Japanese Pancakes

Name: Japanese Pancakes
Ingredients: 4 egg whites; 2 egg yolks; 60 g flour; 50 g sugar; 40 g milk; 20 g vegetable oil; 10 g vanilla sugar; 1 tsp baking powder (level); pinch of salt

Japanese pancakes! The viral YouTube sensation you just can't scroll past)) There are plenty of recipes out there, but I strongly recommend making them with more egg whites than yolks — it's the egg whites that give these pancakes their light, fluffy, soufflé-like texture. The only downside is figuring out what to do with the 2 leftover yolks, but these pancakes are absolutely worth it)) Also, be sure to add vanilla sugar or another flavoring of your choice to mask any potential eggy taste — though I can say with confidence that there's no egg taste whatsoever, as long as the batter is made correctly)) To get the batter just right, you need to beat the egg whites thoroughly and fold them in gently — everything that applies to making a sponge cake applies here too! The recipe makes roughly 6–9 pancakes, depending on the size you go with. The pancakes came out beautiful, fluffy, incredibly tender, and of course delicious! My family loved them))

Ingredients:

4 egg whites
2 egg yolks
60 g flour
50 g sugar
40 g milk
20 g vegetable oil
10 g vanilla sugar
1 tsp baking powder (level)
pinch of salt

How to cook japanese pancakes

Place the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl, add the salt, and beat thoroughly, gradually adding the sugar, until stiff peaks form. You can see the peak in my photo.

Place the egg yolks and vanilla sugar in a bowl and mix together with a hand whisk. Add the milk and vegetable oil and stir to combine.

Add the flour sifted together with the baking powder and mix until smooth.

Add a small portion of the beaten egg whites to the yolk mixture and stir vigorously. Then fold in the remaining egg whites in batches, working very gently and carefully using light folding motions with a spatula.

The batter comes out very light, delicate, and airy. It holds its shape beautifully on its own and doesn't spread.

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat and brush lightly with oil. Spoon a dollop of batter onto the pan, then carefully add another spoonful on top. Add a couple of teaspoons of water to the pan — not on the pancakes, but beside them. Cover with a lid and cook on below-medium heat for about 3–5 minutes. If you want taller pancakes, add another spoonful of batter on top of each one halfway through.

Flip the pancakes and cook for another 3–5 minutes, still covered. The pancakes will deflate slightly after cooking and once the lid is removed — that's completely normal! To keep them as tall as possible, cook them low and slow and start with a generous amount of batter.

A look at the inside.

Serve the pancakes immediately after cooking. They're wonderful with whipped cream, Greek yogurt, a drizzle of honey or jam, and fresh seasonal berries. Japanese pancakes are absolutely delicious — they have a tender, soft, airy texture!