Gone Viral
About a year ago, the recipe and concept for a Crinkle Cake went viral on Tiktok. A crinkle cake is made from layers of phyllo dough that are baked with a custard and soaked in syrup. If you’ve never made a crinkle cake, you may be wondering how the heck this all works together. Phyllo dough is typically used to make crispy and flaky pastries, so it’s unusual to see it baked with a custard. To be honest, I was a little skeptical at first, but trust me it works! I’m honestly upset that I didn’t try this sooner, so you better get started on making this Guava and Cheese Crinkle Cake!
Porto’s But Better
If you’re a fan of flaky pastries or the classic Cuban guava and cheese pastry, then this recipe is for you. I wanted to try out the viral crinkle cake and was simultaneously inspired by Porto’s delicious guava and cheese pastries. Porto’s is a famous Cuban bakery in Southern California, and one of their most popular items is their guava and cheese strudel. The sweetness and fruity flavor from the guava work so well with the creamy and tangy cream cheese. And when you encase it all in sugary, flaky, puff pastry, who can deny it?! So I thought why not incorporate that flavor profile into this Guava and Cheese Crinkle Cake.
Crinkles and Custard
Starting off with the phyllo dough, we’re going back to elementary school where we learned different ways to fold paper. Working with 2 stacked sheets of phyllo dough, hold the shorter end with both hands so that the longer end is hanging. Scrunch the dough, accordion style, to create folds 1-inch thick and place it into a 9×13 inch pan. Continue folding the phyllo dough until all of it has been used and the pan is full. Fluff any densely packed folds then bake it in the oven for 10 mins. Pour melted butter all over top and bake it for another 10 mins.
Now, let’s get this guava and cheese party started! Combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream together to make the cream cheese filling. Then all we need is the guava jelly! Goya has a great guava jelly that I always use and can be found in most grocery stores. Transfer the cream cheese filling and guava jelly each into their own separate piping bag. Snip off the tips and pipe lines of guava jelly into every few folds of the phyllo dough. Then pipe lines of the cream cheese filling in every few folds that haven’t already been filled with guava jelly.
For the custard, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour it all over the crinkle cake and bake it in the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden and crispy on top. In the meantime, we can make the syrup. Add sugar, water, and lemon juice into a pot. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until it’s slightly thickened. Pour it over the baked crinkle cake then let it cool to room temperature.
The Crinkle Cake Experience
This Guava and Cheese Crinkle Cake is so unique because it’s texture is something I cannot accurately describe — it’s something that has to be experienced. My best description would be a croissant bread pudding. The outside is slightly crispy and the edges caramelize so that they’re slightly chewy. Then the inside is soft and squishy with those buttery layers of phyllo dough. The guava jelly adds a pop of fruity sweetness and the cream cheese filling has a creamy, tangy bite that compliment the crinkle cake so well!
Now that I’ve officially tried the viral crinkle cake recipe, I understand why it became so popular and can say with confidence that it’s Olives & Lamb approved! It’s become one of my favorite recipes to date with its flavor and unique texture. So if you’ve also been wondering why this recipe is so popular, the only answer is to try it out. Let me know what you think in the comments below and thanks for joining me today!
Looking for more flaky pastries? Check out the recipes below:
Cheesy Jalapeño Croissant Bake
Guava and Cheese Crinkle Cake
Ingredients
For the Crinkle Cake
- 1 (16 oz.) Package Phyllo Dough (2 rolls inside)
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter (melted)
- ⅓ cup Guava Jelly
For the Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz Cream Cheese (at room temperature)
- 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
- ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 Tbsp Heavy Cream
For the Custard
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ Tbsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
For the Syrup
- 1 cup Water
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
For the Crinkle Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Take two sheets of phyllo dough, stacked on top of each other, and hold them with both hands by the shorter edge. Crinkle the sheets like an accordion to create folds about 1 inch thick. Place the sheets into the pan with the folds facing up. Repeat this process until you use all of the sheets of phyllo dough and the pan is filled. Fluff any folds that are packed too tightly together.
- Bake it in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven then drizzle the melted butter all over the top. Place it back into the oven to back for another 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and set it aside. Transfer the guava jelly into a piping bag and set it aside.
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- Add all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix until well combined. Transfer the mixture into a piping bag and set it aside.
For the Custard:
- Add all of the ingredients into a large bowl. Whisk until the mixture is evenly combined.
- After the crinkle cake has baked for 20 minutes, cut off the ends of both of the piping bags. Pipe lines of the guava jelly into every few folds of the phyllo dough. Then pipe the cream cheese filling into every few folds that have not been filled with guava jelly. Pour the custard all over top then bake it in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden and crispy.
For the Syrup:
- While the crinkle cake bakes, make the syrup. Add all of the ingredients into a small to medium sized sauce pot. Mix the ingredients together then heat it over medium heat until it starts bubbling. Lower the heat to medium low and gently simmer for about 10 minutes until it has slightly thickened. Remove the pot from heat.
- When the crinkle cake has finished baking, pour the syrup over top then allow the cake to cool to room temperature. Slice and enjoy!
