Home » The Lagana Family Cooking Series » SFOGLIA CAKE

Light, creamy, fruity and oh so delicious, this layered Cracker Cake aka my family’s lazy version of the famous Italian Sfoglia Cake is always a crowd pleasing favourite. If you know, you know.

Does the term Sfoglia Cake mean anything to you? I can bet, if you’re Italian and have participated in any important event, (which is basically a rhetorical statement because how can you be Italian and not have been to 147 90th birthday parties or weddings of people you barely know) you knowwww exactly what I mean when I say the word Sfoglia (try guessing how to pronounce that if you’re not Italian…).

large square slice missing from a cracker cream and fruit cake in a glass baking dish

WHAT IS SFOGLIA CAKE?

The word Sfoglia (also referred to as Sfogliatella), to me, means a beautifully layered Italian pastry cake with cream and strawberries that always manages to find it’s way on every dessert table at every Italian function I’ve ever been to. It’s light, fluffy, creamy and delicious. I am definitely not a cake or dessert person (ice cream cake and cheesecake are my exceptions) but sfoglia was always a cake I could get excited about. Firstly, there’s no chocolate and chocolate desserts are usually a hard pass for me. And secondly, this bad boy doesn’t really have your traditional ‘cakey’ layers…it’s more of a pastry. Think back to grade 3 snack time and flakies…again, not a dessert or sweet person but flakies?!?!?! Yes, please.

Apparently, I’m not the only lazy one in this family because this is my mom’s version of the famous Sfoglia Cake. Traditional Sfogliatella Cake usually uses thin layers of puff pastry but here, my mama’s secret ingredient is Saltine Crackers. Believe it or not, the combination of the crackers, fruit and cream resemble the true version of Italian Sfoglia Cake extremely well. This version is so easy to make, tastes amazing, requires minimal energy or thinking and is as much of a crowd pleaser as the real thing. Just don’t tell Nonna that the secret ingredient is Saltine Crackers.

And, let’s be honest…even if you have no idea what the heck I’m actually talking about when I say the word Sfoglia, you’ll still absolutely love this easy no bake cracker cake dessert 😉

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE EASY ITALIAN STYLE SFOGLIA CAKE

ingredients for sfoglia cake - saltine crackers, cool whip, vanilla pudding, milk, fresh fruit — *Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.*

This version of Italian Style Sfoglia Cake could not be any simpler to make (especially when compared to the real thing). A few simple ingredients is all you need to bring this light and fluffy dessert to life. Let’s get into them in a little bit more detail down below:

Saltine Crackers: Giving this dessert it’s second name: Cracker Cake. While this ingredient may seem weird for a dessert at first, it’s really what makes this Sfoglia Cake what it is. The crackers become soft and almost mushy when layered in with the whipped cream and pudding mixture giving it that perfect pastry effect always present in a good sfoglia. Be sure to use the saltine crackers with unsalted tops for best results.
Cool Whip: Adds a creamy, light and velvety smoothness to the cracker cake. You want to go for the tub version here, rather than the cans, which you can find in the dessert freezer section in any grocery store. Allow it to thaw out a bit before using for best results.
Vanilla Pudding: Adds creaminess, smoothness and silkiness to the cool whip layer. Also adds a subtle vanilla flavour making this creamy dessert extra delicious.
Milk: To make the pudding as per package directions. Don’t be like me and forget it the first time around.
Fresh Fruit: Although you can use any fresh fruit of choice to top this lazy man’s Sfoglia Cake, our favourites (and the ones we always use) are a mixture of thinly sliced strawberries, kiwis and whole blueberries.

bowl of sliced fresh strawberries next to a glass baking dish with a dessert topped with fresh blueberries, sliced kiwis and strawberries

HOW TO MAKE CHEATER SFOGLIA CAKE FROM SCRATCH (KEY TIPS)

fork with layered crackers and whipped cream over a baking dish with a dessert topped with fresh blueberries, strawberries and kiwis

