Carrot Cake Pancakes

As promised, one more pancake recipe to close out National Pancake Week. And since it’s almost the weekend (my birthday weekend no less), we’re going to have cake for breakfast! There is no limit to my sweet tooth, so I could probably eat dessert for every meal of the day and be perfectly happy, but I think we both know that’s not the best idea. Instead, I’m apparently on a mission to turn all of my favorite treats into pancakes – it started with cookies, then we moved onto brownies, and now, finally, cake. Speaking of cake, can someone please help me convince my mother that it’s ok to make my own birthday cake? I so rarely have an occasion to make a fancy layer cake so of course I want to take advantage (plus, then I ensure I get exactly what I want without having to trouble anyone else). My mom thinks it’s crazy, but I know you guys will back me up, right? 🙂

But anyway, I digress, back to these pancakes. Carrot cake is one of my favorite types of cake, especially because it’s usually covered with cream cheese frosting. Though there’s no frosting here, the pancakes were still a hit. They’re light and fluffy with the warm spices you’d expect to find in carrot cake. I was nervous about the carrots adding too much texture, so I grated mine really fine with my microplane (the big one I’d use for Parmesan), and they were perfect. I also made honey butter to serve with the pancakes, and it really took them over the top. The syrup was completely unnecessary with all of the other flavors going on, so I’d probably skip it next time.

With all the pancakes I’ve been making lately, and no one to help me eat them (Shane’s not much of a pancake guy), I think I have enough stashed in my freezer to last me quite a while. Not that I’m complaining – I love a quick, easy breakfast, and even more so when cake is involved 🙂

Carrot Cake Pancakes
barely adapted from Cooking Light, January 2010 (via MyRecipes.com, originally seen on Picky Cook)

Pancakes
5.6 oz (about 1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Dash of ground cloves
Dash of ground ginger
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon canola oil (plus more for cooking)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups finely grated carrot (about 1 pound)

Honey Butter
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey
pinch salt
pinch cinnamon

{If you aren’t going to serve the pancakes until you’ve cooked all of them, preheat oven to 200 F. Spray a wire rack with cooking spray and set it inside a baking sheet then place the baking sheet in the oven.}

Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, cloves and ginger together in a medium bowl. In a measuring cup, whisk the brown sugar, buttermilk, canola oil, vanilla and eggs until well combined. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk just until barely combined (it’s ok if the batter is lumpy). Fold in the carrots.

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet set over medium heat (or spray with nonstick cooking spray). Once the oil starts shimmering, use paper towels to wipe the pan so only a thin, even coating of oil covers the bottom and sides. Use a 1/4 cup measure to portion the batter into the pan. Cook on the first side until the edges are set and bubbles form on the surface. Use a spatula to flip the pancakes and cook for 1-2 minutes on the second side, or until golden brown and cooked through. {If not serving immediately, transfer the pancakes to the wire rack in the oven.} Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.

To make the butter, stir the butter, honey, salt and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Serve with the pancakes.

Makes about 12 pancakes