the best fluffy hotcake

last updated on October 30, 2026

I’m not joking when I say this is the best fluffy hotcake. This hotcake is essentially a giant, thick pancake, but is light and fluffy with a buttery outside. Basically it is heaven. Plus it is topped with fresh berries, nuts, seeds, and lemon mascarpone! There is little doubt in my mind that I will host a brunch without this hotcake ever again.

I’m not sure if I’ve conveyed this very clearly, but I am literally obsessed with this hotcake. It is the ideal brunch item when you want to impress someone. Feeding your significant other for the first time? Hotcake. Feeding your in-laws? Hotcake. Plus not only is it impressive, it is also not that hard to make!

what ingredients do i need for the best fluffy hotcake?

• eggs
• milk
• ricotta
• vanilla extract
• flour
• baking powder
• salt
• sugar
• butter
• + toppings!

inspiration for this hotcake

This hotcake is inspired by the hotcake at one of my favorite restaurants ever! In Park City, Utah there is a restaurant called Five5eeds. They mainly serve breakfast foods plus a couple lunch items. My favorite item there is definitely the hotcake, but a couple of my other favorites is the chicken and savory waffles, and the mushroom toast! The hotcake certainly steals the show and I’ve been wanting to recreate it for a while. Today is finally the day and I am thrilled with the outcome. I think mine looks pretty identical to Five5eeds’ though i think the consistency of mine is a little lighter, which I actually prefer! So on the off chance you’ve been to Five5eeds, you’ll have to compare!

tips and substitutions

To get the nice golden brown finish on this hotcake, there are a few tips. You can make this hotcake in any oven safe pan, but it is best to use a cast iron skillet! This will help with that golden brown finish. While we are making the batter for this hotcake, the cast iron skillet is warming up in the oven. We add butter to the skillet to melt in the oven before we pour the batter in. But, make sure the butter is added just a couple minutes before batter, not when the cast iron skillet is first put in the oven. If it’s added too early, the butter will burn!

Arguably the trickiest part of this hotcake is getting it out of the pan! It may seem daunting, but it really isn’t that hard. Once the hotcake is finished, place a large plate (the plate you want to serve it on) on top of the skillet. Carefully turn the skillet over, holding the plate tight to the top the whole time (and please use hot pads because the skillet will be very hot). Slowly lift up the skillet, leaving the hotcake on the plate! From there you can top your hotcake and enjoy!

Ricotta is one of the key ingredients for this hotcake. I would not recommend substituting this. You can use either full-fat or low-fat ricotta, but at least use ricotta!

When I make this hotcake, I usually top it with fresh berries, sunflower seeds, pecans, and lemon mascarpone. Plus some maple syrup! I think this combination is stellar, but you can top it with whatever you want! You could do banana and peanut butter, or berries with coconut syrup and whipped cream, the options are endless!

other recipes you’ll love:

• carrot cake loaf with brown butter cream cheese frosting
• cinnamon roll stuffed french toast
• ricotta pancakes with raspberry orange curd
• cinnamon apple chia seed pudding

the best fluffy hotcake

5 from 1 vote

[category] Breakfast

[published] March 19, 2022

[PREP] 15 minutes mins

[COOK] 15 minutes mins

[TOTAL] 30 minutes mins

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Ingredients

hotcake

• 2 eggs separated
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• splash of vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp butter

toppings

• 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• raspberries
• blueberries
• sunflower seeds
• pecans
• mint optional
• maple syrup

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place a cast iron skillet in the oven as it pre-heats (any cast iron skillet 8-10 inches wide will work).
2. Divide egg yolks and whites. Add egg yolks, ricotta, milk, and vanilla to a medium mixing bowl. Mix until combined. To the same bowl add flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
3. Add egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip until stiff peaks form (this can also be done with a hand mixer).
4. Open the oven and add the butter to the cast iron skillet so it can melt while you finish the batter.
5. Add the whipped egg whites to the mixture and gently fold everything together.
6. Carefully remove the hot cast iron skillet from the oven. Make sure the melted butter is covering most of the cast iron so the hotcake won't stick to the pan. Pour the batter into the cast iron skillet and transfer back to the oven.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
8. Place a large plate upside down on top of the cast iron skillet. Carefully flip the cast iron skillet over, while keeping the plate held to the skillet. Once its flipped, slowly lift up the cast iron skillet, leaving the hotcake on the plate.
9. To make the lemon mascarpone, add the mascarpone cheese and lemon zest to a bowl and stir until well combined.
10. To top the hotcake, add sunflower seeds, pecans, raspberries, blueberries, mint, and lemon mascarpone. Drizzle with maple syrup just before serving and enjoy!
11. (Feel free to use any toppings you want. Get creative and enjoy!)