Pancake Day- Road testing the Top 5 online pancake recipes

Pancake Day, also known as Shrove Tuesday, is almost here! The date changes every year because it always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, marking the beginning of Lent.

With Pancake Day around the corner, I thought it was time to test out some pancake recipes to make it easy for you to whip up a batch of yummy pancakes or crepes. Or, why not make both?

What’s the Difference Between a Pancake and a Crepe?

Pancakes and crepes both start as batters poured onto a hot griddle or pan. They can be thick and fluffy, like American-style pancakes, or wafer-thin and delicate, like French-style crepes, which can also be rolled or folded around a filling.

The key difference is that pancake batter contains a raising agent (like baking powder or baking soda), making them thicker and fluffy. Crepes, on the other hand, don’t use a raising agent, resulting in a thinner, flatter texture.

Classic French Crepes Recipe

Here’s a recipe for delicious French crepes with lemon and sugar. I’ve been making this from Margaret Fulton’s original cookbook for years. It’s a classic that never fails. Serve the crepes warm with sugar and lemon juice, or take it up a notch with lemon curd and whipped cream.

The Five Top Pancake Recipe Contenders

With thousands of pancake recipes available, I tested a few basic fluffy pancake recipes. These are my top contenders:

1. Australian Women’s Weekly: Best Pancakes
2. Donna Hay: Fluffy Pancakes
3. Cafe Delites: Best Fluffy Pancakes
4. Adam Liaw: Make-Ahead Pancakes
5. ChefSteps: Light & Fluffy Pancakes

Each of these recipes promises to be the best, but let’s see which one really holds up.

Note: All these recipes use baking powder or baking soda, but not yeast. Recipes like ricotta or buttermilk pancakes are a different category.

Recipe Reviews

1. Australian Women’s Weekly - Best Pancakes

A straightforward recipe made with self-raising flour. I felt it needed some salt to balance the flavors.

2. Donna Hay - Fluffy Pancakes

Donna Hay’s recipe uses spelt flour, which is said to produce a lighter texture. These pancakes were light and had a nutty flavor, though the batter spread more than expected in the pan.

3. Cafe Delites - Best Fluffy Pancakes

Cafe Delites is a popular American food blog. There’s no sugar in this recipe, but I recommend adding 1/4 cup to balance the baking powder, which is higher than usual. I used 55g of butter as the metric equivalent, and you may need to adjust the milk since US cups are slightly different.

4. Adam Liaw - Make-Ahead Pancakes

Having the batter ready in the fridge is a game-changer. I added salt and vanilla for more flavor and used clarified butter for a rich, golden finish.

5. ChefSteps - Light & Fluffy Pancakes

ChefSteps suggests storing dry ingredients in airtight containers for convenience. This recipe was a bit salty for my taste, so I would add vanilla to balance it out. It also required a longer cooking time due to the thick batter.

Top Tips for Perfect Pancakes

1. Use Fresh Ingredients: Baking soda should be less than 6 months old for it to work effectively.
2. Room Temperature Ingredients: Milk and eggs at room temperature will make fluffier pancakes.
3. Use Clarified Butter: Clarified butter won’t burn as easily as regular butter.
4. Don’t Over-Mix: Over-mixing develops gluten, which can make pancakes tough. Mix until just combined.
5. Rest the Batter: Let the batter sit for 15-30 minutes before cooking.
6. Flip at the Right Time: Wait for bubbles to pop and form holes that stay open before flipping.

And the Winner Is…

The best pancake recipe for me was Adam Liaw’s Make-Ahead Pancakes. They were easy to prepare, didn’t require special ingredients, and the batter could be made the night before.

Watch the recipe video here
Image courtesy of Adam Liaw

Adam Liaw’s Make-Ahead Pancakes Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 cups (600g) self-raising flour (or 4 cups plain flour + 3 tbsp baking powder)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 3 1/2 cups (875ml) milk
• ½ cup (125g) sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

To Serve:

• Butter, whipped cream, maple syrup, or your favorite toppings

Method:

1. Sift flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in sugar.
2. Make a well in the center and mix in the egg, milk, and vanilla until just combined. Sieve to remove lumps.
3. Cover the batter and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
4. Heat a non-stick pan over low-medium heat.
5. Pour 1/2 cup of batter into the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes.
6. Flip when bubbles appear, then cook for another 2-3 minutes.
7. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Notes:

• Use low-medium heat for thicker pancakes to ensure they cook through.
• I set my induction stove to 6 (out of 12) and lowered it to 5 after a few pancakes.