German Pancake, also known as ‘Dutch Baby,’ is a puffed up pancake that is crispy on the outside, soft and dreamy inside; a real treat for breakfast, brunch, or even a late afternoon teatime dessert, or as us Iranians call it, “asrooneh.” My memory of this pancake goes back to many years ago when I first moved to the States. There was a little coffee shop off campus, which served a large selection of pancakes, anytime of the day or night! Their German pancake was my favorite. Unlike the other pancakes which were served with warm maple syrup, or other fruit syrups, this one was served with a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
I still remember the sweet anticipation while my friends and I sat at our table, sipped our coffee, talked about everything, and waited for their amazing German Pancake!
The pancake was served hot from the oven, in the same skillet that it was baked in. The server dusted the top generously with confectioner’s sugar and squeezed some fresh lemon juice on it. The crispy pancake was then folded, just until the two sides touched in the middle; next came another sprinkle of sugar and a squeeze of lemon!
This German pancake serves two and it may be served in the skillet for a casual breakfast. Also, it easily releases from a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, to be served on a platter. A variation of topping for this pancake is a drizzle of warm maple syrup, instead of the confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice; it is also delicious with fresh fruit and whipped cream.
The following pictures are to illustrate some highlights; please follow the printable recipe for the complete details.
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Bring the ingredients to room temperature by leaving them out for 15-20 minutes.
The German pancake is quick to prepare and a breeze to bake! No extraordinary skills are required to make it puff up so perfectly; there are no tricks to create its beautiful golden brown color. It simply looks amazing and it tastes exceptional using a few basic ingredients (eggs, flour, milk, one tablespoons of sugar, and a small amount of salt, vanilla, and nutmeg), a blender, a cast iron skillet, and a preheated oven. I always break the eggs into a bowl to avoid any shells in the batter. Add all of the batter ingredients, with the exception of butter, to the blender, and blend until the batter is smooth without any flour lumps. Stop once and scrape the sides, then continue blending until light and foamy.
Add the cubed unsalted butter to the skillet and place it in the preheated oven on the middle rack, just until the butter melts. Remove the skillet from the oven, add the prepared batter to the melted butter and place the skillet back in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, until the pancake puffs up to a rich golden brown around the edges and light golden brown in the center. Reduce the temperature to 300 F without opening the oven door and continue baking for another 3-5 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the oven. Slide a heat-proof spatula under the German pancake and along the sides to release it from the skillet. Dust the top with confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar) and squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top of the pancake. Fold the sides to meet in the center, and sprinkle with more sugar and fresh lemon juice. Serve hot with extra lemon slices and powdered sugar on the side. Please enjoy this recipe and make a comment to let me know what you think. Cheers dear friends!
Active prep time: 3 minutes
Bake time: 25 minutes
Best if ingredients are at room temperature
Preheated oven 425 F, center rack
You will need a 10-inch cast iron, or another heavy oven-proof skillet
- Ingredients for the batter:
- 3 large eggs, room temperature (break into a bowl)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup milk, room temperature (I've used 1% milk)
- 1 TBSP granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Pinch of vanilla powder, or ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 TBSP unsalted butter (2 ounces = ¼ cup = ½ stick), cubed, room temperature
- Suggestions for the pancake toppings:
- A dusting of confectioner's (powdered) sugar & fresh squeezed lemon juice (1/2 to 1 fresh lemon)
- Maple syrup
- Fresh fruit & whipped cream
- Preheat oven to 425 F, center rack
- Add all the batter ingredients, except butter, to a blender. Blend until smooth and without flour lumps. Stop once and scrape the sides and blend again until light and foamy.
- Add 4 tablespoons butter to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and place it in the oven.
- As soon as the butter melts, remove the skillet from the oven and pour the prepared batter in the skillet and place it back in the oven (don't stir)
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the pancake is puffed up, rich golden brown around the edges and light golden brown in the center. Without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 300 and bake for another 3-5 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the oven; slide a heat-proof spatula under the pancake and along the sides to release it from the skillet.
