Do you have a favorite pancake recipe? When it comes to the perfect short stack, there’s plenty of room for taste. Some people live for a tall stack of simple fluffy cakes, while others aren’t happy unless their pancakes have the perfect buttery crunch. No matter what mood you’re in, there’s a pancake for you. Use our guide below to find the perfect pancake recipe for any occasion.
A sky-high and fluffy pancake recipe
If your ideal pancake is as airy and light as a down pillow, this is the trick for you: whip your egg whites. When you’re making the batter, separate the eggs. Incorporate the egg yolks with the wet ingredients, and reserve the egg whites. After the rest of the batter has come together, whip the egg whites until they reach the stiff peak stage. Then, gently incorporate them into your pancake batter. The result will be a cake with a super bubbly and airy texture. Check out this pancake recipe from Serious Eats for a step-by-step guide.
If you like it extra crispy
A crispy pancake is born in the pan. If you’re craving a cake with a delicate and shattery edge, you can’t be shy with the butter. That’s the lesson that Jake Lieber, the chef de cuisine at Brooklyn brunch hotspot Chez ma Tante, learned when he was developing their beloved pancakes. Fortunately for brunch lovers nationwide, The New York Times documented his cooking technique for all to try. Try Chez ma Tante’s crispy, custardy cakes here.
A candied pancake recipe for caramel lovers
Craving something sweet? These caramelized pancakes blur the line between breakfast and dessert, and for that, we are grateful. The technique here is pure genius. It originally comes from Lukas Volger’s Start Simple, and is summarized neatly over at Epicurious. Here, the magic starts after the pancake is finished cooking. Simply take your finished cake and return it to the pan. Add the amount of maple syrup you would normally pour on a finished pancake, and wait. The heat will caramelize the syrup, forming a thin candy shell around the pancake. Not only does this treatment add a sweet crunch to the finished cake, it prevents the pancakes from soaking up the syrup and getting soggy. Try this method with your favorite pancake recipe.
Pancakes for the add-in lover
If you like your pancakes choc full of everything, you can pretty much use any of these recipes as a base. When it comes time to add-ins, don’t be afraid to get creative (blueberries! chocolate chips! m&ms!). As long as you stick to a few basic guidelines, your breakfast will be delicious. Most importantly, you don’t want to overmix your batter. To avoid this, add your goodies after the cake is already in the pan. Just ladle in your batter, sprinkle the add-ins over the top, and proceed as planned. If you’re using frozen berries, it’s a good idea to let them thaw first, or they might stop your pancake from cooking all the way through. King Arthur Flour has a classic blueberry pancake recipe that’s sure to please the masses.
