Pannukakku Recipe
Inspired by memories of Chocolate Moose in Ely, MN, and ancient ancestral foods (well, grandma anyway), we wanted to create thick, custardy Pannukakku (a Finnish oven pancake). Partly based on a “Scandinavian food expert” website, we came up with this recipe.
Basic concept is to create a batter following the ratio of 1 egg : 1/4 cup flour : 1/4 cup milk.
Add vanilla, sugar, baking powder, cardamom, and lemon zest, then bake in a hot oven.
We like to make a big batch to fit two pans for leftovers.
We are not very exact about the measurements, but here is an approximate recipe for one rectangle cake pan. This is enough eggs to create a fairly thick pancake, which will be more custardy in the middle.
In a big bowl, add:
- 8 eggs
- 2 cup milk
- 2 Tbs sugar (adjust somewhere between 2 to 8Tbs depending on how sweet you want)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cardamom (or more)
- dash of salt
Beat the wet ingredients well. Then add:
- 2 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- some lemon zest (or splash of lemon juice)
Gently mix to fully combine, then let it sit for awhile.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Take a pan (we use glass cake pan or cast iron), add a couple big dollops of butter, and put into the oven until the butter is melted and bubbling near browning. Pull out the pan, pour the batter in, and pop it back into the oven.
Bake for around 15 minutes, until golden on top (it will puff up a lot!).
Meanwhile, whip up some fresh whipped cream.
Serve chucks of the pannukakku topped with whipped cream and fresh or canned berries. Alternatively, serve with lemon, butter, and powdered sugar.