Birthday Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese Glaze

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Fluffy buttermilk pancakes that taste like a slice of funfetti cake — almond and vanilla in the batter, rainbow sprinkles folded in at the very last second so the colors stay sharp instead of turning the batter gray. A pourable cream cheese glaze replaces syrup, so every bite has that tangy frosting edge. Fast enough for a weekday birthday breakfast, special enough that nobody asks for candles.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk, well shaken
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/3 cup rainbow jimmies sprinkles, plus more for serving
• neutral oil or butter, for the griddle

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 pinch fine salt
• 4 tbsp whole milk, plus more as needed

Instructions

1. Make the glaze first so it has time to loosen: in a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and 2 tablespoons butter with a hand mixer or a sturdy whisk for 1 minute, until completely smooth with no lumps. Add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla and pinch of salt and beat until thick and creamy.
2. Whisk in the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the glaze falls from the whisk in a thick, slow ribbon — about the consistency of warm honey. Set aside at room temperature; it will thin slightly as it sits. If it stiffens up, whisk in another teaspoon of milk.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 15 seconds so the leaveners are evenly distributed.
4. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk and eggs until smooth, then whisk in the melted butter, vanilla extract and almond extract. If the butter seizes into small flecks, that's fine.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold with a rubber spatula just until no dry pockets of flour remain — 10 to 12 strokes. The batter should be thick and visibly lumpy. Do not fold in the sprinkles yet. Let the batter rest 10 minutes while the griddle heats; it will puff and thicken.
6. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat (about 325°F on an electric griddle) for 3 to 4 minutes. Lightly grease with oil or butter and wipe out the excess with a paper towel — too much fat mottles the surface.
7. Right before the first batch goes down, scatter the sprinkles over the batter and fold just 3 or 4 times, only until they're distributed. Stop while you can still see distinct dots of color; every extra stir bleeds dye into the batter.
8. Scoop scant 1/3-cup portions onto the griddle, leaving 2 inches between them, and nudge each into a 4-inch round. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges look dry and matte and bubbles break the surface.
9. Flip once and cook 1 1/2 to 2 minutes more, until the second side is golden and the center springs back when pressed. Move finished pancakes to a wire rack set on a sheet pan in a 200°F oven — stacking on a plate steams them soft. Regrease the griddle lightly between batches; you should get 12 to 14 pancakes.
10. Stack 3 pancakes per plate, spoon the cream cheese glaze generously over the top so it runs down the sides, and finish with a pinch of extra sprinkles. Serve immediately, while the glaze is still melting into the top pancake.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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