I created this recipe because my daughter is a big fan of German Pancakes, also known as Dutch Baby. She can’t get them in the South where she lives, so she asked me if I could replicate this dish for her. This pancake is a perfect combination of soft, mild flavors that bake into a light lemony butter pancake. It’s a delight to eat. My family loves them so much that it has become a Christmas breakfast tradition. With just a few simple ingredients and some basic kitchen equipment, you can whip up this pancake in no time.
TIP: You can use a blender instead of whisking, but it may make the pancake dense and tough, especially when it starts to cool. My personal preference is to whisk the eggs by hand before adding the other ingredients.
How To Make The Perfect German Pancake
- Set the oven rack towards the bottom of the oven. If the rack is too high, the top of the pancake will burn before the bottom is cooked.
- Give it room to grow! Remove the upper oven rack to give it room to rise. German Pancakes can rise really high and puff up to 5 inches over the pan.
TIP: Once you put your pan back in the oven, try to resist opening the oven door until your pancake is puffed.
Use An Oven Thermometer
Use an oven thermometer.The right amount of heat is important in baking recipes – especially this one. Heat is what will make your pancake puff up and get golden brown. If there is not enough heat, your pancake won’t puff up. Oven temperatures may vary. I have seen oven temps off by 50 degrees. This is why using an oven thermometer is a good idea. They don’t cost much and are well with it.
FAQs
Why are German Pancakes called Durch Babys?
These pancakes originated from the German pancake dish. The story is that one of Victor Manca’s daughters coined the name Dutch Baby. Manca’s Cafe claimed it owned the trademark for Dutch babies in 1942.
Who invented German Pancakes?
600 BC—The first recorded mention of the pancake dates back to ancient Greece and comes from a poet who described warm pancakes in one of his writings. 1100 A.D—Shrove Tuesday parentheses pancake day became a traditional way to use up dairy products before lent. This is when the pancake breakfast was born.
Why did my Dutch Baby collapse?
It’s totally normal. As it cools, it will start to collapse.The steam that puffs it up is released as it cools.
Recommended Equipment To Use.
Optional Blender: In case you want to use a blender instead of the recommended whisking method, I like the Ninja Blender. This is the one I use because it meets my needs. When choosing a blender, think about how you will use it. Do you make smoothies every morning? Do you make sauces or soups?
4 or 6-inch wide silicone spatula is a great item to have in the kitchen. Especially for pulling this large German pancake out of the pan. I always gravitate towards OXO products. The OXO pancake turner is what I use. Again, I’m always looking at multi-purpose kitchen tools. It makes flipping easy—my easy-over eggs break less, omelets look better, and crepes don’t tear.
Oven-proof skillet: The first German Pancakes I made were in a non-stick cake pan, but I have also used a pie dish. An oven-proof skillet works best and is safer to use because it has a handle. Pick pans that are heavy and conduct heat evenly. This will help your food cook and brown evenly.
Amazing German Pancake; Dutch Baby
Equipment
- 10 inch oven proof skillet
- 5 inch spatula
- whisk medium size
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup whole milk (room temperature)
- ¼ teas salt
- pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 teas vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp confectioner,s sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425. put skillet in oven.
- Whisk eggs until frothy and lemon yellow.
- Whisk in remaining ingredients until combined and smooth.
- Remove skillet from the oven and add butter to the skillet. When the butter is melted, swirl the pan around so the butter coats the entire bottom of the pan. Pour the batter into the skillet and put it back in the oven.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pancake becomes golden brown and puffy.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and serve the German pancake immediatley. You can add your favorite toppings, such as powdered sugar, and lemon.
- Enjoy!
