I was twenty when I figured out how to make fluffy pancakes.

Well, “figured out” is a strong phrase. More like, I accidentally summoned the spirit of Julia Child through a burnt offering of batter. It started on one lazy Saturday morning. I was in my flat, which could generously be described as “cosy” and realistically as “a fire hazard with four walls.”

My roommate, Dina, was passed out on the couch, snoring like a malfunctioning chainsaw after another night of too many tequila shots and bad decisions.

The kitchen was a warzone.

Flour on the counter, eggshells on the floor, and a suspiciously sticky substance that I hoped was syrup but feared was something more sinister.

Determined to prove I was a capable adult, I found a recipe on some sketchy blog. “Easy Fluffy Pancakes: For People Who Can’t Cook” it promised. The first step: mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Simple, right? Wrong. I misread “pinch” as “punch” and aggressively threw in a fistful of salt.

Next, I cracked an egg into the mix. Or tried to. The egg, clearly having a death wish, leapt from my hand, smashed into the bowl, and exploded like a yolky grenade. Shards of eggshell peppered the mixture like confetti at a very depressing party.

Undeterred, I poured in the milk. Too much milk. What was supposed to be pillowy-pancake batter looked like soup – the kind you find at the back of the fridge three months after a breakup.

The frying pan was hot, the air filled with the scent of impending disaster. I ladled the batter onto the pan. It spread out like a bad rumor, thin and uneven. The pancake bubbled, then burned. Smoke filled the air. The smoke alarm, my most reliable roommate, began its ear-splitting shrill.

Dina woke up, groggy and disoriented, her hair sticking up. She staggered into the kitchen, eyes wide with a mix of horror and amusement. “What the hell are you doing?” she asked, her voice a croak.

“Making the fluffiest pancakes ever,” I replied, waving a spatula like a white flag.

The first pancake was a charred, unrecognizable lump.

Oh man! I had to try again.

The second was better, but only marginally. It looked like a sad, deflated balloon. The third pancake, though, the third pancake was the very definition of a perfect, light and airy pancake. Golden brown, fluffy, a beacon of hope in a sea of culinary despair.

I triumphantly placed it on a plate, topped it with a dollop of butter and a drizzle of syrup. Dina, still skeptical, took a bite. Her eyes widened in surprise. “It’s… not terrible,” she admitted.

Gloria! I did my little dance, my spatula a baton, my burnt offerings forgotten. I had conquered the pancake. Sort of.

The kitchen was a mess, the smoke alarm still chirping intermittently, but I didn’t care. There was pancake, and it was fluffy.

Made a few more, careful to get each one just like the one I didn’t mess up, Dina made tea.

That was the moment I decided I’d make fluffy pancakes for breakfast every day. None of the pancakes would end up charred or soggy and uncooked inside. I had to become the one girl who could make the perfect pillowy pancakes in her sleep.

The first day of Pancake Boot Camp started with a bang. Literally. The sound of my mixing bowl hitting the floor echoed through the apartment.

Flour exploded everywhere, coating the kitchen like a fresh snowfall. Dina stumbled out of her room, her eyes half-closed, her hair even more of a disaster than usual. “What now?” she groaned.

“Improvement starts with mess,” I declared, scooping flour back into the bowl with my bare hands.

By day three, I had perfected the batter.

It was thick, but not too thick. Smooth, but with a few lumps. I was practically a pancake whisperer. The flipping, however, was a different story. I managed to flip a pancake onto the ceiling. It stuck there, mocking me.

Dina took one look, burst out laughing, and nearly choked on her earl grey tea.

Day five brought new challenges. I thought adding blueberries would be a good idea. Turns out, blueberries are tiny bombs of molten lava when heated. One burst and sprayed hot juice across my face. I screamed, Dina screamed, the pancake fell apart, and the smoke alarm, of course, joined in the chaos.

Day seven, I tried to get fancy. Banana pancakes. I mashed bananas into the batter, feeling like a gourmet chef. The result? Pancakes that tasted like banana-flavored rubber. Even Dina, my loyal taste-tester, couldn’t pretend they were edible. “These are awful,” she said, gagging dramatically. I thought they were delicious, so I ate ’em all.

