Learn how to make incredibly fluffy Japanese souffle pancakes at home using simple ingredients and tools! I'm sharing all the essential tips and tricks, so you can make it successful, even if this is your first time.
Jump to:
- What Is a Japanese Souffle Pancake?
- 9 Important Tips For Making Fluffy Souffle Pancakes
- Tips For The Ingredients
- Tips For The Tools You'll Need
- How To Make Fluffy Souffle Pancakes
- VIDEO: Watch How To Make It!
- The Common Issues & Troubleshooting Tips
- The Topping Ideas For Souffle Pancakes
- More Fluffy Cake Recipes
- More Breakfast Dessert Recipes
- Fluffy Japanese Souffle Pancakes
What Is a Japanese Souffle Pancake?
Japanese Souffle pancake is all about the fluffiness. It contains lots of whipped egg whites (meringue) to create a dreamy, pillowy-soft texture. The pancake batter is made with the soufflé technique, which involves folding lots of meringue with other ingredients, just like when making soufflé or chiffon cake.
In Japan, fluffy desserts are the thing. Modern Japanese desserts are known for valuing lightness and fluffiness with just the right amount of sweetness. Classic cheesecake, shortcake, and roll cake transformed into souffle cheesecake, fluffy strawberry shortcake, and fluffy dojima roll cake, just to name some of the examples. And it is no wonder that they eventually found the pursuit of the fluffiest pancakes as well.
For more than a decade, Japanese cafes all over the country have been competing to make the best soufflé pancake.
Although I'm also a huge fan of classic American pancakes (banana pancakes and yogurt pancakes are my absolute favorite!), these pancakes caught my heart. The fluffy-like-a-cloud, cottony pancakes taste nothing like I've had before.
You no longer need to have trips to those fancy cafes to enjoy them after learning how to make them at home in this guide. Make them for special occasions, such as anniversaries, birthday breakfasts, Valentine's Day, or just special treats to excite your family on the weekend.
What makes this souffle pancake recipe so unique?
Every souffle pancake recipe I encounter is made by combining meringue and the egg yolk mixture (combining egg yolks, liquids, and flour). With this method, more gluten gets formed by mixing liquids and flour in advance, creating a bouncy, silky-fine, and slightly chewy texture, just like a classic chiffon cake.
After multiple trials and errors, I cultivated my way by folding flour and liquids separately into the meringue. Less gluten is formed with this new method. As a result, the pancakes deflate slightly less and feel less bouncy, giving them more cakey fluffiness, like my vanilla roll cake. I personally love the texture better for pancakes!
I'd like you to try this recipe if you've had souffle pancakes before and were not a big fan of them due to the springy texture. It feels like just in the middle of chiffon cake and basic genoise sponge cake.
9 Important Tips For Making Fluffy Souffle Pancakes
Here are my nine tips for making fluffy Japanese pancakes successfully at home!
1. Prepare everything ahead.
My first tip goes to the preparation. Once you start whipping egg whites, everything moves fast. That is why we want to prepare everything ahead of time - scaling all the ingredients, setting the tools, sifting flours, setting plates, drinks, and toppings on a counter, and finally, calling your family in so that they can eat the warm pancakes at the best moment!
2. Preheat the pan beforehand.
This was probably the most blindsided key. My pancakes came out flat in the past because I did not preheat the pan enough. The pan must be heated at low heat ahead of time before pouring the pancake batter so that the heat can start cooking it immediately before it spreads too much.
With my current oven, I turn it on right before whipping egg whites after preparing all the other ingredients. Adjust the timing accordingly with your stove. Do not preheat the pan with high heat since this can easily burn the surface of the pancakes.
3. The consistency of the meringue
The meringue plays a main role in these pancakes. Make stiff and fluffy meringue to make a thick batter, which is essential for thick souffle pancakes. The tip of the meringue should stand straight when lifting the whisk attachment.
Looser meringue leads to flatter pancakes. And the pancakes collapse later with over-whipped meringue.
4. Avoid over-mixing the batter and use it right away.
Overmixing the pancake batter or waiting too long before pouring it into the pan leads to loose batter. (hence, flat pancakes!) Fold the batter just until the milk is incorporated, and use it immediately.
