Special Pancakes (Batter Cakes)

"These are the best of the best in old-fashioned pancakes. (Thank you, Halifax Liz for letting me know that your grandmother was making these in Northern Ireland 70 years ago.) It's no wonder a recipe like this has such staying power, they're super easy & make use of on-hand ingredients. The secret to their firm but fluffy texture is using tiny cubes of white bread to support the batter. But you'll never know they're in there! I've been making this recipe for about 10 years now & I like to serve these pancakes with jams, maple syrup & my homemade syrup from Recipe #22066. I also usually double the recipe if there is more than just the 3 of us eating. The recipe was found in "Pancakes A to Z", one of the three books in my favorite cookbook series by Marie Simmons and there titled "Rux's Family's Favorite Pancakes". My family simply dubbed them "Special Pancakes" and even though it doesn't take a special day to make them, they make ANY day feel special."
 
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photo by Baby Kato photo by Baby Kato
photo by Baby Kato
photo by Baby Kato photo by Baby Kato
photo by COOKGIRl photo by COOKGIRl
photo by Rinshinomori photo by Rinshinomori
photo by Rinshinomori photo by Rinshinomori
Ready In:
13mins
Ingredients:
8
Yields:
14 3-inch pancakes
Serves:
4
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ingredients

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directions

  • Using a serrated knife, trim the crusts off the bread & then cut the bread into 1/2 inch cubes.
  • In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, flour, sugar and baking powder.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk & eggs, then stir in the melted butter. Add to dry ingredients, stirring to blend.
  • Let mixture stand for 5 minutes.
  • Stir mixture well, breaking up some of the cubes.
  • Heat large non-stick griddle or skillet over medium heat (I use 300-350° on my old electric griddle).
  • Lightly brush the griddle with vegetable oil (I use a paper towel folded several times to spread the oil evenly onto the griddle.) Non-stick cooking spray can be substituted but I have found we prefer to use the light film of oil because it really adds to the outer color & texture of the pancake.
  • Pour a scant 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle. Adjust the heat to medium-low and cook until the bottoms are lightly browned.
  • With a large spatula, carefully flip the pancakes over to brown the other side. Repeat til all the batter is used up. Serve with syrups or jams of your choice.

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Reviews

  1. I love these unusual recipes and certainly the thriftiness of older recipes! My husband said these taste much like French toast and he's right. The texture is very close to French toast (but simpler to make) and what a great way to use up bread. The taste was wonderful too. Another one that will show up at my breakfast again. Thanks Tink!
     
  2. Tinkerbelle you have no idea how old this recipe is!!!! Can't believe it actually was printed in a cookbook. My grandmother used to make these and that was the only time I had ever heard of them, except when I have made them myself. I think some of the great cooks out there will be surprised just how good these can be.
     
  3. Tink I loved these batter cakes. What a great recipe, I had never heard of batter cakes before...but I will certainly make these again. What a treat these were, I enjoyed them very much, super flavor and texture, quick and easy to make too. I made them exactly as written and shared with my neighbors, who came back looking for more. Served with homemade blackberry syrup. Made for Fall Pac 2012
     
  4. Oh, my we like these! I usually use any "dead" bread we have in the freezer, but we generally eat firmer bread anyway. I've even added a few leftover hamburger or hot dog buns to these. To -day was the second time I've made them, this time by request of my picky grandson. A cross between pancakes and French toast, the fact that the leftover bread gets used for something different is an added plus. We served them with home made blackberry syrup--yum. Will have often- the recipe is in my standards cookbook. Thanks!
     
  5. Until yesterday, I had never heard of batter cakes. Easy, economical, filling, resourceful. I added one half teaspoon of vanilla extract and sprinkled the cakes with freshly grated nutmeg. What's stopping one from adding nuts, raisins, little bit of mashed banana, etc. to the batter? We used day old multigrain bread and crumpet bread. There's much validity to the saying: 'Waste not, want not' and this recipe is a prime example. ~Tasty~ and I tested these with blackberry jam, powdered sugar, warmed honey and maple syrup. Thanks for posting!
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Hi! I am happily married with two children, 26 and 12. For nearly 10 years when this site was Recipezaar and then Food.com I hosted several different forums. I enjoyed making, creating, reviewing, and photographing recipes, but what I miss the most are the friendships I made here. I was Food Editor for the Mill Creek View Newspaper in Mill Creek, WA. for about 4 years during that time. Currently I am the office manager at a small mental health clinic. I'm not on this site much anymore, but I do continue to appreciate and respond to all reviews posted to my recipes.
 
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