But I was undeterred. By day ten, I was in the zone. I had a rhythm. A pancake routine. I was a flipping, batter-mixing, syrup-drizzling machine. Dina even started inviting friends over to witness my pancake prowess. “Watch this,” she’d say, as I flipped a perfect, airy pancake high (not that high) into the air and caught it in the pan.

Then came the day of the Great Pancake Disaster.

It was day fourteen, two weeks into my culinary quest. I was confident, maybe too confident. I decided to make a pancake tower. A stack so tall, it would be legendary. I made pancake after pancake, piling them high. They wobbled but stayed intact.

Someone knocked. It was our neighbors, lured by the smell of my light and airy pancake perfection (of course). I got the door with a flourish, ready to show off. And then, the pancake tower began to lean. It tilted, then toppled, an avalanche of hotcakes.

Dina was screaming, I froze. The neighbors watched not knowing if this was supposed to be funny, or an actual disaster. I laughed so hard I cried.

Dina peeled the last soft pancake off the floor and glared at me. “Every day, huh?”

I nodded, still laughing. “Every day.”

Because that’s the thing about pancakes. Sometimes they’re perfect, sometimes they’re inedible, but they’re always an adventure. And I was just getting started.

I could give you a recipe, but you’ll find amazing airy pancake recipes all over the internet. It’s not about what you put in it, so much as it is about pouring, timing, flipping and serving. The more you practice, the more fluid your technique becomes.

They could impress everyone one day, and go to utter hell the next unless you’re keen to not think, ever, that just because they turned out perfect on your third try, they’ll be just as perfect on your fourth.

Spot your mistakes, and never forget them. That’s how you make the perfect pillowy pancakes.

But just for giggles, here’s a cinnamon pancake recipe.

Best Cinnamon Pancakes

Ingredients:

• Dry Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (use high-quality cinnamon for the best flavor)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Wet Ingredients:
  • 1 cup milk (preferably whole milk for richness)
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Optional Toppings:
  • Fresh berries
  • Maple syrup
  • Whipped cream
  • A dusting of powdered sugar

Instructions:

1. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
2. Combine Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
3. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are okay. If the batter is too thick, add a little more milk, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
4. Heat the Pan: Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease with butter or cooking spray. To test if it’s ready, sprinkle a few drops of water on the surface. If they dance and evaporate, the pan is hot enough.
5. Cook the Pancakes: Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges start to look set, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
6. Serve: Serve the pancakes hot with your favorite toppings—fresh berries, a drizzle of maple syrup, a dollop of whipped cream, or a dusting of powdered sugar. Enjoy the warm, spiced goodness of cinnamon in every bite!

4 HOT TIPS FOR MIXING PANCAKE BATTER

• Don’t let your batter get too thin if you want fluffy pancakes. Mix it until it’s thick enough to scoop and pile onto the batter already in your pan.

• You can mix your batter in a jug to make it easier to pour into the pan. Jugs have spouts.

• Add an extra egg, but only its whites, to get a softer, lighter, airier pancake.

• If you must add some acid to your milk, make sure to take out some of the separated liquid.

How to Still Make Pillowy Pancakes When You Have No Cooking Oil

Perfect Pillowy Pancakes with Melted Butter

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups self-raising baking flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 ¼ cups milk
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons melted butter (slightly cooled)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons African cherry orange zest

Tools:

• Large mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Sifter
• Non-stick pan
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Microplane or fine grater (for zesting)
• Spatula

Cooking Time:

• Preparation: 10 minutes
• Cooking: 15 minutes
• Total: 25 minutes

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, sift together the baking flour, salt, and sugar. Sifting helps to aerate the flour, making your pancakes lighter and fluffier.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, egg, melted butter, and African cherry orange zest until well combined. Make sure your melted butter is slightly cooled to avoid cooking the egg.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Stop stirring as soon as you don’t see any dry flour.

4. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Sprinkle a few drops of water on yoir pan and if they sizzle and evaporate quickly, you’re good to go.

5. Pour about ¼ cup of batter onto the pan for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges start to look set, then flip and cook until the other side is golden brown. Tip: Use a gentle hand when flipping to keep your pancakes fluffy.

