Strawberry Cloud Cakes with Strawberry Sauce

These thick, rich pancakes are made with a dollop of ricotta cheese, clouds of fluffy egg whites with red, ripe strawberries tucked inside. Top with a warm, rosy strawberry sauce and brunch is pretty wonderful!

This is our first weekend of spring so something as spectacular as this season seems in order. Strawberry Cloud Cakes deliver on a touch of spring with a tinge of lusciousness. A twist on a more traditional breakfast bite, these are rich, thick cakes made with many of the same ingredients found in classic buttermilk pancakes.

But a bit of extra creaminess is added from a scoop of ricotta cheese along with volume from whipped egg whites.

Then sweet strawberries are nestled into the batter, cooking gently while the pancakes rise on the griddle. Once cooked they are thick and puffed with the tender berries collapsing inside the cakes.

Pair with a simple sauce that’s lightly sweet, full of strawberries and just a touch of lemon to brighten things up.

Top with an extra dollop of ricotta, a drizzle of hot maple syrup and that delectable strawberry sauce. It’s an extra step or two, but oh my they are so worth it!

Strawberry Cloud Cakes with Strawberry Sauce

For the strawberry sauce:

Zest of 1 lemon, about 1 teaspoon

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, about ½ lemon

⅓ cup water

4 cups strawberry halves, about 1 to 1-½ quart of fresh

8 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the pancakes:

2-½ cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups buttermilk

⅓ cup ricotta cheese, plus extra for serving

2 extra-large eggs, separated

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for cooking the pancakes

1 quart fresh strawberries, rinsed, stemmed, hulled and sliced or cut in half if the berries are small

To make the strawberry sauce:

Toss the lemon zest, lemon juice, and water into a blender. Add the strawberries and 6 tablespoons of the sugar. Process starting on low, then raise to medium speed. Blend for about 1 to 2 minutes until very smooth.

Transfer the pureed strawberries to a small saucepan. Whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with the cornstarch and whisk into the sauce. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.

Makes about 2-¼ cups of sauce.

For the pancakes:

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.

Combine the buttermilk with the ricotta cheese, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and melted butter. Whisk to blend together.

In a small bowl beat the egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined; the batter will be somewhat stiff.

Using a spatula, gently fold in the egg whites.

Warm an electric griddle to 325-degrees. When the griddle is hot, lightly brush it with additional butter. Scoop about ¼ cup of the batter onto the griddle, leaving enough room between each pancake to flip them. Top with slices of strawberries, pressing them gently into the pancake batter.

Cook until the pancakes are golden and the batter is somewhat set on top. Flip and continue cooking until the cakes are cooked through. These pancakes are thick and take a few minutes longer to cook through, about 5 minutes per side.

Serve with an extra touch of ricotta, warm strawberry sauce, and maple syrup plus a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Makes about 12 to 14 pancakes, about 4” each.

To keep the pancakes warm while you finish cooking: Place the pancakes on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and place in a 200-degree oven.