Japanese souffle pancakes are fluffy, light, and way easier to make than you think.
Course Breakfast and Brunch
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword japanese souffle pancakes, souffle pancakes
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 35 minutesminutes
Calories 438kcal
Author Robin Donovan
Ingredients
4cold large eggs
6tablespoonsgranulated sugardivided
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1teaspoonbaking powder
6tablespoonscake flourfor chocolate version, use 3 tablespoons cake flour and 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
¼cupcold whole milk
½teaspoonfreshly squeezed lemon juice (leave out for chocolate version
½teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspooncream of tartar
Unsalted butter or cooking oil spray for greasing the pan and molds
Powdered sugarfor serving
Instructions
Separate the eggs, putting all 4 of the whites into a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and 2 of the yolks into a medium mixing bowl. Discard the remaining 2 yolks (or save them for another recipe).
Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the vanilla, and the baking powder to the yolks and whisk to combine. Add the cake flour (or the cake flour and cocoa powder if making the chocolate version) and milk and whisk again to combine.
Add the lemon juice (if using), salt, and cream of tartar to the egg whites in the other mixing bowl and use an electric mixer (or the stand mixer) fitted with a whisk attachment to whip the mixture until foamy, about 1 minute on medium speed. Continue whipping while you add the remaining 5 tablespoons of sugar. Once all of the sugar is incorporated, raise the speed to high and whip until to glossy and stiff peaks, 2 to 3 minutes.
Scoop a cup or so of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture and then use a rubber spatula to gently fold the two mixtures together. Fold in the remaining egg white mixture in two batches, folding just until the two are combined.
Heat a large, lidded nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Once the pan is hot, spray it with cooking oil spray or grease it with butter. Spray or butter the insides of the ring molds, as well, being careful to fully coat the insides of the molds.
Place as many molds into the skillet as you can fit comfortably (I can fit 2 in my largest nonstick skillet, but you might be able to fit 3. I usually use a small skillet at the same time with 1 mold in it, but that requires a lot of coordination and timing. If this is your first time, you might want to stick to making 1 or 2 pancakes at a time.)
Spoon the batter into the molds, filling them until almost, but not quite full. Cover the skillet and let cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the lid and carefully slide a thin spatula underneath one of the pancakes. Use a second spatula or your hand protected by a silicone oven mitt to assist as you flip the whole thing over to cook the second side. Flip all of the pancakes in the skillet(s). Don’t worry if a bit of batter splatters out around the ring when you flip the pancakes. Replace the lid and cook for about 3 minutes more. When the pancakes are done, any batter that has seeped out around the edge of the ring will be nicely browned. Carefully slide the thin spatula underneat the pancake and ring again and lift the whole thing out of the pan and onto a plate. Carefully remove the ring (you may want to wait a couple of minutes to let it cool a bit). Repeat with the remaining pancakes and batter.