5. Stack the batter high on a pan.
Don't be afraid of stacking the batter high vertically, as it spreads more as it's cooked. In this recipe, we pour some batter first and add the rest on top of it after the first batter cooks slightly - I find we can create more volume this way, even with a regular pan.
6. Cook them at low heat.
It is extremely important to continue cooking the pancakes at low heat so that the heat is delivered slowly to the center. With medium to high heat, the pancakes rise greatly but collapse more at the end.
7. Cook them with steam.
Adding water to steam-cook the pancakes helps hugely to cook through the center evenly. This is so effective, especially when you don't have an electric griddle.
The steam technique is often used as a water bath when baking desserts, such as creme brulee, creme caramel, baked cheesecake, etc.
8. Flip them when the bottom edges feel dry.
If the pancakes look nice and tall right before flipping, congratulate yourself; you've gone through the hardest part! But don't get too excited yet - they can get squashed if you flip them too early. The batter is cooked enough to flip when the sides close to the bottom and see if they feel dry. (Be careful not to touch the pan!) The shiny surface also turns slightly more matted by this time.
9. Take them out of the pan when the sides feel dry.
Almost there to the finale! Now, we need patience to wait for the pancakes to cook through completely. They collapse a lot when taken out of the heat too early. The pancakes are cooked enough when the sides feel dry and bouncy.
Tips For The Ingredients
- Egg white: Separate eggs to whip egg whites. Ensure no liquids, oil, or any residue is mixed in the tools and ingredients since they prevent egg whites from whipping properly. Yolks contain natural oil, so ensure that even a tiny amount is not mixed in.
- Lemon juice: The acid of lemon juice helps to stabilize the meringue.
- Granulated sugar: Sugar has many effects, such as moistening the pancakes, creating a finer texture, stabilizing the meringue, etc.
- Cornstarch: Blending it with meringue helps absorb some of its moisture and stabilize it.
- Egg yolk: Set aside the egg yolks to add later. It adds richness to the pancakes.
- Cake flour: I highly recommend using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour for a lighter and fluffier texture.
- Salt: It adds depth to flavor. The pancakes taste so much better with the addition!
- Whole milk: The liquid helps to create moister pancakes.
- Oil for greasing a pan: Use any regular oil, such as canola oil, vegetable oil, or olive oil. You can also use melted butter, but note that the surface gets darker with it.
The pro secret 1: Cream of tar tar
You may wonder why the souffle pancakes from those Japanese pancake shops look so perfect in height. One of the secrets is cream of tartar - Many shops use it as a stabilizer. The concentrated acid helps hold the air bubbles' structure in the meringue. Well, I don't know about you, but I rarely have it at home, nor use it for other purposes. As an alternative, I used lemon juice, which is more accessible at any grocery store.
Why don't I need baking powder to make souffle pancakes?
That is because the pancakes feel fluffy, thanks to the whipped eggs, just like sponge cakes. I also added a minimum amount of flour to keep the texture light and airy without the help of baking powder.
Tips For The Tools You'll Need
- Large non-stick frying pan with a lid
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment
- Fine mesh sieve
- Medium-sized bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Piping bag or ice cream scoop
- Cooking spatula (to flip the pancakes)
The pro secret 2: Electric griddle
Just like the oven plays a HUGE role in making amazing cakes or cookies, the pan makes a drastic difference in making the perfect souffle pancakes.
You may see workers at souffle pancake shops cooking pancakes with huge commercial griddles. They are like a Rolls-Royce for cooking pancakes. They control and maintain the temperature perfectly, unlike regular frying pans on the stove. Regular electric griddles at home size also do a great job. Use it if you already have it at home.
But even if you don't have it like me, you can still make amazing fluffy souffle pancakes with a simple non-stick pan or skillet. You'll just need to pay closer attention to the temperature. (I'll cover it all in the post!)
Do I need a ring mold to cook souffle pancakes?
No, you don't need it as the pancake batter is thick enough to hold its body on its own. Some recipes require you to use it, especially when the batter is loose.
How To Make Fluffy Souffle Pancakes
Making the pancake batter
- Prepare all the ingredients and tools:
- Sift cake flour and salt together.
- Apply a little oil to a non-stick pan and spread it thinly with kitchen paper.
