Fluffy Souffle Pancakes
The internet-famous, unbelievably tall and jiggly Japanese cafe pancakes. The secret to their towering, cloud-like texture is a massive, heavily whipped egg white meringue gently folded into the batter and cooked very slowly with steam.
Ingredients
- 2 Large eggs separated into yolks and whites, incredibly cold
- 1.5 tbsp Milk
- 1/4 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup Cake flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 3 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil for pan
- 2 tbsp Water for steaming
- Butter and Maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Make the Yolk Batter: In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, and vanilla extract together. Sift the cake flour and baking powder over the yolks and whisk until just combined into a thick, sticky paste.
- Whip the Meringue (Crucial): In a separate, impeccably clean bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the cold egg whites until frothy. Gradually add the sugar in three batches, beating on medium-high speed until incredibly stiff, glossy, upright peaks form.
- Fold the Batter: Take one scoop of the stiff meringue and aggressively whisk it into the thick yolk batter to lighten it. Then, using a spatula, incredibly gently fold the rest of the meringue into the batter in two additions. Stop exactly when no white streaks remain. Do not deflate the air!
- Cook with Steam: Heat a non-stick skillet with a lid over the absolute lowest heat setting. Lightly oil the pan. Scoop three massive, tall dollops of the airy batter into the pan. Drop 1 tbsp of water into the empty spaces of the pan and immediately cover with the lid. Steam-cook for exactly 5 to 6 minutes.
- Flip and Finish: Remove the lid. Very carefully slide a spatula under the extremely fragile pancakes and flip them over. Add another 1 tbsp of water to the pan, cover tightly, and cook for 4 to 5 more minutes until the sides are dry and set. Serve instantly with butter and syrup before they deflate.
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