6. Serve the pancakes warm with your favourite toppings like maple syrup, fresh berries, or whipped cream. Tip: For an extra citrusy kick, sprinkle a little more African cherry orange zest on top before serving.

Enjoy making your fluffy, delicious pancakes! 🍊🥞 Let me know how they turn out or if you need any more tips.cream.

Perfect Pillowy Bread-Kissed Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 7 heaping tablespoons baking flour (190g)
• A pinch of salt (1 teaspoon)
• A heaping tablespoon of sugar (1 tablespoon)
• 20 tablespoons milk (300ml)
• 1 egg
• Zest from 1 small African cherry orange (1 to 2 teaspoons)

Tools:

• Large mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Sifter
• Whatever pan you have
• Microplane or fine grater (for zesting)
• Spatula

Cooking Time:

• Preparation: 10 minutes
• Cooking: 15 minutes
• Total: 25 minutes

Instructions:

1. Sift together the baking flour, salt, and sugar in a roomy mixing bowl. Sifting the flour not just helps to fluff it up and also mixes the salt and sugar evenly, so your pancakes end up with a consistent flavour every time.

2. Whisk the milk, egg, and African cherry orange zest in a second mixing bowl until you have a smooth happy blend. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to allow the zest to infuse the milk.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix it all up in a folding motion to keep the batter light and airy.

4. Heat your pan over medium heat. Since we’re not using any oil, get a slice of bread to lightly grease the pan. Rub the bread on the pan’s surface; it absorbs excess oil and leaves just enough to prevent sticking.

5. Pour about a small ladle or a large spoonful of batter onto the pan for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges start to look set, then flip and cook until the other side is golden brown. Tip: Flip the pancakes only once to keep them fluffy and tender.

Serve the pancakes warm with whipped cream. 

Add a dollop of mascarpone cheese and a drizzle of honey on top for a gourmet touch.

Enjoy!🍊🥞

What’s your favorite topping to pair with these pancakes?

Pancakes Munchies and Have None of The Ingredients?

Do you ever catch your mind wandering when you’re at work on say, a boring Wednesday afternoon, scrolling through snack hack videos on some recipe mogul’s TikTok and suddenly get a craving? For pancakes that could well be anything but pancakes, or at least “regular pancakes”?

Here’s a thought.

Remember those African cherry oranges you walked past at the farmers’ market that smelled so good, but you had already gone way past your budget to stop? The ones your imaginary best friend brought over that same evening, knowing how the thought of their fresh, citrusy flavor made your mouth water?

When you finally go and buy them, here’s the recipe for the yummiest pillowy whimsical pancakes EVER, using everything else you already have.

Ingredients:

• 7 heaping tablespoons of finely powdered blended oats
• A pinch of salt
• 3 heaping tablespoons of sugar
• ¼ cup of mashed banana
• Zest from 3 African cherry oranges
• ½ cup of club soda
• 3 cups of plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons of coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons of zested coconut flesh

Tools:

• 2 Spacious Ziplock bag
• Pan lined with parchment paper
• Plate (for flipping)

Cooking Time:

• Preparation: 10 minutes
• Shaking Ziplock bags: 2 minutes each
• Cooking: 15 minutes
• Total: 27 minutes

Instructions:

1. Using a spacious Ziplock bag, combine the blended oats, salt, and sugar. Make sure the bag is completely sealed before shaking it vigorously for 2 minutes so that the dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed and aerated.

2. In another Ziplock bag, mash the banana, then add the African cherry orange zest, club soda, yogurt thinned with coconut milk, and zested coconut flesh.  Seal the bag and knead it gently for 2 minutes or until you like the mixture.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the bag with the dry ingredients. Seal the bag and knead.

4. Heat a non-stick pan lined with parchment paper over medium heat. Tip: The parchment paper will prevent sticking, so you can skip any additional greasing.

5. Pour about a small ladle or a large spoonful of batter onto the pan for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges start to look set, then use a plate to flip and cook until the other side is golden brown. Tip: Flip the pancakes only once to keep them fluffy and tender.

6. Eat your pancakes warm with your favourite toppings.

🍌🍊🥞 Let me know how they turn out.

What’s your favorite part of this recipe?