Buzz
Japanese soufflé pancakes are wonderfully fluffy, towering, visually stunning, and undeniably delicious. You don’t need to visit a café to enjoy these high-rise breakfast treats. The batter for soufflé pancakes is quite similar to regular pancake batter, but the slow cooking time is what makes them a bit more time-consuming. Instead of spending 20 minutes frying a single pancake, take inspiration from traditional soufflés and use ramekins to prepare a full batch of soufflé pancakes at once.
What exactly are Japanese soufflé pancakes?
These towering pancakes deliver the ultimate pancake experience: an extra dose of fluffiness. Combining all-purpose flour (or cake flour), eggs, and butter with whipped egg whites creates a heightened texture, with added support from a parchment paper collar and a metal English muffin ring.
Once the whipped egg whites are carefully folded into the pancake batter base, the metal ring is positioned in a lightly greased frying pan, with a small strip of parchment paper greased with butter. The parchment sticks to the buttered metal ring and rises a few inches, creating a temporary, non-stick mold. Add about 1/3 cup of batter into the mold, then cover the pan with a lid.
Soufflé pancakes are so thick that they must be cooked over the lowest heat with a lid on top, allowing steam to build up and assist in cooking. This method yields the softest, most tender pancakes, but it takes time. Set a timer for 15 minutes, then remove the parchment and the metal ring before flipping the pancake. If you’re cooking for more than one person or want to enjoy two pancakes at once, consider using ramekins and your oven for a more efficient batch method.
How to prepare a batch of soufflé pancakes
Instead of individually frying and steaming pancakes on the stovetop, which can take time and cause the batter to deflate, make a full batch all at once in your oven.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Generously grease four to six small ramekins with butter. You can either dust the ramekins with flour as you would a cake pan, or line each with a small parchment circle at the bottom and a parchment collar around the sides. Both methods will help the pancakes release easily at the end. Parchment takes a bit longer to arrange but is more nonstick. Butter and flour are quicker and easier, though you might need to loosen the edges with a knife. I used both methods, which you can see in the photo. (I removed a part of the parchment collar for visibility, but it goes all the way around.) It’s up to you which method works best.
Fill each ramekin three-quarters full with batter, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops turn golden and don’t deflate when lightly touched. Allow them to cool for a moment on a wire rack before loosening the edges and flipping the hot ramekins upside down.
I prefer to plate them upside down, as the bottom of the ramekin has clean, crisp edges—just like if you had cooked them in a pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, drizzle with syrup, or top them with your favorite pancake toppings. Serve immediately, as these can be enjoyed all at once, unlike the pan-fried version.
This oven method works perfectly with any soufflé pancake recipe. I made a few tweaks to this recipe by King Arthur Baking, incorporating my own batch baking technique.
Recipe for Batch Baked Soufflé Pancakes
Ingredients:
4 eggs, separated
3 tablespoons of water
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoons sugar
Various pancake toppings
Begin by preheating the oven to 300°F. Generously grease four to six small ramekins with butter, then dust them with flour. Alternatively, line each ramekin with a parchment circle at the bottom and a parchment collar around the sides. Arrange them on a baking tray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, water, melted butter, and vanilla extract. In a separate small bowl, combine the flour and baking powder, then add this mixture to the egg yolk blend. Whisk until the batter is mostly smooth.
In a separate bowl, using a whisk or stand mixer, beat the egg whites until they become foamy. Then, add the salt, cream of tartar, and sugar. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture in four parts. Spoon the batter into the ramekins, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are just starting to brown and gently bounce back when pressed. Let the ramekins cool on a wire rack and carefully loosen the edges from the dishes. Flip them out and plate them upside down, then top with your favorite pancake toppings.
