Nope, that’s not a typo. I came up with this idea of a pancake cake over the winter break, when the kids really, really, really wanted pancakes. After about four days into the break, feeling ragged and kinda like I was in the middle of surviving some kind of apocalypse, I was on the verge of a middle-aged meltdown. You know, the holidays and attempting to make them memorable for the kids. The get-togethers and seasonal commitments. The last-minute shopping. The in-laws. The constant cooking and laundry. The man-cold my husband was bravely suffering from (eye roll). The last thing I wanted to do was dig out my heavy skillet and stand by the stove for half an hour, slinging batter and flipping flapjacks while my hair absorbs the smell of hot oil.
It was a light bulb moment: Hey! I can pour this into a cake pan and bake it. Then we can all enjoy nice, warm pancakes together, instead of me resigning to eat the cold, misshapen rejects after everyone else has eaten their fill and forgotten all about poor ol’ mom in the kitchen.
But does this really taste like pancakes? Yes! And it’s a perfect recipe to keep in mind with maple syrup season on the horizon. I have been seeing a lot of social media posts from my friends who are checking their lines and getting ready for the sap to start flowing. I. Can’t. Wait.
And I hope you try this recipe and customize it to however your family likes it. Pancake cake can be topped with all kinds of deliciousness: bananas and chocolate sauce, blueberry syrup and lime zest, maple cream and pecans, candied apples and vanilla ice cream. Heck, it’d even make a nice strawberry shortcake (with extra whipped cream, of course) after June berries are ripe.
Pancake Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2-1/2 cups pancake mix
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 duck egg (OR 2 chicken eggs)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Directions:
1. Heavily grease (with butter) a 9×13 pan. This will give the cake a nice crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In large bowl, combine mix, oil, milk, vanilla, egg, and spices. Stir until well blended.
3. Pour batter into pan.
4. Bake for 15-ish minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
5. Serve with butter and warm maple syrup, cinnamon apples, or whipped cream. Or, all of that, plus a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I don’t judge (wink).
Corinne Gompf is a writer and hobby farmer in Morrow County, Ohio. She is a graduate from the University of Toledo, with a BA in English, creative writing concentration. Along with her husband, Matt, and two children, Fletcher and Emery, Corinne raises poultry, Boer goats, rabbits, and chemical-free produce. Connect with Corinne on her Heritage Harvest Farm Facebook page, and read all of her Mother Earth News posts here.
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