Prep 15 mins · Cook 18 to 20 mins · Total 35 mins · Servings 2 (4 pancakes) · Difficulty Moderate
For 4 tall pancakes
Yolk batter
2 large egg yolks
1 tbsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp whole milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Small pinch of fine salt
1/2 cup cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Meringue
4 large egg whites, cool from the fridge, then sit out 10 to 15 minutes
1/4 tsp cream of tartar, or 1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp granulated sugar, added in three stages
For the pan
Neutral oil, a thin film
1 tsp water, for the steam
To serve
Salted butter
Real maple syrup, warmed
1 cup mixed berries
Powdered sugar, optional
Build the yolk batter
Whisk the yolks, 1 tbsp sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth and pale.
Sift in the cake flour and baking powder.
Whisk until thick and ribboning, no dry pockets, no lumps.
Whip the meringue to medium-stiff
Place the whites and cream of tartar in a clean dry bowl.
Beat on medium until foamy and opaque.
Add the 2 tbsp sugar in three additions, 30 seconds apart, raising speed gradually.
Stop at medium-stiff peaks, the tip should curl, not stand straight, not droop.
Underwhipped collapses on the fold, overwhipped clumps and breaks.
Fold in three stages
Stir one-third of the meringue into the yolk batter to slacken it, this sacrificial third is the move.
Fold the second third gently with a spatula, cutting down the center and lifting up the side, rotating the bowl a quarter turn.
Fold the final third lightly until no white streaks remain, eight to twelve folds, stop early rather than late.
The batter should look airy and matte, not glossy or deflated.
Cook immediately
Set a nonstick skillet on the lowest setting plus one notch, target 250 to 275°F.
Wipe a thin film of oil across the surface, blot any excess so the bases do not fry.
Spoon four tall mounds, stacking the batter upward, do not spread.
If using 3 inch ring molds, lightly grease the inside walls and set them in place before scooping.
Add 1 tsp water to an empty corner of the pan, cover at once.
Cook 6 to 7 minutes covered, do not lift the lid before the 5 minute mark, every peek loses the steam that powers the rise.
Flip once, finish covered
At 6 to 7 minutes, slide a thin spatula under one mound, the base should release on its own, dry-looking and lightly golden.
Flip each mound carefully, do not press.
Add a second small splash of water, cover again.
Cook 5 to 6 minutes more, until set and springy at the side.
If the centers still feel loose, flip once more for 1 minute to finish.
Plate and serve
Lift each pancake to a warm plate, the rise begins to settle within a minute of leaving heat.
Pat a small knob of salted butter on top so it melts down the seams.
Pour warm maple over the butter, scatter berries, dust with powdered sugar if using.
Eat at once, soufflé pancakes are a hot dish, not a holding dish.
Notes
Flour
Cake flour is the move, the lower protein gives a softer, finer crumb than all-purpose, pancake mix reads spongy and sweet.
Meringue
Medium-stiff with a curling tip is the target, underwhipped collapses on the fold, overwhipped breaks during folding and the batter goes lumpy.
Heat
Lowest setting plus one notch, around 250 to 275°F, high heat browns the outside before the center sets, low and slow is the entire technique.
Steam
The 1 tsp water and the lid are not optional, the covered steam is what carries the rise through the long cook, no peeking before 5 minutes.
Sugar
3 tbsp total is the right load for a pancake that will take maple at the table, the original 4 tbsp tilts sweet before the syrup goes on.
Service
Soufflé pancakes deflate as they sit, plate hot, eat hot, do not stack on the plate or the bottom one weeps.
Ring molds
Optional but useful for taller, more uniform pancakes, lightly grease the inside walls so the rise does not stick, lift the molds with tongs after the flip if the pancake is set.
