up to the top.
- Lay the folded dough into an ungreased rectangular baking dish starting at the shorter side and continue filling in the folded sheets down the length of the pan. *See video for my demonstration!
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Melt butter in a small sauce pan.
- Remove the pan and evenly pour melted butter over the dough. Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes.
- Combine milk, sugar, cardamom, rose essensce, and eggs with a whisk to form the custard. Remove pan from oven and evenly pour the custard over phyllo dough. Return pan to oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown.
- Combine water, sugar, and rose essence in a saucepan. Bring it to a gentle boil and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes as the syrup forms a one-string consistency. Drizzle over the cake after removing it from the oven. Cut into 3-inch squares.
Notes
- Eggless - Want to make it eggless? Make the custard with 1 cup whole milk, 1 cup condensed milk, 1 teaspoon cardamom powder, and 1 teaspoon rose essence.
- Rose Essence - I used rose essence that is available in Indian grocery stores. It can also be substituted with good-quality rose water
- Nut-free - If you are allergic to nuts, skip them completely
- Syrup - For more details on how to make the one-string consistency sugar syrup check out the recipe card for the Balushahi recipe.
Caitlyn says
Beautiful recipe!
I modified it to be vegan (margarine, soy milk and coconut condensed milk) and it turned out amazing! My friends said it would be a regular requested dessert and couldn't even tell it was vegan 🙂
Archana Mundhe says
So happy to hear that, and I love your vegan twist on it.
CK says
Hi - beautiful recipe. Can I use custard powder for the milk? Instead of eggs?
Archana Mundhe says
Hi! Thank you for your kind words. If you are looking to make an eggless option simple use - 1 cup whole milk, 1 cup condensed milk, 1 teaspoon cardamom powder, and 1 teaspoon rose essence. I have these details in the recipe card notes.
Chaitanya says
Thank you. Not necessarily eggless version but my family likes custard so wanted to use custard powder in the milk. Would that work?
Archana Mundhe says
Yes you can use custard powder and add sugar, that would make for a good substitue for condensed milk.
Stephanie Young says
I have 2 different sized “sticks” of butter… are we talking a full cup of butter, or a half cup?
Archana Mundhe says
Full cup butter. But I have also tested the recipe using less butter and you can also use 3/4 cups of butter.
Yuko says
Tasted fabulous but I did not have enough phyllo(1-16oz package) for 13x9 so I used the smaller one. What did I do wrong? Phyllo would not stand up since I didn’t have enough to cover 13x9 and they would have been submerged in egg mixture.
Archana Mundhe says
So glad to hear it tasted fabulous! If you used a smaller dish due to less phyllo, did you happen to reduce the quantities of the other ingredients as well especially the egg mixture? If not, that might be why the phyllo felt submerged. It was likely too much liquid for the smaller surface area. Next time, you can either scale down the filling or use enough phyllo layers to give it structure, even in a smaller pan.
Ami says
Can I use pillsbury pie crust instead of phyllo dough for this recipe? I already have so much of it so trying to avoid making another trip. Thanks
Archana Mundhe says
Hi Ami,I would not recommend using Pillsbury pie crust for crinkle cake. Phyllo dough is very thin and flaky, which is what gives crinkle cake its signature crispy layers and texture. Pie crust is much thicker and buttery, so it will bake up more like a soft tart or pastry and won’t give you the same result.