Cane Syrup Griddle Cakes

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch cast iron skillet or griddle
• •Wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet
• •Rubber spatula
• •1/4-cup measuring cup or ladle
• •Thin, flexible spatula for flipping

Instructions

1. 1

   Whisk the dry ingredients

   In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until everything is evenly distributed. Make a well in the center. This takes thirty seconds but matters more than you think. Clumps of baking powder mean uneven rise, and nobody wants a flat spot in their griddle cake.

2. 2

   Combine the wet ingredients

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the cold buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, cane syrup, and vanilla until smooth. The buttermilk should be cold straight from the refrigerator. Cold buttermilk meeting warm butter creates tiny flecks that melt during cooking, giving you those little pockets of richness throughout each cake.

   If your butter is too hot, it will cook the eggs on contact. Let it cool until you can comfortably touch the bottom of the bowl.
3. 3

   Fold the batter together

   Pour the wet ingredients into the well of the dry ingredients. Fold with a rubber spatula using broad, gentle strokes until just combined. Stop the moment you no longer see dry flour. The batter will be lumpy. It should be lumpy. Those lumps are pockets of air that become tender spots in your finished cakes. Overmix this batter and you'll be chewing rubber.

   Count your strokes if you need to. Fifteen to twenty folds is usually all it takes. Walk away from the bowl when you're done.
4. 4

   Heat your cast iron

   Set a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat and let it warm for a good five minutes. Cast iron needs time to heat evenly. Add a thin pat of salted butter and let it melt and foam. When the foam subsides and the butter smells nutty but hasn't browned, you're ready. If it browns immediately, your pan is too hot. Cool it down and start again.

5. 5

   Test the griddle

   Flick a few drops of water onto the surface. They should dance and sizzle, evaporating in about two seconds. If they sit there doing nothing, you need more heat. If they vanish instantly with an angry hiss, you need less. This test tells you more than any thermometer. Trust your senses.

6. 6

   Pour and cook the first side

   Using a quarter-cup measure, pour batter onto the hot griddle, leaving a few inches between each cake. Do not spread or touch them. Let them cook undisturbed until bubbles rise to the surface and begin to pop, the edges look set and slightly dry, and the underside is deep golden when you lift a corner. This takes about two to three minutes. Patience here pays off. Flip too early and you'll tear the cake.

   The first griddle cake is always a test. Taste it yourself, adjust your heat, and don't serve it to company.
7. 7

   Flip and finish

   Slide your spatula under each cake with confidence and flip in one smooth motion. Cook the second side until golden, another one to two minutes. The second side never colors as evenly as the first, and that's fine. Press gently with your spatula. When the cake springs back, it's done.

8. 8

   Keep warm and continue

   Transfer finished cakes to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet in a 200°F oven. Add a fresh pat of butter to the skillet before each batch. Work through the remaining batter, adjusting heat as needed. Your griddle will get hotter as you go, so stay attentive.

9. 9

   Serve immediately

   Stack three cakes on each warmed plate. Top with a generous pat of salted butter and let it melt into golden rivulets. Drizzle Steen's cane syrup over everything with a heavy hand. This is not the time for restraint. Serve while the butter is still melting and the edges are still warm. When the last bite is as good as the first, you've done it right.

Chef Tips

• •Steen's cane syrup is the only cane syrup worth buying. It's been made in Abbeville, Louisiana, since 1910, and nothing else tastes quite right. Look for it in the syrup aisle of any Southern grocery, or order it online. Do not substitute pancake syrup or corn syrup. That's not the same thing at all.
• •If you can't find buttermilk, make your own: stir one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into two cups of whole milk and let it sit for ten minutes until it curdles. It won't be quite as tangy, but it works.
• •At Lagniappe, we let the batter rest for five minutes after mixing. The flour hydrates and the gluten relaxes, giving you even more tender cakes. If you have the patience, try it.
• •Good salted butter matters. I use butter from grass-fed cows when I can find it. The flavor is richer, more complex. You'll taste the difference when it melts on a hot griddle cake.

Advance Preparation

• •Dry ingredients can be whisked together the night before and stored covered at room temperature.
• •Batter should be made fresh. Do not refrigerate mixed batter overnight, as the leavening will lose its power.
• •Leftover cooked griddle cakes freeze well for up to two months. Reheat in a 350°F oven for five to seven minutes, or toast directly from frozen until warmed through.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)