This maple crinkle cake is phyllo pastry drizzled with butter and an egg and milk custard and baked, then brushed with maple syrup when warm from the oven. This one has all the fabulous flavours of a butter-soaked, maple-drizzled pancakes in a sliceable, crispy pastry.
The “crinkle cake” was a viral Tik Tok hit a few years ago and for good reason. It’s all at once easy, pretty, delicious and it feeds a crowd, too! While it is called a “cake” is it much more akin to a pastry than a cake, just to be clear.
I love how quickly and easily this crinkle cake comes together, yet the results are so stunning and such a fun dish to share with a crowd. Using maple syrup instead of having to make a sugar syrup makes this version even easier!
This maple crinkle cake is perfect for a brunch table, fabulous with an afternoon cup of tea or as a warm dessert topped with ice cream or whipped cream.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Phyllo pastry sheets – Look in the frozen food section around the frozen puff pastry to find boxed, frozen phyllo pastry. In my area, they are typically sold in 1 lb/454g boxes and contain one roll of phyllo pastry sheets. Ideally, it’s best to thaw phyllo in the refrigerator overnight, but it will also thaw fairly quickly on the counter in an hour or two.
Butter – Note that unsalted butter is specified and recommended. I haven’t tested this recipe with salted butter so I’m not sure how consequential it would be on the finished product.
Milk and cream – After experimenting with some test versions of this recipe, I found I enjoyed the addition of some cream to the custard. You can add a bit of heavy whipping cream or even some 10% b.f. half and half cream, as you like or depending on what you have on hand. That said, it has and can be made with just milk. Whole milk (3-3.5% b.f.) is best.
Maple syrup – I love to use a darker maple syrup for the richest maple flavour. Look for Grade B, Dark Amber or Dark maple syrup. That said, any maple syrup is just fine to use here.
Pecans – I typically love the maple walnut pairing, but in this instance, I preferred chopped pecans. You can certainly use chopped walnuts if you prefer or omit the nuts completely for a nut-free version.
How to make this maple crinkle cake
- Unwrap and unroll the phyllo pastry and place the stack on a work surface. If it is wider than the length of your pan, trim a bit off the side and discard.
- Fold two sheets of the the phyllo accordion-style and place it into a buttered 9×13-inch baking sheet or pan.
- Repeat with the remaining phyllo and fill the pan. Bake the phyllo for 10 minutes.
- After the 10-minute bake, drizzle the phyllo with melted butter and return to the oven for 10 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven again and pour the milk and egg custard evenly over the top.
- Return to the oven and bake until crispy and golden, about 30-40 minutes.
- When baked, remove from the oven and immediately brush generously with maple syrup.
- Scatter the chopped nuts on top.
- Allow the maple crinkle cake to cool before slicing and serving.
Recipe tips!
- I’ve used a 9×13-inch baking sheet with 1 inch high sides. If you don’t have this size of baking sheet, you can use any 9×13-inch baking dish (metal or glass). For glass, reduce the baking temperature by 25 degrees F.
- Folding the phyllo is much easier than it might seem. Simply lay two sheets of phyllo on top of each other. Grab the top of the phyllo about 1/3 of the way in from the sides of the pastry and use your thumbs to reach about 2 inches down and then pinch together a fold about 1 inch-ish in height. Repeat down the length of the pastry while you hold all the folds together as you work.
- Don’t fret if the phyllo tears while you’re working with it. Just re-adjust as best you can and carry on. It will all be good in the end!
- Don’t be tempted to skimp on the butter. It may sound like a lot and seem like a lot when you are pouring it on, but it is crucial to the finished flavour and texture of this dish.
- A dusting of powdered sugar would also be a nice finish for this crinkle cake.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
This crinkle cake holds up well, though the phyllo will start to soften the longer it sits. I would say it is at its best within 3-4 hours of baking, so it can be made a bit ahead.
Store leftovers covered loosely with plastic wrap at room temperature.
Enjoy this crinkle cake at room temperature or slightly warmed. You can re-warm in a 350F oven for a few minutes, loosely covered with a sheet of aluminum foil
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Get the Recipe: Maple Crinkle Cake
Ingredients
- 1 lb (454 g) phyllo pastry, thawed
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted *see Note 1 below
For the custard:
- 1/2 cup milk, 3% whole milk recommended
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 35% b.f. *see Note 2 below
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
For brushing after baking:
- 1/4-1/3 cup maple syrup, preferably dark amber or dark Grade B
For finishing:
- 1/4 cup pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (non-convection/not fan-assisted. Have ready a 9×13-inch baking sheet with at least 1-inch high sides or a 9×13-inch metal or glass baking pan. If using a glass pan, reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees F.
- Melt the butter in the microwave or a saucepan. Use a pastry brush to generously brush the bottom and sides of the baking pan with melted butter. Set the melted butter aside for now.
- Unwrap and unroll the thawed phyllo pastry and leave it stacked on the work surface. Measure the width of the phyllo pastry. If it is longer than the longest side of your pan, use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to trim the phyllo down as needed to fit perfectly, discarding the excess. I usually need to cut off about 1/2-3/4-inch.
- Tip! Phyllo is paper thin. When grabbing two sheets, be sure you're just grabbing two sheets. It's easy for a third one to sneak in there!
- To fold the phyllo grab two sheets of phyllo at the top of the phyllo stack. With your hands about 1/3 of the way in from the sides of the pastry, use your thumbs to reach about 2 inches down and then pinch upwards, creating a fold about 1 inch in height. Repeat this pinching motion working down the length of the pastry while you hold all the folds together as you work. When it is all folded, place it into the buttered baking pan.
- Repeat folding two sheets at a time and placing them into the baking sheet alongside of the other folded pieces until you have used all of the phyllo pastry. *See the step-by-step photos above this Recipe Card to see how it should look in the pan if it isn't clear.
- The entire baking sheet should be evenly filled with the folded phyllo. You can adjust the a bit in the pan to even the out in the pan.
- Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the baking pan from the oven and drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top of the phyllo.
- Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes.
- While the phyllo is baking, mix together all the custard ingredients in a bowl or large measuring cup.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and drizzle the prepared custard mixture over the top of the phyllo.
- Return the baking pan to the oven and bake until set and nicely golden and crispy, about 30-40 minutes. (I generally find it is closer to the 40-minute mark and sometimes I leave it a few extra minutes to get it nice and golden.)
- Remove from the oven and immediately brush the top of the phyllo generously with maple syrup. Scatter the chopped nuts over the top.
- Allow the crinkle cake to cool before cutting and serving. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm as is or with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream on top. Rewarm in the microwave or place the baking sheet in a 350F oven for a few minutes loosely covered with aluminum foil.
- This crinkle cake is best enjoyed within a few hours of baking. While still tasty after that, the phyllo does tend to soften the longer it sits. Store loosely covered with plastic wrap at room temperature.
Notes
More maple recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
