I love a slow weekend morning maybe more than anything, it feels like a form of self-care in a way. My ultimate lazy Sunday includes lots of good music (Van Morrison and Vampire Weekend), good coffee, and these pancakes.
When heading out for brunch my go-to is something savoury, like a standard bacon-and-eggs situation, but I always want a bite of something sweet too (obviously), and that’s where table cakes come in. ‘Table Cakes’ are a side of pancakes for the table to share, and they are a brunch pro-move.
No that brunching is more of an at-home activity, I began on on a quest to make the fluffiest, most delicious pancakes in my own kitchen.
Hot Tips for Hot Cakes:
Leavener: To make your pancakes fluffy AF you need a good amount of leavener. Using too much baking soda or baking powder in isolation will affect the taste of your cakes, but using a combination of both will yield lofty cakes with a nice amount of tang.
Acid: An acid source provides something for the baking powder to react with to ignite it’s leavening powers. It also imparts a pleasant flavour to the cakes. Buttermilk is acting as the acid in this recipe. No buttermilk? Add 1 tbsp of plain white vinegar to regular milk instead.
Flour-to-Liquid Ratio: The correct ratio of wet to dry ingredients is important for good pancakes. Too little flour and the pancake will be flat, too much flour and it will be dense and chewy.
Separating the eggs: To add even more lift to the pancakes, beat the egg whites to stiff beats and gently fold into the rest of the batter. Not down to whip out the Kitchenaid before 10 am? Forgo the beating, but mix in the egg whites separately, it will still add a little extra lightness.
I took advantage of Ontario’s strawberry season and paired my pancakes with fresh berries and a dollop of vanilla Greek yoghurt in place of whipped cream. But no matter your topping choice, real maple syrup is a must.
Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes
makes 8 pancakes
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
zest of one lemon
1 cup of buttermilk
1/2 cup of ricotta
2 large eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and lemon zest and whisk together to combine. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff beaks form, about 5 minutes.
Combine the buttermilk ricotta, vanilla, and egg yolks, and whisk well to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until just combined. The batter will be lumpy. Next, fold in the beaten egg whites, using a figure-eight pattern, being very gentle, so to not beat the air out of the batter.
Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Grease with vegetable oil spray, or pour a little oil in the pan, then wipe out the excess with a piece of paper towel. You don't want the batter to fry! Using a 1/3 cup measure, portion out the batter into the pan and cook until bubbles start to appear not the surface of the pancake batter, about 2 minutes. Once the first side is golden brown, flip, and cook on the other side, about 2-3 minutes more until nicely browned on both sides.
Try serving with vanilla Greek yoghurt, berries, and maple syrup.