Crinkle Cake Phyllo Milk Pie

Enjoy this decadent dessert with a crisp top and a gooey custard-filled core. It’s a viral tik tok dessert recipe well worth the hype!

What is Crinkle Cake?

This Crinkle Cake is inspired by Ramena from @RamenaSaidWow’s viral tik tok recipe of a creamy-crunchy custard pie made with phyllo dough.

It is an adaptation of the delectable Egyptian dessert called Mesh Om Ali, in which phyllo dough sheets are crinkled together like an accordion, twice-baked with butter and custard, then topped with simple syrup.
This Crinkle Cake recipe is my take on a crowd-pleaser, with the addition of rose water and saffron to accentuate the floral flavors.

What does it taste like?

The crunchy phyllo contrasts beautifully with a melt-in-mouth custard filling. The addition of pistachios and rose petals on top gives it a royal finish and fills each bite with a sweet nutty taste. It’s an easy dessert that looks and tastes like a dream! Even though it takes about an hour to make, most of it is hands-off time! Let’s get started! Another popular tik tok recipe: Baked Feta Pasta

Ingredients- Notes & Substitutions

All of these ingredients can be found in your nearest supermarket. Here’s what you need: Phyllo: Look for it in the pastry section in the freezer aisle of your supermarket. For this quantity, we need a 16-ounce box. Butter: Go for your favorite brand of unsalted butter. You can use ghee if you like, but I find the taste of butter to be more neutral so it lets the flavors shine. Milk: I used 2% milk since this is a pretty rich dessert. But feel free to use whole milk if you like. Eggs: Large eggs at room temperature work best here. Remove them from the fridge 20 minutes ahead of time so they can blend easily in the custard. Sugar: Granulated sugar is my preference here. If you like to give this dessert a caramel-like flavor, use brown sugar instead. Flavorings: I use rose water, vanilla extract, and saffron for a sweet-floral flavor in this dish. Skip the saffron if you cannot find it. Another great alternative is ½ teaspoon ground cardamom. Toppings: Finely chopped pistachios and dried rose petals not only provide a wow factor visually, but they also give this dessert a sweet-nutty taste, just like the baklava. Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Crinkle Cake

Here are the step-by-step instructions and photos for making this delicious phyllo milk pie: Prep: Defrost the phyllo dough in the refrigerator overnight, or as per package instructions. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with oil. Crinkle and Assemble Phyllo: Crinkle together 2 sheets of phyllo dough folding them like an accordion placing them against the longer side of the baking dish. Repeat and stack them side by side. Bake for 10 minutes. Butter and bake again: Melt butter in a saucepan and evenly pour over the crinkled phyllo. Bake for another 10 minutes. Make Custard: Add milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract in a measuring cup and whisk to combine. Pour custard and bake: Evenly pour the custard over the baked phyllo. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown. Make Sugar syrup: Add water, sugar, and saffron to a saucepan on medium heat. Bring it to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 15 minutes to thicken the syrup to a stringy consistency. Keep it aside to cool and thicken. Pour syrup & toppings: Evenly drizzle the syrup all over the phyllo and sprinkle chopped pistachios and dried rose petals all over the top. Cool for 15 minutes, then cut in slices and enjoy. Make it Eggless: This recipe uses milk and egg-based custard, but you can easily make it eggless. Substitution details are listed under ‘variations’.

Servings Suggestion

Crinkle cake tastes best when it’s lukewarm. Cooling it for 15-20 minutes allows the phyllo to crisp up while the custard stays warm. For serving, cut it like brownies, into 12-16 squares using a serrated knife. I love it as-is, but feel free to sprinkle powdered sugar just before serving. And if you’re really feeling indulgent, top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

How to Store & Reheat

Cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, microwave individual portions for 30-45 seconds. I don’t recommend freezing this dessert as it will turn soggy after thawing.

Try a Variation

Make an Eggless Crinckle Cake: You can skip the egg-based custard in this recipe if you like. To substitute, blend together 1 can of sweetened condensed milk + 1 cup heavy whipping cream. Give it a chocolaty twist: Gently stuff ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips in between the crinkled phyllo. When baked, dust cocoa powder on top.Sneak in berries: After pouring the custard, tuck in raspberries in between crinkled phyllo and bake. Dust powdered sugar on top before serving.

Recipe Tips & Notes

Phyllo: Keep the phyllo dough chilled in the refrigerator until ready to assemble. You want to work with cold phyllo sheets for the crispiest results.Eggs: Room temperature eggs blend more cohesively in the custard. Remove them from the fridge 20 minutes ahead of time.Milk: I prefer to use 2% milk for the custard but feel free to use whole milk for richer results.Eggless: Make this dessert eggless by substituting the custard with condensed milk and heavy cream. Details are listed above under ‘variations’.Cool: For best results cool this dessert 15-20 minutes before serving. This allows the simple syrup to get absorbed fully, and pastry to crisp up again.