Continuing the new Pancake Cake tradition for a Pippatisserie Pancake Day!
This recipe definitely looks like a showstopper and is fairly simple to make. No oven is involved!
Traiditonal british pancakes sandwiched with alternating homemade lemon curd and vanilla whipped cream. Just look at those layers!
This recipe is easily adapted – if you don’t need a gluten free diet (lucky you), you can use normal plain flour instead. Enjoy!
This recipe takes approximately 1.5 hours to make and makes up to 10 (good sized!) servings.
Ingredients:
For the pancakes:
- 400 g gluten free plain flour (I like to recommend a 1:1 blend of plain flour and gram flour but it will work just as well with only plain)
- 25 g caster sugar
- 5 eggs
- 500 ml whole milk
- oil for frying
For the lemon curd:
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 150 g caster sugar
- Juice of 3 lemons
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
For the whipped cream:
- 300 ml double cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or bean paste
For the italian meringue:
- 3 large egg whites
- 225 g caster sugar
- 75 ml water
Useful Equipment: weighing scales, mixing bowls, whisk, hand mixer, spatula, ladle, frying pan, brush (for oil), heatproof bowl, saucepan, sieve, sugar thermometer (optional), hand/stand mixer with whisk attachement, piping bag/nozzle, blowtorch (optional)
Method:
To make the pancakes:
- Prepare the batter by adding the flour and sugar to a mixing bowl.
- Make a well in the middle and add the eggs.
- Start to combine the two using a whisk and then gradually add the milk.
- Whisk until a smooth consistency is reached.
- Heat up the frying pan on a medium heat and brush a little oil on the pan.
- Ladle some mixture into the pan and swirl the pan to create a nice even coat.
- Cook for ~2 mins on each side or until golden brown ‘speckles’ appear. If you’re brave enough, you can have a go at flipping!
- Once cooked, transfer to a plate to cool down.
- Keep going until all of the batter is used! You should have roughly 20 pancakes in total.
Making the lemon curd:
The curd can be made up to 1 month in advance as long as it is stored in a sealed sterilised container. See my tips here on how to do this. Otherwise it can be stored fresh in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- In a saucepan over a low heat, melt the butter with the sugar and lemon juice.
- In a heatproof bowl, beat the egg and egg yolks together.
- Once melted, temper the eggs by pouring a small amount of the melted butter mixture slowly into the bowl whilst whisking.
- Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and stir carefully until the mixture is thick enough to cover the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and pour into a sterilised jar if storing or into a bowl if using straight away. It will thicken when it is cooled completely.
For the whipped cream:
This is best done on the day you will be serving the cake.
- Place the double cream into a mixing bowl and whisk with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Add the vanilla extract/bean paste and lightly fold into the cream
For the Italian meringue:
This is best done on the day you will be serving the cake.
- Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan on a medium heat until boiling. Keep heating until 117 °C is reached. This is the hard ball stage – if you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small tsp into a bowl of cold water. If the sugar forms a firm ball that is difficult to mould with your fingers, it is ready. If not, keep heating until this stage is reached.
- Meanwhile, place your egg whites into a metal or glass bowl or stand mixer and whisk on a medium speed until stiff peaks form.
- Once the syrup is at temperature, pour slowly into the egg whites whilst whisking, ensuring a steady stream of sugar (and careful not to touch the mixer). Keep whisking until the mixture has cooled back to room temperature.
Assembling the cake:
- To assemble, place the first pancake on the cake board or serving plate. Scoop 1 tbsp cream on top and spread out evenly. Top with another pancake. Scoop 1 tbsp of lemon curd on top and spread out. Add another pancake on top. Alternate between cream and lemon curd layers between the pancakes until all the pancakes have been used up.
- Smooth down the sides with any excess cream and chill for at least 30 mins. If you want neater edges, you can use a sharp knife to trim them.
- Using an angled spatula, palette knife or back of a spoon, cover the cake in a thin layer of italian meringue.
- Place your desired piping tip into a piping bag and fill with italian meringure. Pipe on top of the cake until it is completely covered. I created swirls using the 1E tip.
- Grab your blowtorch and brown the edges of the meringue to give it a toasted effect.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
This cake needs to be stored in the fridge due to the high cream content. It will keep well for up to 5 days in an airtight container but definitely at its best days 1-3.
Like the recipe? Don’t forget to share with your family, friends and followers!
I love to hear what you think! Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below. And don’t forget to tag Pippatisserie in any photos you share on social media (or use the hashtag #pippatisserie), I love to see your bakes!
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