Soft, fluffy, and tender pancakes loaded with honey flavour and packed with delicious custard cream filling inside, this perfect combination gives you an ultimate creamy goodness.
The smooth custard cream filling melts in your mouth as you bite into the dorayaki, adding moisture to the fluffy pancakes, which makes it even more addictive. Keep the custard cream dorayaki frozen to get an ice-cream sandwich-like experience!
Instead of making the traditional dorayaki with sweet red bean paste, this recipe makes custard cream as the filling to create a soft and moist dorayaki. Offering a pleasing balance of sweet, honey, creamy, and milky flavours, make this custard cream dorayaki to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings!
Follow my recipe with tips and guidance to learn how to make a perfect fluffy and moist custard cream dorayaki.
Table of contents
What is dorayaki?
Dorayaki is a classic Japanese confection that consists of two slices of honey pancakes filled with a sweet red bean paste called anko. It is a popular snack and dessert among children and adults alike in Japan which is often gifted for celebrations, memorial ceremonies, and as a souvenir to foreigners as well. Dorayaki is also known as the favourite food of Doraemon, a fictional character in the Japanese manga and anime series of the same name.
Ingredients for custard cream dorayaki
For the dorayaki pancakes
- Eggs: Eggs help with the structure of pancakes by holding air bubbles, and also give a richer flavour to the batter.
- Sugar: Sugar adds a subtle sweetness to the pancakes. It caramelises them as you cook and yields a softer texture as well!
- Honey: This is the main ingredient that flavours the pancakes.
- Vanilla extract: Adding a splash of vanilla extract to the batter adds a sweet aroma and flavour to it.
- Cake flour: Cake flour gives the pancakes a lighter texture. You can also use plain flour for this recipe.
- Baking powder and baking soda: These are the key ingredients that act as a leavening agent to produce a fluffy texture.
- Milk: This gives additional texture and a richer flavour to the batter.
For the custard cream filling
- Egg yolks: These help thicken the custard and make it smooth and rich.
- Sugar: Sugar is used separately to make the custard and whipped cream.
- Cornstarch: Acts as a thickening agent.
- Vanilla extract: This gives additional flavour and aroma to the custard.
- Warm milk: Stirring in warm milk to make the custard ensures the ingredients to incorporate completely, avoiding the custard from becoming lumpy.
- Heavy cream: For making the whipped cream.
How to make custard cream dorayaki
Prepare the custard in advance
- In a pot, whisk together egg yolks and sugar, then stir in cornstarch, vanilla extract, and milk. Mix to combine well.
- Heat the mixture over low heat, stir constantly until it thickens.
- Transfer the custard to a bowl, and wrap with cling film. Make sure the cling film touches the surface area of the custard to maintain moisture. Keep it chilled in the fridge.
Make the dorayaki pancakes
- In a mixer bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar.
- Add in vanilla extract and honey, mix well.
- Sift in the dry ingredients, whisk to combine. Add in milk and mix well.
- Wrap the mixer bowl with cling film then chill the batter in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Heat a dash of oil in a non-stick frying pan over low heat, then use a piece of kitchen towel to wipe out the oil. Pour in ¼ to ⅓ ladle of pancake batter to the pan, heat until the surface of the batter starts bubbling (this took about 2-3 minutes), flip over the pancake and cook the other side (about 1 minute). Cook one pancake at a time and grease the pan between batches as needed.
- Repeat for the rest of the batter. This recipe makes 10 pancakes.
Make the custard cream filling
- Strain the custard through a strainer.
- In a mixer bowl, add in heavy cream and sugar. Use a hand mixer to whip the cream until it forms firm peaks.
- Add in the strained custard and fold the mixture until well combined.
Assemble the custard cream dorayaki
- Place a piece of cling film on a plate, then place a slice of pancake with the bottom side facing up.
- Transfer the custard cream into a piping bag, squeeze into the centre of the pancake, leaving some space on the edges. Be sure to squeeze more custard cream in the centre so the dorayaki is thicker in the middle with a curved shape.
- Place another slice of pancake on top with the top side facing up. Gently press down the sides of the pancakes and wrap tightly with the cling film. Use a tape to stick the cling film ends to hold the dorayaki shape.
- Freeze for 30 minutes.
Success tips on making custard cream dorayaki
Stir constantly as you cook the custard.
