Introducing the ultimate recipe for joy-filled mornings: Birthday Cake Pancakes! This magical medley of fluffy pancakes, sprinkles, and a dollop of frosting will have you blowing out candles and devouring a slice of happiness all before noon. So grab your spatula and get ready to whisk away any doubts about pancakes being exclusively for breakfast.
Be sure to check out more of my birthday inspired treats! Try my Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes, Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies, and my Cake Batter Pretzels!
Why You’ll Love These Homemade Pancakes
- Cake Mix Hack: This recipe starts with both pancake and cake mix. Super simple!
- Bold Cake Flavor: Pancakes are already a delicious morning treat, but these are for special occasions! Perfectly sweet and filled with sprinkles.
- Freezer Friendly: Cooked pancakes can be stored up to 2 months in the freezer! Makes for a super quick breakfast treat.
It is a BIG day in our household. Today my husband turns… Well, old. While he does not necessarily care to celebrate, we love to spoil him rotten. First thing? We are starting our day with cake mix pancakes! These pancakes taste soooooo good. It is like diving into a cupcake, but since they are pancakes I feel like they are more acceptable as a breakfast.
These pancakes are a delightful explosion of flavors reminiscent of a classic birthday cake. They taste like a party on your taste buds, with a hint of vanilla, a touch of sweetness, and the delightful crunch of rainbow sprinkles. The pancakes themselves are fluffy and light, almost like biting into a cloud, while the addition of frosting or whipped cream on top adds a creamy and indulgent element. Imagine the nostalgic taste of a traditional birthday cake, but in pancake form, making every bite a celebration worth savoring.
Birthday Pancake Ingredients
The ingredient list for these pancakes is short. The recipe is quick, easy, and uses items that most of us already have in our pantry!
- Pancake Mix: I mainly use Bisquick, but I am certain other options will work just as well.
- Yellow Cake Mix: DRY. Do not prepare the mix at all. You want the powder to be stirred in with the pancake mix.
- Milk: Whole milk is my preferred. It seems to give you a more full pancake. However, other dairy milks will work for this recipe.
- Eggs: Large eggs are best.
- Lemon and Vanilla Extract: Always, always, always use pure extracts and try to stay away from imitation varieties. They tend to have a slight chemical aftertaste whereas pure vanilla only helps to enhance the flavor.
Copycat IHOP Birthday Pancakes
With the short list of ingredients, it is no secret that this recipe is going to be EASY.
- STIR: Whisk the pancake mix, yellow cake mix, milk, eggs, and both extracts in a medium mixing bowl until batter is smooth. Gently fold in the sprinkles. Set aside.
- HEAT: Heat a griddle or large pan over medium heat. Grease with cooking spray or butter.
- COOK: Spoon 1/3 cup of batter onto the surface. Cook until the edges are lightly browned (1-2 minutes) flip and cook until the remaining side is golden.
A few tips before I send you off to cook up your own batch:
- The sprinkles will start to add lines of color to the batter if you stir it too much. Gently fold them into the batter and stop as soon as you see them incorporated.
- These can be a little tricky to flip. I like to gently run my spatula around the edge of my pancake as soon as I see the edges curl. This helps to loosen it from the pan and makes turning it a little less of a mess.
Like my mini pancakes, this recipe is super freezer friendly!
Helpful Tools
- Skillet: I like to use an electric skillet (affiliate) when cooking pancakes. You have a little more control over the temperature and you can make more at one time.
- Batter Dispenser: Is this necessary? No. Does a pancake batter dispenser (affiliate) speed up the process and reduce waste? Yes!
- Spatula: I like to use a flexible spatula (affiliate) when making pancakes. The one I use is made with silicone, which allows it to slide easily under each cake for flipping.
Recipe Notes:
Jimmies! Jimmies are the classic rod-shaped sprinkles. These types of sprinkles hold their shape and color well during cooking and won’t bleed or melt into the pancake batter.
Use jimmies, or the rectangle shaped sprinkles. These hold their shape and don’t bleed into the batter as quickly. Be sure to gently fold them in and avoid over mixing.
Yes, you can make the pancake batter ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight. In fact, preparing the batter in advance can be quite convenient, especially if you want to save time in the morning.
There are numerous toppings that pair wonderfully with birthday cake pancakes, allowing you to customize and enhance the flavors. Here are some delicious options: whipped cream, buttercream frosting, syrup, fresh fruit, chocolate sauce, sprinkles, or even vanilla ice cream!
Freezing leftover pancakes is a great way to enjoy them at a later time without any waste. Here’s how you can freeze them:
Cook and cool the pancakes completely. Place into an airtight container, or freezer bag, and freeze solid.
When ready to enjoy, remove the desired amount of pancakes from the freezer. Reheat them in the toaster or microwave until warmed through.
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Birthday Cake Pancakes Recipe – Funfetti Pancakes
Ingredients
pancakes:
- 1 cup pancake mix like Bisquick
- 1 cup dry yellow cake mix
- 1 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup jimmies or sprinkles of choice
icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- 1/8 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Pancakes:
- Whisk the pancake mix, yellow cake mix, milk, eggs, and both extracts in a medium mixing bowl until batter is smooth. Gently fold in the sprinkles. Set aside.
- Heat a griddle or large pan over medium heat. Grease with cooking spray or butter.
- Spoon 1/3 cup of batter onto the surface. Cook until the edges are lightly browned (1-2 minutes) flip and cook until the remaining side is golden.
Icing:
- Whisk all of the icing ingredients together, starting with 1 tablespoon of milk. Slowly add additional milk until desired consistency is reached.
- Spoon or spread over warm pancakes.
Notes
Nutrition
Equipment
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Comments & Reviews
yolanda rome says
I will try this recipe for my daughter bday.
Jesseca says
How fun! Tell her happy birthday from me!
Filipa says
I love this idea it looks so cool , I will definitely try this for my kids. I think they will love it! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe 🙂