If you love sweet and crispy layers and layers of pastry, this Tiktok Crinkle Cake is going to be perfect for you!
I’m always looking for new recipes to try to keep me interested in the food world and when I saw this phyllo crinkle cake I was sold. It’s definitely going to be on our list of Easter bakes!
If you haven’t seen or heard about it, TikTok crinkle is crunchy, crispy layers of folded over phyllo with pillowy soft custard bread pudding insides. It’s sweet and vanilla-y and full of deliciousness!
What is Tiktok crinkle cake?
Crinkle is a crispy, flaky, custard-y pastry made from phyllo dough, melted butter, and custard. It bakes up in three parts, first to crisp up the layers, then to add butter, then again to set with custard.
According to TikToker @ramena this crinkle recipe is the corner stone of her baking business. It’s based off of a dessert called muakacha, from the Middle East. Muakacha means wrinkled in Arabic and it makes total sense when you see how crinkly and wrinkly this phyllo pastry dessert is. Traditional muakacha has pistachios and rose water but the Tiktok version is vanilla. Crinkle is super customizable so you can make it your own. The best part of this crinkle recipe is that it comes together so easily.
Crinkle cake ingredients
- phyllo dough – this is a pastry dough that you can find in the freezer section of any grocery store near the frozen pie crust and puff pastry. Phyllo dough is usually used for making dishes like spanakopita and baklava. It’s super easy to use, just defrost it in the fridge overnight, then open the package and unroll and it’s ready to go.
- butter – the butter is going to add richness and depth to the crinkle
- sugar – everyone needs a little bit of sweetness in their life. We’re going to use the sugar in two ways: to make a custard and to make a thick simple syrup.
- milk, eggs, vanilla – these three ingredients, plus some sugar combine into a custard liquid that will fill up the pockets of phyllo and bake up creamy and sweet.
How to make Tiktok crinkle cake
This recipe has a multi bake technique, which means that it has all the textures: crispy, crunchy, and soft and custard-y. It’s like a fluffy croissant-like bread pudding that has a caramelized top. Here’s how to make it.
- Crinkle: Grab 2 sheets of phyllo dough by the corners and then fold them in an accordion crinkle, scrunching in about 1 inch thickness.
- Arrange: Place the crinkle in a parchment pan lined 13×9 baking sheet with the folds facing up and repeat until the pan is full.
- Bake: Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F.
- Butter: After the crinkle bakes for 10 minutes, drizzle on 1 cup of melted butter over the folds and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Custard: While the crinkle is baking, whisk together 1 cup milk, 2 eggs, 1 cup sugar, and 2 tsp vanilla until evenly combined.
- Bake: Take the crinkle out of the oven and pour the custard on evenly and then bake again until golden and crispy, for another 30-40 minutes.
- Syrup: While the crinkle is doing it’s last bake, make a simple syrup but combining 1/2 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce until it’s a thick simple syrup so it doesn’t soak into the cake too much.
- Enjoy: When the crinkle is ready, drizzle the syrup on top then let it cool before slicing and enjoying!
What is phyllo dough?
Phyllo dough is paper thin, translucent sheets of unleavened pastry used for making layered sweet and savory baked treats. Phyllo dough consists of flour, water, and a tiny bit of oil. You can make it at home but it’s super labour intensive and most people just buy it. Phyllo doesn’t puff when it bakes, it just gets feather light, crispy, and shatters. It comes frozen at the grocery store, near the puff pastry and ready made pie crusts.
Tips and tricks
- Thaw the phyllo dough, in the package, in the fridge overnight.
- When you unwrap it, keep it covered with a damp paper or kitchen towel and plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
- Make sure you use 2 sheets of phyllo per crinkle.
- Don’t forget to line your pan with parchment paper for easy release
- You can use aluminum foil trays if you’re making this as a gift for someone
Crinkle cake recipe variations
- Cinnamon crinkle: add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to the custard and 1 tsp to the simple syrup.
- Chocolate crinkle: sprinkle on 1.5 cups of chocolate chips on the crinkle, tucking some of the chips into the folds.
- Fruit crinkle: serve the crinkle with fresh fruit and softly whipped cream.
- Brown butter crinkle: Brown the butter before pouring it on in the second bake.
I hope you guys give this crinkle recipe a try! Ramena really knows her stuff!
xoxo steph
Crinkle Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 package phyllo dough defrosted
- 2 sticks butter melted, 1 cup
- 1 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar divided
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line a 13x9 inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Separate the phyllo dough and grab 2 sheets of phyllo dough by the corners. Fold them in an accordion crinkle, scrunching in about 1 inch thickness.
- Place the crinkle in a parchment pan lined 13x9 baking sheet with the folds facing up and repeat until the pan is full. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Drizzle on the melted butter bake for another 10 minutes.
- While the crinkle is baking, whisk together 1 cup milk, 2 eggs, 1 cup sugar, and 2 tsp vanilla until evenly combined.
- Take the crinkle out of the oven and pour the custard on evenly and then bake again until golden and crispy, for another 30-40 minutes.
- While the crinkle is doing its last bake, make a simple syrup but combining 1/2 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce until it’s a thick simple syrup, about 10 to 12 minutes. Finish by drizzling the syrup on top then letting it cool before slicing and enjoying!
very clever cake, worth it for the texture alone, but these flavors are wonderful too, so thank you!
My kid want me to do crinkle cake and I come here really easy to do thanks for recipe.
Looks professional beautiful can’t wait to cut it. I did it’s delish.
Fantastic! People asked to take home pieces. So delicious.
How do you store leftovers?
hi,
lindy, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge, and pull it out and let it sit for 20-30 mins before serving.
This was amazing– truly a showstopper! (Though it never made it to the show…) I added 1/4 tsp. Kosher salt to the custard to add a subtle edge to the sweetness of the results (I had used unsalted butter).
this was amazing