Description
Tall, jiggly, café-style Japanese soufflé pancakes with an ultra-light, cloud-like texture. Stabilized meringue is folded into a vanilla batter, then steam-cooked low and slow for dramatic lift. Serve immediately with powdered sugar, syrup, berries, or whipped cream.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs, separated (room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons milk (whole milk or oat milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons (36g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar (or 1 teaspoon lemon juice)
- Pinch of fine salt
- Butter or neutral oil, for the pan
- To serve: powdered sugar, maple syrup, whipped cream, fresh berries
Instructions
1. Separate eggs: Place whites in a clean, dry bowl; yolks in a medium bowl. Ensure no yolk/fat touches the whites.
2. Make yolk batter: Whisk yolks with milk and vanilla until smooth. Sift in flour, baking powder, and a small pinch of salt; whisk just until no dry spots remain (thick but smooth).
3. Start meringue: Beat egg whites on medium until foamy. Add cream of tartar (or lemon juice).
4. Add sugar gradually: With mixer running, sprinkle in 3 tbsp sugar in 3 additions. Beat to glossy, stiff peaks that stand straight without drooping.
5. Fold gently: Whisk a heaping spoonful of meringue into the yolk batter to lighten. Switch to a spatula and gently fold in the remaining meringue in 2–3 additions, keeping as much air as possible.
6. Preheat pan low & grease: Heat a nonstick skillet over LOW. Lightly butter/oil and wipe excess. (Rings help but are optional.)
7. Portion tall mounds: Scoop 2–3 pancakes (about 1/3 cup batter each) into tall mounds. If using rings, fill halfway; add a spoonful more on top after 2 minutes for extra height.
8. Steam-cook: Drizzle 1–2 tsp water into empty areas of pan (not on batter). Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook 4–5 minutes until bottoms are golden and sides look set.
9. Flip carefully: Use 2 spatulas to gently flip. Add another 1–2 tsp water; cover and cook 4–5 minutes more until springy and cooked through.
10. Serve immediately: Dust with powdered sugar and add syrup, berries, or whipped cream. Enjoy while hot for maximum fluff.
Notes
Heat control is everything: Keep heat LOW to prevent over-browning before centers set.
Stiff peaks matter: If peaks are soft, pancakes won’t rise. Beat to glossy, firm peaks—stop before grainy/dry.
No cream of tartar? Use 1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar.
Gluten-free option: Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend.
Flavor variations: Add 1 tsp matcha or 1 tbsp cocoa with the flour; or 1 tsp lemon zest.
Storage: Best fresh. To store, cool, then refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat 20–25 seconds in microwave or 5 minutes at 300°F/150°C. Freeze up to 1 month; thaw overnight and warm gently.
Serving ideas: Powdered sugar + berries, honey butter, condensed milk drizzle, or chocolate ganache.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch
- Method: Stovetop (Steam-Cooked)
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 pancakes
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 170mg