I recently tried my twist on the viral tik tok dessert recipe called Crinkle Cake, and I must say, it turned out to be a decadent dessert with a crisp top, a gooey butterscotch custard-filled core, and crunchy praline that added a perfect texture to the dish. If you’re a fan of sweet treats, I highly recommend giving this delicious dessert a try!
The top of the cake has a beautiful shiny and crinkly texture that looks like it belongs in a fancy pastry shop and is made by a professional baker, but it’s pretty simple to make at home.
This Phyllo crinkle cake is a real showstopper that will impress your guests. Whether you’re hosting a Diwali party, a brunch, a luncheon, or a holiday gathering like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve, this cake is guaranteed to be a hit.
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What is Tiktok crinkle cake?
Crinkle is a crispy, flaky, custardy 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.
A few months back, I stumbled upon a dessert recipe on TikTok that immediately caught my attention. It had gone viral after a user named @ramenasaidwow shared her secret recipe for a dessert called Crinkle Cake.
Since I’m a fan of easy-to-make desserts with simple ingredients, I couldn’t resist trying it out. I experimented with a few flavors and created a delicious Butterscotch version for upcoming festivals.
This cake is based on 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.
I adore desserts that can be customized! This dessert is super customizable. To add my twist, I added some butterscotch sauce to the custard, butterscotch essence to the syrup, and some praline on top for the extra crunch. To make it look more beautiful, I garnished it with some rose petals and silver varq. The combination of all these flavors was magical together and worked perfectly for Indian holidays and festivals.
The best part of this crinkle recipe is that it comes together quickly and is made with readymade Phyllo dough. Even if you don’t know how to bake or cook, you can easily make this dessert.
What is Phyllo dough?
Phyllo (or filo) dough is a super-thin, unleavened dough popular in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods. Making phyllo by hand is a rigorous process because it takes lots of skill to roll out such thin layers of dough without breaking them.
So I bought it from my local grocery store. It is readily available in the freezer section. Just make sure you are buying phyllo dough and not pastry dough, which is entirely different. Our favorite phyllo brand is Athens.
If you’re working with phyllo dough for the first time, keep in mind that it needs to be thawed entirely first, and this can take a while. It’s a good idea to transfer it from the freezer to the fridge the night before you use it. When assembling the crinkle cake, be sure to keep the phyllo covered with a lightly damp towel at all times to prevent the sheets from drying out.
Ingredients required
Below is the ingredients list and possible substitutions. The exact ingredient amounts are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Phyllo Dough: this is a pastry dough found in the freezer section of any grocery store near the frozen pie crust and puff pastry. You will need a whole pack of phyllo dough. It’s super easy to use; make sure you defrost it following the instructions given at the back of the package before using, or defrost it in the fridge overnight, then open the box and unroll, and it’s ready to go.
- Butter: the butter will add richness and depth to the crinkle. Make sure you use good-quality butter. Salted and unsalted butter both work fine.
- Heavy cream and Milk go in the custard filling for moisture and great texture.
- Sugar: We will use two types of sugar—brown sugar to make the butterscotch sauce and white granulated sugar to make the praline.
- Condensed Milk: Traditionally, eggs are added to make the custard. Since we are making eggless crinkle cake, I have substituted eggs with condensed Milk.
- Water: Needed to dissolve the sugar for the simple syrup.
- For the praline: The crunchy praline is made with sugar, almonds, and cashews.
- Butterscotch Extract: our primary flavoring agent. Use Indian butterscotch essence since that will give it that unique flavor. Do not substitute with American butterscotch essence.
- Other ingredients to make the butterscotch sauce are heavy cream and salted butter. If you are using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt.
Step-by-step process
Prep work
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Melt the butter and keep it aside.
- Brush a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter.
- Defrost the phyllo dough.
Make the Praline
- First, chop the nuts into small pieces.
- Add sugar to a wide pan on medium-low heat.
