Japanese Soufflé Pancakes Recipe

The global day of celebrating pancakes is fast approaching and we’re sure pancake lovers across the world are gearing up to tuck into their favourite flavours, showcase their flipping skills and entice us with the best pancake toppings! From slender French crepes to fluffy American pancakes, everyone has got their own way of making the world’s favourite fried cake and the Japanese are no different.

Pancakes in Japan date back as early as the 16th century, where the original Japanese pancake was called ‘Funo-yaki’. This pancake combined flour, sake and water to make a flattened dough which is topped with savoury spreads such as miso. The savoury pancake is still present in Japan, however, today it is known as the Okonomiyaki pancake. This pancake uses a variety of ingredients mixed with cabbage and a wheat-based flour batter to make a deliciously filling pancake which comes in many flavours. 

Fast forward to modern day Japan, however, and you will come across their latest innovation in pancakes, the Japanese souffle pancake. Quite the contrary to traditional pancakes in relation to the celebration of shrove tuesday, which are flat by nature, the Japanese have risen pancakes to new heights - quite literally. 

What makes Japanese pancakes so different? Well, in Japan soufflé pancakes are made to be taller, fluffier and slightly less sweet than regular pancakes. Most of the ingredients are the same but they are used in slightly different ways. To achieve the souffle-like appearance, Japanese pancakes separate the egg white from the yolks to create a whipped egg white meringue that is folded into a pancake batter, (along with the whisked egg yolks) and also uses less flour than typical pancakes. The aim is to make the lightest, fluffiest, cloud-like pancakes.

Japanese souffle pancakes can be enjoyed at any time of day, be it for breakfast or lunch, as a snack or served as a dessert. Like all other pancakes, souffle pancakes can be enhanced with a variety of toppings from traditional berries, fruit, icing sugar and syrup or you can even pair them with ice cream. If you’re sold on the idea of trying to make these for yourself, check out the Japanese Souffle Pancakes inspiration below along with a recipe that will have your fellow pancake pals impressed and envious on Pancake Day! 

Japanese Soufflé Pancakes Recipe:

• 6 tbsp Cake Flour
• 2 1/2 tbsp skim milk
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4  tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise (Japanese mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp Coconut Sugar
• 2 large eggs egg whites (and egg yolks separated)

1. Add the banana extract, vanilla extract, milk, eyy yolks and kewpie mayonnaise into a medium bow and slowly sift in the cake flour. Mix the ingredients together with a whisk until the batter is pale and smooth. 
2. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to whisk the egg whites and sugar until they create a soft peaks for a meringue. This should take roughly 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Next, gently fold the meringue batter into the first egg yolk and cake flour batter, ⅓ at a time. Make sure you are folding the batter right down to the bottom of the bowl, but don’t overmix as you don’t want to lose their air bubbles that make these pancakes light and fluffy. The final mixture should still be very light and without any visible streaks.
4. Have a skillet on a medium to low heat and spray some cooking oil spray. You can either use a ring mould or freestyle. Place the pancake batter onto the skillet according to the size of pancake you desire. (Note that the pancakes will rise slightly). Then add a few teaspoons of water to the pan (make sure the water does not contact the pancakes). Close the skillet lid and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. 
5. Once the pancakes are cooked on the top, you should be able to slightly shake the skillet without the batter spilling out. At this point the pancakes are ready to flip with a spatula and cook again on the other side for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. The final result should be warm golden pancakes, with a toasted appearance! Add your preferred toppings and serve them as soon as possible to enjoy their appearance as these pancakes do deflate with time.