Fluffy Japanese Soufflé Pancakes

Make the soufflé pancake batter:

Separate the egg whites and egg yolks into separate mixing bowl. Make sure to not break the yolk!

Into the egg yolks, add the milk, vanilla, and lemon zest and whisk briefly until combined. Then, sift in the flour and baking powder. Whisk until smooth and no more dry flour is visible. Set aside until needed.

Into the egg whites, add the vinegar or lemon juice. With a hand mixer, beat on medium speed until completely frothy. Then, gradually add the sugar a little at a time.

Once all the sugar has been added, increase the speed to medium high and beat the egg white until it reaches stiff peak.

Add ⅓ of the stiff peak meringue into the egg yolk batter. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the meringue into the batter until evenly combined and no more streaks are visible.

Add the remaining meringue to the batter and gently fold until combined and no more streaks are visible. DO NOT over mix or the batter or the meringue will deflate and the batter will become too loose.

Either prepare a large spoon, a large cookie scoop, or transfer the pancake batter into a pipping bag fitted with a large round tip.

Cook the pancakes:

Heat a large nonstick pan over low heat and lightly grease the pan with oil. Make sure to wipe away excess oil.

Electric stovetop works the best.

Portion the batter into the pan to make 2 to 3 pancakes by either scooping the batter with the spoon or cookie scoop or pipping the batter into a mound with the pipping bag.

Try your best to keep the batter tall, whether if you're using a spoon, scoop, or pipping it. This will help your pancakes look tall.

Cover the pan with a lid and let the pancakes cook for about 7 to 8 minutes, until the bottom side is golden brown. Gently flip the pancakes and recover the lid. Let the pancakes cook for another 5 to 6 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

Serve the pancakes immediately with sweetened whipped cream, assorted fruits, powdered sugar, and/or maple syrup.