Sfoglia Cake with Strawberries and cream has always been one of my favorite Traditional Italian cakes for as long as I can remember. It's a cross between a strawberry cake and crisp layers of puff pastry filled with a creamy layer.
Also known as millefoglie, this strawberry cake is often found in Italian bakeries. Follow along as a share a simple way to prepare this strawberry sfoglia cake at home.
Want something smaller than a cake? Why not try my easy recipe for Mille Feuille using puff pastry sheets, Cream Filled Pastry Horns or my recipe for Nutella Puff Pastry Turnovers.
Visit my recipe box for some more great recipe ideas inspired by Italian tradition!
Jump to:
- Here's Why You'll Love this Dessert
- Ingredients You'll Need to make Italian Sfoglia Cake
- How to Slice a Sfoglia Cake at Home
- How to Make Sfoglia Cake layered with Strawberries and Cream
- Top Tips
- Substitutions and Variations
- Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
- Other Recipes Using Puff Pastry
- Recipe Details
- Pin for later
- Food Safety
- Comments
I first made this cake to celebrate a special occasion of my mom's birthday. Since then I've made it a few more times and changed a few things along the way. This traditional homemade sfoglia cake, a cake with layers of delicate puff pastry, is filled with an easy to make copycat Chantilly cream with fresh cut strawberries. This is one of those desserts that will make you look like you're a chef in the kitchen.
This Italian sfoglia cake with fresh cut strawberries was made as a birthday cake for my mom's 77th birthday. The first time I made this cake I used a buttercream frosting which was too heavy and later led me to cover the cake with a lighter option like a vanilla whipped dessert topping. I also mixed in a little bit of strawberry Jello which gave it that beautiful pink color.
After making the cake repeatedly, I decided not to frost the cake at all, but just decorate the top with whipped cream. Sometimes less is better.
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Here's Why You'll Love this Dessert
- Traditional Italian cake that's easy to make at home at a fraction of the cost
- Customizable in the way that you can use frozen or fresh fruit or you can infuse chocolate, cocoa or coffee for a mocha version.
- Kid Friendly flavor and texture are enjoyed by both children and adults
- Store bought ingredients make this cake easy to make with less than 6 ingredients
- Size can be adjusted based on need and the number of guests
Ingredients You'll Need to make Italian Sfoglia Cake
For this sfoglia cake recipe you will need: puff pastry, strawberries, Dream Whip Dessert Topping Powder, whole milk.
Puff pastry is the base of this cake which makes it light and fluffy. Buy pre-made at your local grocer in the freezer section.
Dream Whip Dessert Topping Powder is light and fluffy and is used to frost the cake as well as to fill the cake.
Fruit such as strawberries or chocolate are used to give the cake a flavor boost.
How to Slice a Sfoglia Cake at Home
Let's face it, cakes don't come with slicing instructions. And, while layers of puff pastry filled with a delicate vanilla cream sound amazing, cakes made from puff pastry can get messy to slice.
Here are some tips to cut your cake into slices:
- Once assembled, let the cake rest in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours. The longer it refrigerates the better the flavors soak in to the puff pastry layers.
- Use a serrated knife to cut the cake in to slices.
- For even better slicing results, freeze the cake for upto 45 minutes, remove from freezer and slice and serve.
Pro tip: decorate the top of the cake before serving.
Whole Milk is used to help thicken and stabilize the Dream Whip Dessert Topping.
How to Make Sfoglia Cake layered with Strawberries and Cream
Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare 4 baking sheets, 2 lined with with parchment paper. You'll use the other 2 to place on top during the baking process.
Ensure that your puff pastry is completely thawed out.
Roll out puff pastry so that they are large enough to cut out two 8" circles. I rolled out my dough to 11 x17".
Using a rolling pin, roll up your pastry and carefully transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a plate or the bottom of an 8" spring form pan cut out a circle using a knife. You should be able to put 2 puff pastry circles on each baking sheet.
Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until golden and flaky. (leftover puff pastry can be rerolled if needed to make more circles)
Let the puff pastry cool completely
Wash, dry and chop the strawberries.
Mix the packages of Dream whip with 1 cup of the milk. Use a hand blender to mix until stiff and soft peaks form. Then mix in the instant vanilla pudding.
Prepare either a plate or a cake board by placing a dollop of cream in the center and then placing the first puff pastry layer on it. Spread a layer of the dream whip cream on the layer of puff pastry. Then layer some strawberries on top ensuring you are reserving enough strawberries for all layers.
If not frosting the sides, you can sprinkle powdered sugar on the top layer then refrigerate for 24 hrs for best results. Use a serrated knife to slice the cake.
In a small bowl, whip the heavy cream with a hand blender until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla pudding and continue to whip on high until you get stiff peaks.
Place the whipped topping mixture into a piping bag fit with a large star tip. Decorate the top of the cake and leave the sides bare.
Refrigerate the cake over night for best result and use a serrated knife to slice pieces of cake.
Refrigerate the cake over night for best result and use a serrated knife to slice pieces of cake.
Storage:
Once you have assembled the cake, you should let it rest in the fridge for 8-24 hours. But, you should also consume it within 3 days of making it.
You can also freeze for later. Slice the cake while it is still partially frozen. That way when you want to eat a piece, you can take it out per serving.
When you are ready to enjoy, let the cake thaw out in the refrigerator overnight. If you are taking a slice out, let it thaw out on the counter.
Top Tips
Bake the puff pastry until golden and crisp for the best texture.
Lay a baking sheet on top of the puff pastry during baking to prevent the puff pastry from bubbling.
Wait for the puff pastry to cool down completely before you start layering the cake with cream, otherwise the cream will melt.