- Start heating the pan at low heat so that the pan is preheated enough when pouring the batter.
- Add lemon juice to the egg whites and whip until bubbly like soap. Add half of the sugar and whip until the tip folds over when lifting a whisk. Add the remaining sugar and continue whipping it until stiff peaks - the tip should stand straight when lifting a whisk. (See the image below.)
- Add cornstarch and mix well until it doesn't look lumpy.
- Add yolks and stir roughly until about 50% is blended. Take off a whisk.
- Add the sifted flour and salt and fold with a rubber spatula until you don't see any flour.
- Add milk and fold until evenly blended. Pour it into a piping bag right away. (You can also use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon.)
Cooking the pancake batter
- Pipe a little over half of the pancake batter into the preheated pan to make four pancakes. Stack the batter high vertically to make the thick pancakes. Add a few teaspoons of water, close the lid, and cook for about 3 minutes. Do not open the lid during the process.
- Add the rest of the batter on top of each, stacking vertically again. Add another few teaspoons of water, close the lid, and cook for another 4 minutes. (The cooking time can vary depending on the stove, pan, etc. Adjust accordingly. Judge with eyes to be most accurate.)
- Flip them gently once the sides near the bottom of the pancakes feel dry. (Applying a little oil on a cooking spatula makes it easier to flip them without hurting the bottom of your pancake.) The surface should look golden brown. Add a few more teaspoons of water, close the lid, and cook for about 4 minutes.
- Take them out gently when the sides feel dry and bouncy. Enjoy with your favorite topping while they are warm!
VIDEO: Watch How To Make It!
To learn how to make fluffy Japanese soufflé pancakes visually and have a deeper understanding of each step, watch the video!
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The Common Issues & Troubleshooting Tips
I'm sharing the common issues for making souffle pancakes. Find out the possible causes and their solutions to make them successful!
Why are my souffle pancakes flat?
Looser meringue leads to looser pancake batter (and flatter pancakes).
Solution: Whip it well until the tip stands straight when lifting a whisk.
Even if the meringue looks perfect, the batter gets too loose by overmixing it. Solution: Stop mixing right after the milk is incorporated. And use it right away.
The batter gets looser and spreads more when the pan is not preheated enough. Solution: Heat the pan on low heat ahead of time to start sizzling the pancakes immediately.
The pancakes get squished when flipping them too early.
Solution: Wait until the edges near the bottom feel dry.
Why did my souffle pancakes deflate?
Just like fluffy sponge cakes, it is normal for the pancakes to deflate a bit as they cool down, but they should still hold a nice thickness. See the possible causes below if they deflated too much.
The pancakes rise well when cooked on medium to high heat, but collapse later. Solution: Cooking them with a steady, lower heat is the key to making thick souffle pancakes that do not deflate a lot.
The pancake deflates if the center is not fully cooked through.
Solution: Be sure to touch the sides of the pancakes to check - they should feel dry and bouncy.
The pancakes rise well with over-whipped meringue, but they also collapse more later.
Solution: Whip egg whites until stiff peaks. The tip should stand straight when lifting it with a whisk.
Why is the souffle pancake batter too loose?
Loose meringue is the biggest cause of the loose batter.
Solution: Whip it just until the tip stands straight when lifting a whisk.
The air bubbles in meringue are eliminated more by overmixing the batter, which leads to a loose batter.
Solution: Fold just until the milk is incorporated.
Why didn't the egg whites whip well?
When the egg whites don't whip well until fluffy, that usually means something else is mixed in them - normally oil, liquid, or residue, such as soap. They all prevent egg whites from whipping properly.
Solution: Always use clean tools and ingredients.
Sugar is an important ingredient in stabilizing the meringue, but it also prevents egg whites from whipping well when added in the beginning stage before whipping them enough.
The amount of sugar is not that much compared to egg whites, so it shouldn't be a problem when using a stand mixer, but you'll experience that it takes more time to whip them, especially when whipping them by hand with a whisk.
Solution: Add sugar after the meringue is whipped enough.
The Topping Ideas For Souffle Pancakes
Enjoy the fluffy Japanese pancakes with various toppings and make your own cafe plate! It tastes amazing as is, but enjoying it with various toppings is exceptional.
