A friend of mine went to Bali over the Christmas and New Year holiday, and posted a lot of beautiful scenery shots on her Instagram story. My favourite shots though, are always of the food she eats. She’s a pro at Instagram posts. Always knows the best lighting, the best place for a photo. I learnt this in Italy when we were on holiday together.

Anyway, every time my friends go to Bali, one of them orders the red velvet pancakes. I’ve never tasted these pancakes, but I do like a good red velvet cupcake every now and then. I know there’s a lot of discussion around red velvet, because it’s really just a light cocoa-based cake dyed red. But it’s much lighter than a full-blown chocolate cake, and it pairs really well with cream cheese icing.

Either way, seeing my friend’s Instagram post about red velvet pancakes made me want to try them out. I already had all of the ingredients I needed at home, plus I simply used the remaining egg yolks from the pavlova, rather than new eggs. Mixing the egg yolks with milk made it less thick, and more of an egg-like consistency.

I adapted a variety of recipes for these pancakes, because every single one is different, especially when I’m trying to use up buttermilk from my Buttermilk Pound Cake. To be fair, you know this is how I work by now. I read a recipe and simply adapt it to what I have or what I like. That’s how all cooking works. Sometimes your adaptations create disasters. Sometimes they are genius. It’s a very fine line.

The truth is, it’s the cream cheese glaze that really makes these pancakes shine. The tartness of the cream cheese and buttermilk really complement the cocoa of the pancakes. You can’t have one without the other, in my opinion.

These pancakes also made me realise that I need to come up with some more breakfast recipes that are quick, easy and healthy, because these red velvet pancakes are an indulgence to be had once or twice a year (for me at least).

This recipe makes 9 CD-sized pancakes.

Ingredients

For the pancakes:
162 grams plain flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons baking powder
pinch of salt
4 egg yolks + a tablespoon of milk (or 2 large eggs)
250 ml milk
125 ml buttermilk
125 ml sunflower oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
red food colouring

For the cream cheese glaze
4 tablespoons icing sugar
50 grams cream cheese
150 ml buttermilk

1. In a large bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt from the pancake ingredients.
2. In another bowl whisk the egg yolks and milk until fluffy.
3. Add the milk, buttermilk, oil and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until everything is well incorporated. Add food colouring, and whisk until desired colour is achieved. Set aside.
5. Preheat oven to 120°C, and set a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
6. While the pan is heating up, whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth and at a creamy consistency. Set aside.
7. Using a 1/4 cup scoop, pour the pancake batter into the warm frying pan, making a circular shape with the batter.
8. Allow to cook for 2 – 3 minutes, until the edges are no longer “wet”, then flip and cook for an additional minute.
9. Place the pancake onto the baking tray, and place in the oven to keep warm.
10. Repeat with the remaining pancake batter, adding each new pancake to the oven as you go.
11. Divide pancakes evenly on to plates, and drizzle with cream cheese glaze.