Use a serrated knife to slice through the crisp pastry layers cleanly.
Once you have assembled the cake, you should let it rest in the fridge for 24 hours.
Freeze for 45 minutes for better slicing results.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some possible substitutions for you to try:
- Coffee - substitute coffee in place of the strawberries and cocoa for a mocha sfoglia cake recipe
- Sponge Cake - replace the puff pastry with thin layers of sponge cake
- Filling - use custard filling or Cool Whip with strawberries instead of the whipped topping
- Strawberries - use frozen strawberries if you don't have fresh strawberries on hand.
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
Sfoglia translated to English refers to thin layers or sheets of pasta dough. And that's exactly what a Sfoglia Cake is, it's layers of puff pastry with cream in between.
Both look very similar to one another. Chantilly cream has about twice as much sugar in it, as well as vanilla extract. They can be used interchangeably.
Sfoglia cake is a cake made up of layers of puff pastry and a light cream filling that is traditionally flavored with fresh strawberries. Often times, sfoglia cakes are made with other flavors like Mocha.
Other Recipes Using Puff Pastry
Recipe Details
Italian Sfoglia Cake with Strawberries
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caAffiliate Disclosure
This page contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
Cake
- 23½ oz puff pastry 3 sheets, thawed
Cream Filling
- 1 lb strawberries washed, dried and quartered
- 4.5 oz KRAFT Dream Whip Dessert Topping Mix 3 pouches
- 3 tbsp instant vanilla pudding
- 1 cup 2% milk 2% or skim milk
Frosting
- 1 cup heavy cream at least 35%
- 1 tbsp vanilla pudding
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare 4 baking sheets, 2 lined with with parchment paper. You'll use the other 2 to place on top during the baking process.
- Ensure that your puff pastry is completely thawed out. Roll out puff pastry so that they are large enough to cut out two 8" circles. I rolled out my dough to 11 x17".
- Using a rolling pin, roll up your pastry and carefully transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a plate or the bottom of an 8" spring form pan cut out a circle using a knife. You should be able to put 2 puff pastry circles on each baking sheet.23½ oz puff pastry
- Place a baking tray on top (this will prevent the puff pastry from bubbling) and pop it in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden. Repeat for all circles, total 6. If you have extra dough, you can re-roll it and make a few more layers - just in case you need them.
- Let the puff pastry cool completely once baked
Cake Filling
- Mix the packages of Dream whip with 1 cup of the milk. Use a hand blender to mix until stiff and soft peaks form. Then mix in the instant vanilla pudding.4.5 oz KRAFT Dream Whip Dessert Topping Mix, 3 tbsp instant vanilla pudding, 1 cup 2% milk
- Prepare either a plate or a cake board by placing a dollop of cream in the center and then placing the first puff pastry layer on it. The cream will prevent the cake from slipping. Spread a layer of the dream whip cream on the puff pastry. Then layer some strawberries on top ensuring you are reserving enough strawberries for all layers.1 lb strawberries
- Repeat until you have used up all the layers. Leave the top layer bare. If not frosting the sides, you can sprinkle powdered sugar on the top layer then refrigerate for 24 hrs for best results. Use a serrated knife to slice the cake.
Whipped Topping (optional)
- In a small bowl, whip the heavy cream with a hand blender until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla pudding and continue to whip on high until you get stiff peaks.1 cup heavy cream, 1 tbsp vanilla pudding
- Place the whipped topping into a piping bag fit with a large star tip. Decorate the top of the cake and leave the sides bare.
- Refrigerate the cake over night for best result and use a serrated knife to slice pieces of cake.
Notes
Wait for the puff pastry to cool down completely before you start layering the cake with cream, otherwise the cream will melt.
Use a serrated knife to slice through the crisp pastry layers cleanly.
Once you have assembled the cake, you should let it rest in the fridge for 24 hours.
Freeze for 45 minutes for better slicing results.
Nutrition
Pin for later
Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Rico says
Hello! My wife is Italian and this is her favorite cake, she’s always had this for her birthday but since we moved I haven’t found a single bakery that makes this, so I decided to take on the challenge and make it myself. Neither my wife nor myself had much confidence in my ability to take on this endeavor, however your recipe was easy to follow, and I wanted to be a bit more traditional and went with a custard that I’ve also never made before. She found it to be very authentic and she loved it! Thank you for making her birthday special, unfortunately I don’t know how to decorate cakes and so it just looked like a giant rice square covered in whip cream, but I have much more confidence now and hoping to make an espresso flavored sfoglia next… I just don’t know how to do that.
AmyG says
So happy to hear that your experience in making this cake was a success and your wife liked it! Espresso, yes, just swap out the strawberries for instant espresso and maybe even a little bit of cocoa! Sound like a great idea
Jackie says
This was so easy to make and my family loved it!
Stephanie Gatto says
My family and I love this recipe!
Charmaine Galivan says
Oh I can not wait to try this. This is my favorite cake. I am going to use the Chantilly cream though. Will keep you posted!
AmyG says
Please do let me know how it turns out!
Terri says
Wow - I am a cake decorator and never heard of this cake! I love this concept - must be so light and airy. I can't wait to try it1!
AmyG says
Hi Terri,
Thanks, let me know how you like it.
NANCY WU says
interesting I've never heard of Sfoglia cake before. Pinned for later
AmyG says
You will like it! Let me know how it turns out.
Amy
Bernice Hill says
I'm 100% with you...buy the puff pastry no need to be a hero lol. Seriously though, my birthday is in February and I would LOVE to have this cake then. It sounds amazing.
AmyG says
Thanks Bernice. I would love to know how it turns out.