- Honey
- Maple syrup
- Fresh fruits
- Whipped cream
- Strawberry jam or jam of your choice
- Powdered sugar
- Mint
- Chocolate sauce
- Chocolate chips
This time, I enjoyed them with slices of butter, honey, whipped cream, strawberry jam, and fresh berries. YUM!
I hope you'll enjoy them for your special occasion!
Aya xx
More Fluffy Cake Recipes
If you like this Japanese soufflé pancake recipe, also try my other fluffy cakes!
More Breakfast Dessert Recipes
Here are more breakfast dessert ideas you may want to try:
💬 Did you try this recipe? I'd like to hear your feedback! I also love hearing how you enjoyed it for your special occasion. If you have a question, leave it in the comment section below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!
Fluffy Japanese Souffle Pancakes
Equipment
- Large non-stick frying pan with a lid
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment
- Fine mesh sieve
- Medium size bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Piping bag or ice cream scoop
- Cooking spatula (to flip the pancakes)
Ingredients
- 65 g (From 2 eggs) Egg white
- 5 g (1 teaspoon) Lemon juice
- 25 g (2 Tablespoons) Granulated sugar
- 5 g (½ Tablespoon) Cornstarch
- 35 g (2 yolks) Egg yolk
- 35 g (4 Tablespoons) Cake flour
- 3 pinches Salt
- 15 g (1 Tablespoon) Milk
NOTE: For best results, measure ingredients with a scale. All recipes are designed with weighed ingredients using grams/ounces. Cup measurements (US customary units) are provided for your convenience.
Instructions
Making the pancake batter
- Prepare all the ingredients and tools:* Sift cake flour and salt together.* Apply a little oil to a non-stick pan and spread it thinly with kitchen paper.* Start heating the pan at low heat so that the pan is preheated enough when pouring the batter.
- Add lemon juice to the egg whites and whip until bubbly like soap. Add half of the sugar and whip until the tip folds over when lifting a whisk. Add the remaining sugar and continue whipping it until stiff peaks - the tip should stand straight when lifting a whisk. (See the image below.)65 g Egg white, 5 g Lemon juice, 25 g Granulated sugar
- Add cornstarch and mix well until it doesn't look lumpy.5 g Cornstarch
- Add yolks and stir roughly until about 50% is blended. Take off a whisk.35 g Egg yolk
- Add the sifted flour and salt and fold with a rubber spatula until you don't see any flour.35 g Cake flour, 3 pinches Salt
- Add milk and fold until evenly blended. Pour it into a piping bag right away. (You can also use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon.)15 g Milk
Cooking the pancakes
- Pipe a little over half of the pancake batter into the preheated pan to make four pancakes. Stack the batter high vertically to make the thick pancakes. Add a few teaspoons of water, close the lid, and cook for about 3 minutes. Do not open the lid during the process.
- Add the rest of the batter on top of each, stacking vertically again. Add another few teaspoons of water, close the lid, and cook for another 4 minutes. (The cooking time can vary depending on the stove, pan, etc. Adjust accordingly. Judge with eyes to be most accurate.)
- Flip them gently once the sides near the bottom of the pancakes feel dry. (Applying a little oil on a cooking spatula makes it easier to flip them without hurting the bottom of your pancake.) The surface should look golden brown. Add a few more teaspoons of water, close the lid, and cook for about 4 minutes.
- Take them out when the sides feel dry and bouncy. Enjoy with your favorite topping while they are warm!
Video
Alexia says
Hi, the link to the video of this recipe on you tube is wrong. You have there cake and not these pancakes. Can you please tell me the link to the video? Thank you
ayacaliva says
Hi! I'm sorry about the confusion, and thank you for letting me know the error. The video is uploading this week! I normally upload a video first and then a blog post, but I did an opposite this time😅
Alexia says
No worries, thank you very much. Will try to cook it now. ❤️
vanessa wong says
can these be made ahead of time? perhaps an hour or two beforehand and kept warm? want to make these for a brunch party.
ayacaliva says
Hi! Unfortunately, I do not recommend cooking the pancakes ahead. Although the souffle pancakes does not deflate as it cools down as much as classic baked souffle, It still tastes the best while it's fresh and warm!