- Sprinkle the top with confectioner's sugar. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice all over the pancake.
- Fold the two sides of the pancake to meet in the center. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar and another generous squeeze of the lemon juice.
- Serve hot with a side of extra lemon slices and powdered sugar.
To season your cast iron skillet: Add a few drops of vegetable oil to the skillet. Use a cloth to rub a very thin layer of oil on the entire surface of the skillet: inside, outside, bottom, the handles. Heat the skillet upside down in a 350 F oven for one hour (place an aluminum foil in the lower rack to catch any possible drops of oil). Let the skillet cool inside the oven.
The recipe for this pancake has been adapted from https://cooking.nytimes.com/
Always good stuff!!! I follow you from Brazil and enjoy many of your dishes. Wish you a great 2018.
Thank you Vera from Brazil 🙂 So happy to have you here! Glad you like my recipes, please keep in touch and have a wonderful 2018 as well!
We love these! When I was growing up we called these “Hootenanny pancake.”
We sure enjoy your blog.
Hello J Carman; thanks for sharing a different name for this pancake; I love it 😉 I also appreciate your continued support, as always!
I dont have a skillet but making this for late afternoon asrooneh. Cant wait to sample.
Thanks looks so fabulous.
Thank you Gisela 🙂 I hope you like it as much as we do; let me know, and have a fabulous weekend!
I was drooling as I read the recipe. Truly it sounds delicious. I am going to try it this week-end.
Hi Yolanda; you’re going to love this recipe, and I hope it will earn a 5-star rating from you once you try it 😉
Thank you for sharing all these wonderful recipe’s. It is much appreciated, especially when married to an Iranian that loves Iranian cuisine. All the way from Tanzania. Khoda Hafiz.
Hello Nasheema from Tanzania; how lovely to have you here 🙂 The pleasure is all mine; comments like yours make it all worthwhile. Please keep in touch and let me know when you try any of my recipes.
Hello Homa, I have just discovered your site. Amazing recipes! Really, do not know with which one to start. I think first I will need some advice about how to measure the ingredients. What is the equivalent of 1 cup in grams? I am asking just to be sure I do follow the recipe properly.
Thanks and with all the very best wishes,
Vania
Hello and welcome Vania; happy to have you here! One cup of all purpose flour is 130 grams; in this case you will be using half a cup. Please keep in touch with any questions that you might have, and I hope you will write to me when you try any of my recipes.
I can’t wait to try the Easy Crusty Bread recipe. My husband loves bread oh so much! thank you for sharing these recipes. Hopefully we will enjoy this bread tomorrow,
Hi Martha, thanks for writing to me! I think your husband will be very pleased with the Dutch oven bread. Have a great weekend and please keep in touch!
Making this was so easy and had few ingredients. My husband loved it and it was mmmhhh mhhh good (his exact words) for my picky toddler! Love all your recipes.
Hi Parissa, a mom’s prayers are answered when our picky toddlers are pleased with our cooking 😉 I’m so glad this was a success for you and your family. Thanks so much for writing to me. Have a fantastic weekend and please keep in touch!!
Thanks for the recipe! I just had my FIRST German pancake at the Ol’ South Pancake House in Fort Worth and knew I needed to try it at home. Your story makes me wonder if you went to college at TCU. 🙂
You’re most welcome Kim! My love of food and a good memory of flavors is instrumental in recreating my favorite restaurant foods at home. Serving this pancake with fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar is an example of that. Hahaha, No, but I will look for Ol’ South Pancake House next time I visit Fort Worth! Thanks for your message here and please keep in touch!
Tried this recipe for the first time with my daughter and the whole family enjoyed it. Never knew German pancakes existed until today. Thank you!
Hi Joe, I’m sure you had a fantastic time cooking this with your daughter. I was introduced to German pancake many years ago and love it! They are calling it Dutch baby now, lol! Thanks so much for writing to me. Take care and have a great week