Use unsalted crackers for best results. The boyfriend was pretty disappointed to see that “someone stole the salt right off the tops” of the leftover crackers (his words, not mine) but for the sake of this dessert, unsalted crackers are the key here.
Use the cool whip tub instead of the aerosol can for best results. You’ll need one full tub. Don’t be like me and search in 5 different grocery stores contemplating if it went off the market completely. Look for it in the frozen dessert section of any grocery store.
Allow the cool whip to thaw before using. Or you’ll end up with a lumpy cream that is hard to stir/handle.
Use a baking dish big enough to hold at least four layers of crackers and cream. I prefer rectangular baking dishes as oppose to square ones as I find that they work best for the amount of ingredients you need in this recipe. PRO TIP: If you’re planning on taking this cracker cake to a party or gathering, try making it directly in one of these disposable aluminum pans instead.
Allow the cake to set for at least 8 hours or up to overnight before topping it with fruit. This way, the cream has time to moisten the cracker layers giving them the perfect pastry (sfoglia) affect.
Use fresh fruit that is thinly sliced. We love using kiwis, strawberries and blueberries and pretty much always use that same combination. But I’m sure this cracker cake would be delicious with any of your favourite fruits.
End with a cream layer so you can nicely top it with your selection of thinly sliced fruits.

layered whipped cream dessert with fresh sliced kiwi, strawberries and blueberries

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHERE DOES SFOGLIA CAKE COME FROM?

Sfoglia Cake is a popular Italian dessert traditionally made with thin layers of puff pastry, cream and fruit such as sliced strawberries. It’s light, airy, creamy, fruity and incredibly delicious!

HOW LONG DOES SFOGLIA CAKE LAST IN THE FRIDGE?

Because of the cream and fresh fruit in this Italian style Sfoglia Cake, it’s best consumed within 5 days. Tightly wrap it with a layer of saran wrap and/or aluminum foil or cover it with a tight fitting lid if you have one and store it in the fridge.

The longer this Sfoglia Cake sits, the creamier, softer and more delicious the cracker layers become.

CAN I FREEZE SFOGLIA CAKE?

While my mama and I can’t speak from experience, we think this cracker cake would freeze pretty well. IMHO, it would even be good eaten while it’s still half frozen. PRO TIP: Cut the cake into slices before freezing. That way, you can just take out what you need when you need it!

side view of a fruit topped whipped cream dessert in a glass baking dish

SFOGLIA STYLE CRACKER CAKE

Yield: 12 Slices

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Overnight in Fridge: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes

Sfoglia: If you know, you know.

Ingredients

1 box Unsalted Soda (Saltine) Crackers*
1 153g package Instant Vanilla Pudding
1 cup Milk (to make pudding)
1 16 oz. tub Cool Whip
1-1.5 cups Fresh Fruit of your choice, thinly sliced*

Instructions

Prepare the pudding according to the package directions.
Once stiff, fold in the tub of cool whip using a rubber spatula. Try and get it as well combined and smooth as possible.
In a large rectangular glass or disposable baking dish, layer a few spoonfuls of the pudding mixture and smooth it out with a spoon, completely covering the bottom.
Add a row of crackers in a single layer on top of that. Continue layering cool whip and crackers until desired thickness. We normally go with 4 layers in total, finishing with the cool whip layer. Place it in the fridge to set overnight.
The next day, add your thinly sliced fruit evenly over the top. If you don't fancy fresh fruit, salted caramel sauce or strawberry sauce seem like a good alternatives!

Notes

The crackers come in a one pound box, with 4 seperate sleeves. How many you use depends on how you layer your cake. We normally go through 3-3.5 sleeves.

We normally use a combination of blueberries and thinly sliced kiwis and strawberries.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 167Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 38mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g

Nutrition is only an estimate and calculated using Nutritionix.