Cranberry Brie Phyllo Custard Cake

Cranberry Brie Phyllo Custard Cake has buttered and crinkled phyllo dough, a sweet and creamy custard, with cranberry sauce, brie cheese, and apricot jam tucked inside the layers.

Layers of Delicious Flavors in a Creamy Custard

Our Cranberry Brie Phyllo Custard Cake is a delicious creamy dessert that you’ll want to bake for every fall party and holiday get-together.

This recipe is a variation on our popular soufra recipe that we shared earlier this year. Both have buttered and crinkled phyllo dough that gets placed in a baking dish, then a sweet custard is poured over the top before it’s baked.

In today’s recipe, we placed slices of brie cheese, plus spoonfuls of whole-berry cranberry sauce, apricot jam, and chopped dried apricots in among the layers of phyllo.

As this custard cake bakes, the top edge of the phyllo gets golden and crispy, while the bottom absorbs some of the custard. The brie gets soft and melty along with the cranberry and apricot.

• Altogether, the flavors and textures are heavenly in a warm, soft custardy cake!
• This is a dessert that can be made ahead of time and reheated. Plus – it travels easily in the baking dish.
• You can adapt this recipe to suit your tastes. Swap in other flavors of jam and dried fruit, or a different soft cheese. The options are endless!

• Phyllo Dough – You’ll need 12 sheets of phyllo dough, (from a one pound box, we used about 3/4 of the box. Since different brands vary, try to use about 12 ounces) typically found in the frozen dessert or frozen fruit section of the supermarket, and sold in boxes.
• Butter – We always bake with unsalted butter.
• Brie – Purchase double or triple cream brie if you can find it. This is an extra-creamy version of brie cheese that will easily melt into the phyllo and custard while the cake bakes. If you can’t find that, regular brie is fine too.
• Whole-Berry Cranberry Sauce – Canned is fine, or you can make a homemade cranberry sauce if you’d prefer.
• Apricot Preserves
• Dried Apricots
• Boiling Water
• Eggs
• Granulated Sugar
• Whole Milk
• Crème Fraiche – Or use sour cream. Just note that the Crème Fraiche is milder and less tangy than sour cream. If you have access to double thick cream found outside the U.S., use that.
• Orange Zest
• Ground Cinnamon
• Ground Nutmeg

1. Chop the dried apricots into small pieces and cover with boiling water to rehydrate.
2. Lay out a stack of 12 phyllo sheets and melt the butter.
3. Brush baking dish with some of the melted butter.
4. Brush each phyllo sheet with butter, then crinkle like an accordion from one short end to the other short end and lay out in a row in the buttered pan from one end to the other.
5. Slice the brie into slices and wedge the slices in between each section of crinkled phyllo.
6. Mix cranberry sauce, apricot preserves, and rehydrated drained apricots in a small bowl. Use a spoon and dot the mixture over the top of the phyllo and brie.
7. In a large bowl whisk egg, milk, sugar, crème fraiche, orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg then pour into the baking dish over the phyllo, brie, and cranberry mixture.
8. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the custard comes out clean.
9. Let the pan cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then cut 3×4 rows into 12 pieces.
10. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

• Can I make Cranberry Brie Phyllo Custard Cake ahead of time?  Yes, this can be served at room temperature or chilled or warmed back up in the oven before serving.
• How do I store leftovers?   Store covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
• How do I reheat leftovers? Gently reheat the cake in a warm oven, being careful not to overcook so the custard oozes out, nor do you want to burn the phyllo.
• Can I freeze this custard pie?  No – we don’t recommend freezing.

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