- As soon as the sugar melts and caramelizes (light golden), add the chopped nuts to it. Stir to combine.
- Tip – Be very careful here; sugar can burn quickly once melted. When it caramelizes, stir in the nuts and remove from heat.
- Transfer the mixture onto parchment paper, spread it, and let it cool down. Once it has cooled down, break it down into tiny chunks/pieces using a knife. Keep them aside
Butterscotch sauce.
- In a pan, take butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream on medium heat. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Let it boil; it will take about a minute or less. Then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Remove from heat. I got three tablespoons of butterscotch sauce from this quantity. Keep it aside.
Make the Custard
- Combine Milk, heavy cream, condensed Milk, and butterscotch sauce with a whisk to form the custard. Keep it aside.
Make the crinkle dessert
- Unwrap the phyllo dough after it’s defrosted.
- Take two layers of phyllo dough sheets, 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 a greased baking dish, starting at the shorter side, and continue filling in the folded sheets down the length of the pan. *See the video for my demonstration!
- Continue to add more layers until it’s complete.
- Bake it at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove the pan and evenly pour melted butter over the dough. Return to the oven and bake at 350 degrees F. for ten more minutes.
- Remove the sheet pan and pour the butterscotch custard evenly over the phyllo dough.
- Return pan to oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown.
- During the last 15 minutes of baking, make the simple syrup.
Simple Syrup
- Combine water, sugar, and butterscotch essence in a saucepan. Please bring it to a gentle boil and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes as the syrup forms a one-string consistency.
- When the crinkle cake comes out of the oven, pour the sugar syrup over the top and watch it sink into all those nooks and crannies.
- Then top it up with chopped praline, rose petals, and some silver varq.
- This is best served at warm or room temperature. Cut into squares. Serve it with a fork and knife. Enjoy butterscotch crinkle cake.
Recipe Variations
- Instead of butterscotch flavor, use orange or lemon zest in the custard filling. Or include rosewater in the simple syrup (traditionally used.)
- You can add cinnamon powder, cardamom powder, or chai masala.
- Traditional Muakacha tops the dessert with crushed pistachios, but they can be replaced with ground almonds, cashews, pistachios, or hazelnuts.
- Use some chocolate chips in between the folds before baking, and after it’s baked, dust it with powdered sugar.
- After adding the custard, tuck in your favorite fruits, like thinly sliced apples or mixed berries, and bake it.
Tips, notes and quick FAQs
- Allow the phyllo dough to defrost thoroughly before scrunching, or you’ll end up with many torn pieces.
- Only use two pieces of phyllo dough per crinkle because if you use too much, it won’t be crisp.
- Use whole Milk for the custard.
- To achieve a perfectly crisp buttery bite, you must drizzle every phyllo layer with melted butter.
- Note that every oven is different and bakes differently, so yours may take a little less or a little more time to bake.
- This phyllo crinkle cake is best consumed warm on the same day.
- Please ensure your phyllo dough is wholly defrosted before starting, or it will tear into a million pieces.
- When you unwrap the phyllo dough, keep it covered with a damp paper or kitchen towel and plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
- You can use aluminum foil trays if you’re making this as a gift for someone or taking it to the potluck party.
- Remember to finish the dish with edible rose petals and silver varq for a wow factor.
- If you are allergic to nuts, skip them entirely.
The dish is truly unique! It has a texture similar to baklava, with a beautifully crispy top and an intricate aroma of flavor-soaked and crisped phyllo. The custard perfectly binds everything together and keeps the center soft and moist. The addition of praline gives it a much-needed crunch. Every bite is a delightful explosion of feather-light, custardy goodness that leaves a satisfying shatter in your mouth. You can enjoy it warm, straight out of the oven, at room temperature, or in the fridge for later.
Traditionally, muakacha is served with toppings of pistachios, cardamom, and sugar syrup, among other things. Adding different toppings is up to you and your preferences.
I have topped it with praline to give the butterscotch crunch. But you can serve it with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or any sprinkle of powdered sugar.