As you cook the custard to thicken it, stir constantly to ensure it is cooked evenly and to avoid having some burnt lumps, so that you’ll achieve a cooked custard with a smooth texture.
Heat the non-stick frying pan completely and use a kitchen towel to wipe out excess oil.
Make sure the non-stick frying pan is heated well enough and completely before adding in the pancake batter, so that the pancakes are cooked evenly. Be sure to wipe out any excess oil as you’re just greasing the pan. This is a key step to making evenly golden brown dorayaki pancakes.
Strain the cooked custard through a strainer.
By straining the cooked custard after it has thickened, this removes any curdled or cooked egg from the custard, achieving a smooth and silky texture.
Wrap the custard cream dorayaki tightly with cling film.
The dorayaki should have an overall curved shape where the middle part is thicker than the edges. Be sure to gently press down the edges as you wrap the dorayaki with cling film, and wrap it tightly to hold its curved shape.
Why should I chill the pancake batter before cooking?
By chilling the pancake batter before cooking, this allows it to rest and settle. Resting the batter allows the gluten to relax and hydrates the flour, making the cooked pancakes more tender, and rise higher with a thick consistency.
How to store dorayaki?
Store leftover custard cream dorayaki in an airtight container, a food bag, or a zip bag. Since the filling contains whipped cream, you’ll need to store the dorayaki in the refrigerator. They will last up to 3-5 days in the fridge.
Can I freeze dorayaki?
Yes you can. By freezing the custard cream dorayaki, they’ll taste like an ice-cream sandwich! They’ll last up to a month in the freezer.
Custard cream dorayaki brings together a delicious creamy goodness from the custard cream filling with golden-brown, fluffy pancakes. If you’re craving something sweet, satisfying, and delicious, give this custard cream dorayaki a try!
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Custard Cream Dorayaki
Equipment
- 1 Non-stick frying pan
- 1 Pot
- 1 Hand mixer
Ingredients
For the custard
- 2 egg yolks
- 30 g sugar
- 15 g cornstarch
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 200 ml warm milk
For the dorayaki pancakes
- 4 eggs
- 60 g sugar
- 40 g honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 180 g cake flour
- 5 g baking powder
- 2 g baking soda
- 40 ml milk
- 1 dash oil for cooking the pancakes
For the custard cream filling
- cooked custard strained
- 100 g heavy cream
- 10 g sugar
Instructions
Prepare the custard in advance
- In a pot, whisk together egg yolks and sugar, add in cornstarch, mix to combine.
- Add in vanilla extract and stir in warm milk. Combine well.
- Heat the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens.
- Transfer the cooked custard to a bowl, and wrap with cling film. Make sure the cling film touches the surface area of the custard to maintain moisture.
- Keep it chilled in the fridge.
Make the dorayaki pancakes
- In a mixer bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar.
- Add in vanilla extract and honey, mix well.
- Sift in the dry ingredients, whisk to combine. Add in milk and mix well.
- Wrap the mixer bowl with cling film then chill the batter in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Heat a dash of oil in a non-stick frying pan over low heat, then use a piece of kitchen towel to wipe out the oil. This is key to ensuring the pancakes are cooked till golden brown evenly.
- Pour in ¼ to ⅓ ladle of pancake batter to the pan, heat until the surface of the batter starts bubbling (about 1-2 minutes), flip over the pancake and cook the other side (about 30 seconds). Cook one pancake at a time and grease the pan between batches as needed.
- Repeat for the rest of the batter. This recipe makes 10 pancakes.
Make the custard cream filling
- Strain the custard through a strainer to smoothen it and remove any curdled or cooked egg from the custard.
- In a mixer bowl, add in heavy cream and sugar. Use a hand mixer to whip the cream until it forms firm peaks.
- Add in the strained custard and fold the mixture until well combined.
Assemble the custard cream dorayaki
- Place a piece of cling film on a plate, then place a slice of pancake with the bottom side facing up.
- Transfer the custard cream into a piping bag, squeeze into the centre of the pancake, leaving some space on the edges. Be sure to squeeze more custard cream in the centre so the dorayaki is thicker in the middle with a curved shape.
- Place another slice of pancake on top with the top side facing up.
- Gently press down the sides of the pancakes and wrap tightly with the cling film. Use a tape to stick the cling film ends to hold the dorayaki shape.
- Freeze for 30 minutes before serving.