Soufflé Pancakes (Tokyo Café Style — Meringue Folding Technique)

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs, separated, room temperature
• 30 g caster sugar
• 15 ml whole milk
• 10 g cake flour
• 2 g vanilla extract
• 1 pinch Maldon sea salt
• 30 g unsalted butter, for cooking

Method

1. 1
   Whisk egg yolks with 15 g caster sugar until pale and thick, approximately 2 minutes; fold in milk, cake flour, and vanilla until combined.
2. 2
   In separate bowl, whisk egg whites with Maldon salt to soft peaks; gradually add remaining 15 g caster sugar, whisking to stiff, glossy peaks.
3. 3
   Fold whites into yolk mixture in three additions, using broad spatula with gentle under-and-over motion to preserve volume and air structure.
4. 4
   Heat 15 g butter in 20 cm non-stick skillet over medium heat until foaming subsides; pour half the batter and cook 3–4 minutes until underside sets golden.
5. 5
   Stack and flip pancake stack (both pancakes together) as single unit, cook 2–3 minutes until second side sets pale gold.
6. 6
   Transfer to warm plate; repeat with remaining 15 g butter and batter.
7. 7
   Stack pancakes, dust lightly with icing sugar, serve immediately with fresh berries and crème fraîche.