Dorayaki

Dorayaki (Japanese Red Bean Pancake Sandwiches)

Two honey-scented castella-style pancakes wrapped around a generous filling of sweet azuki red bean paste — a beloved Japanese treat famously adored by Doraemon.

Prep

10 min

Cook

20 min

Total

30 min

Serves

8 (makes 8 sandwiches)

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (1⅓ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
• •4 g (1 tsp) baking powder
• •3 large eggs, room temperature
• •100 g (½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
• •30 g (2 Tbsp) honey
• •15 ml (1 Tbsp) soy sauce, dark (koikuchi); balances the sweetness
• •120 ml (½ cup) water
• •15 g (1 Tbsp) neutral oil, plus more for the pan; vegetable or canola
• •400 g (about 1¾ cups) an (sweet azuki bean paste), smooth (koshian) is traditional; tsubuan (chunky) also works

Steps

1. 1 Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.
2. 2 In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and caster sugar together until pale and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes by hand or 1 minute with electric beaters.
3. 3 Whisk in the honey, soy sauce, oil and water until smooth.
4. 4 Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet mixture and whisk gently until just combined — the batter should be thin and pourable, a little runnier than typical pancake batter. If it sits too thick, loosen with 1–2 teaspoons of water. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
5. 5 Heat a non-stick skillet or tamagoyaki pan over medium-low heat (about 150 °C / 300 °F) and lightly grease with a paper towel dipped in oil. The pan should be hot but not smoking.
6. 6 Pour about 50 ml (3 Tbsp) of batter per pancake into the pan to form a 9–10 cm (3½–4 in) circle. Cook for about 1 minute, until the surface is covered in small bubbles and the edges look set.
7. 7 Flip carefully and cook the second side for 20–30 seconds only — the pancakes should stay pale gold and soft, not browned. Slide onto a plate and cover with a clean kitchen towel to keep them moist. Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking the pancakes as you go.
8. 8 While the pancakes rest, divide the an paste into 8 portions of about 50 g each and roll each into a ball, then flatten into a disc.
9. 9 To assemble, place one pancake golden-side down. Spread a disc of an paste over the bottom half, leaving a small border, then fold or top with a second pancake. Press gently so the an spreads evenly to the edge.
10. 10 Serve at room temperature. Dorayaki are best eaten the same day; store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or refrigerate up to 2 days (bring back to room temperature before serving).