Easy Fluffy Soufflé Pancakes

For months, my friends and I have collectively drooled over the fabled Japanese soufflé pancakes. In Boston, the two shops that carry limited orders of this dish (to my knowledge) is Taiyaki Seaport and Bootleg Special. In fact, the Gen Sou En attempted to launch these pancakes but could never figure out how to streamline the process before permanently closing. Because of its difficult nature, soufflé pancakes have been a mere dream and I’ve just assumed they were unachievable. This morning, I decided to bite the bullet and attempt my own soufflé pancakes with a super manageable method.

Similar to a meringue, the key to its texture is whipped egg whites. Since I lack an electric whisk, I was left to beating the whites until I achieved stiff peaks - talk about an early morning workout.

Another essential tip is to steam these babies on low heat. Because you won’t be vigorously flipping the pancakes left and right, you have to give it enough time to cook thoroughly and rise before flipping.

Easy Fluffy Soufflé Pancakes

Using your favorite buttermilk pancake recipe, prepare the batter. Then, whisk one chilled egg white and fold into 1 cup of buttermilk pancake batter. Split the batter into two cookie cutter or spring form cake pans on a pan set to low heat. Wet a towel and cover both rounds and lid the pan for 7-10 minutes (or until batter appears cooked from the surface). Once cooked, use a knife or spatula to release the edges of the pancake from the molds and flip the pancake to sear the opposite side. Serve with cream whipped with matcha and top with fruit.

fill each round half way to allow room for rise