Cool the dish entirely and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. When you want to reheat it, microwave individual portions for about 30 seconds. However, remember that the longer the dish sits in the fridge, the softer the phyllo will become. It’s not recommended to freeze this dessert, as it may turn soggy upon thawing.
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Butterscotch Crinkle Cake
Ingredients
For Praline
- ½ cup roughly chopped nuts I used cashews and almonds
- ½ cup granulated sugar
For Butterscotch (Yield 3 tbsp)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 4 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon butter
For eggless custard
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup condensed milk
- Butterscotch sauce prepared in the previous step
Sugar syrup
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon butterscotch essence
Other ingredients
- 16 oz. Phyllo pastry dough/sheets 1 box
- 227 grams Butter
Instructions
Prep work
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Melt the butter and keep it aside.
- Brush a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter.
- Defrost the phyllo dough.
Make the Praline
- First, chop the nuts into small pieces.
- Add sugar to a wide pan on medium-low heat.
- As soon as the sugar melts and caramelizes (light golden), add the chopped nuts to it. Stir to combine.
- Tip – Be very careful here; sugar can burn quickly once melted. When it caramelizes, stir in the nuts and remove from heat.
- Transfer the mixture onto parchment paper, spread it, and let it cool down. Once it has cooled down, break it down into tiny chunks/pieces using a knife. Keep them aside
Make the butterscotch sauce.
- In a pan, take butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream on medium heat. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Let it boil; it will take about a minute or less. Then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Remove from heat. I got three tablespoons of butterscotch sauce from this quantity. Keep it aside.
Make the Custard
- Combine Milk, heavy cream, condensed Milk, and butterscotch sauce with a whisk to form the custard. Keep it aside.
Make the crinkle dessert
- Unwrap the phyllo dough after it’s defrosted.
- Take two layers of phyllo dough sheets, 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 a greased baking dish, starting at the shorter side, and continue filling in the folded sheets down the length of the pan. *See the video for my demonstration!
- Continue to add more layers until it’s complete.
- Bake it at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove the pan and evenly pour melted butter over the dough. Return to the oven and bake at 350 degrees F. for ten more minutes.
- Remove the sheet pan and pour the butterscotch custard evenly over the phyllo dough.
- Return pan to oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown.
- During the last 15 minutes of baking, make the simple syrup.
Simple Syrup
- Combine water, sugar, and butterscotch essence in a saucepan. Please bring it to a gentle boil and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes as the syrup forms a one-string consistency.
- When the crinkle cake comes out of the oven, pour the sugar syrup over the top and watch it sink into all those nooks and crannies.
- Then top it up with chopped praline, rose petals, and some silver varq.
- This is best served at warm or room temperature. Cut into squares. Serve it with a fork and knife. Enjoy butterscotch crinkle cake.
Video
Notes
- Allow the phyllo dough to defrost thoroughly before scrunching, or you’ll have many torn pieces.
- Only use two pieces of phyllo dough per crinkle because it won’t be crisp if you use too much.
- Use whole Milk for the custard.
- To achieve a perfectly crisp and buttery bite, you need to drizzle every single phyllo layer with melted butter.
- Note that every oven is different and bakes differently, so yours may take a little less or a little more time to bake.
- This phyllo crinkle cake is best consumed warm on the same day.
- Please ensure your phyllo dough is wholly defrosted before starting, or it will tear into a million pieces.
- When you unwrap the phyllo dough, cover it with a damp paper or kitchen towel and plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
- You can use aluminum foil trays if you’re making this as a gift for someone or taking it to the potluck party.
- Remember to finish the dish with edible rose petals and silver varq for a wow factor.
- If you are allergic to nuts, skip them entirely.
Nutrition
Warm regards,
Dhwani.
I made this cake yesterday for my friend’s birthday! It came out soo.. good. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. You put so many details. There is no chance of any failure.
Thanks a lot.