This Crinkle Cake is a crunchy-creamy Egyptian dessert, Mesh Om Ali, in which phyllo dough is crinkled together, doused with butter and custard, twice baked, then topped with a floral simple syrup, nutty pistachios, and rose petals.
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!
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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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Puff pastry wouldn't give the same results, so I wouldn't recommend it. You can use stale croissants though. Skip the first step of baking and jump to the custard baking step.
Absolutely! Use crushed almonds, cashews, or hazelnuts instead. You can also choose to make it nut-free.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
These recipes are part of the Dessert Recipes Collection:
📖 Recipe
Crinkle Cake (Phyllo Milk Pie)
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Ingredients
For Pastry
- 16 ounce box of phyllo dough thawed
- 2 sticks butter, melted 1 cup
For Custard
- 1 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For Topping
- ¼ cup pistachios finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons dried rose petals
Instructions
- 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 Phyllo: Crinkle together 2 sheets of phyllo dough folding them like an accordion placing them against the longer side of the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining phyllo and keep stacking the crinckled pair of sheets side by side.
- Bake: Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt two sticks of butter in a sauce pan.
- Butter and bake again: Remove the baking dish from the oven and pour the melted butter evenly on top of the crinkled phyllo. Put it back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Make Custard: To prepare custard add milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract in a measuring cup and whisk to combine.
- Pour custard and bake: Remove the baking dish from oven and evenly pour the custard over the baked phyllo dough. Using a spatula, nudge the sides to distribute the custard evenly on the sides. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown.
- Make Sugar syrup: Meanwhile, prepare 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. As soon as the syrup forms a stringy consistency, turn off the heat and let it cool and thicken.
- Pour syrup: Take the baking dish out of the oven and evenly drizzle the syrup all over the phyllo.
- Add toppings: Sprinkle chopped pistachios and dried rose petals all over the top and let it cool for 15-20 minutes. Cut in slices and enjoy it while it's luke warm.
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 the pastry to crisp up again.
Khushi says
Can you adjust this to individual portions, perhaps 4 sheets each in a muffin tin?
Aneesha Gupta says
Hi Khushi, I'never tried it, but technically it should work. If you have the time, do a test portion before your event. I would love to know how it goes!
Zosh says
Excellent Easy Elegant Dessert!! I call it Baklava cake.
Aneesha Gupta says
Superb- I love the name 'baklava cake'! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe 🙏🏼
Ann says
Hello, I am pretty excited to try this but need clarification for the eggless version. So based on your instructions, should I use:
▢1 cup milk
▢1 can condensed milk AND 1 can heavy whipping cream
▢¾ cup sugar
▢2 teaspoons vanilla extract
OR is it
▢1 can condensed milk AND 1 can heavy whipping cream
▢¾ cup sugar
▢2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Please clarify as I am confused.
Aneesha Gupta says
Hi Ann, It's 1 can condensed milk + 1 can heavy whipping cream + vanilla extract. You don't need sugar since condensed milk is sweet enough. To make a lighter version, swap the heavy whipping cream with half and half or whole milk. Enjoy!
Ann says
Thank you! I tried it and it tasted fantastic and everyone loved it! However, I felt the dough seemed a little dense and lumpy in some sections. Is that how it's supposed to be?
I definitely want to repeat it again as it tasted so good.
TIA
Aneesha Gupta says
Hi Ann, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. The middle section is supposed to feel dense since that's where the custard sets. To solve the issue of lumps, next time after you pour the custard, take a fork and help it slide into the grooves of the crinkled phyllo evenly, then it'll bake evenly. Hope this helps!
Katrin Endres says
Best desert ever. It’s easy and fast. I add fresh ground cardamon and it’s amazing
Thank you for sharing ????
Aneesha says
Hi Katrin, Thank you so much ????????. I'm so glad you enjoyed this crinkle cake!
Olivia Cunningham says
It’s really good BUT if you’re doing the eggless custard you DO NOT need to use all the liquid. Use half if you want it crispier and three quarters for normal crinkle. Using all of it results in a baked custard with phyllo dough in it (delicious but wrong ratio)
Aneesha says
Thanks for the tip Olivia, I'm sure that tastes great. I've tried this recipe and it turns out crispy as well. Thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Shadee says
I just made this and it’s very tasty. The top is perfectly crispy but the middle is a little soft and mushy. Any advice?
Aneesha Gupta says
Hi Shadee, the middle is supposed to be like that since that's the custard-soaked part. I'm glad you enjoyed the taste!