Gavin Kaysen's Cottage Cakes

I first tasted these on a trip with my wife to Vermont and have been making them for my kids ever since. I loved the idea of replacing some of the buttermilk with cottage cheese, which gives them a little extra protein. Rather than wait for bubbles to appear as a sign to flip my pancakes, I prefer to check for a deep hue to tell me when the time is right.

TYPE BREAKFAST & BRUNCH
SERVES 6
DIFFICULTY EASY
PREP TIME 5 MIN
COOK TIME 35 MIN

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons pure cane sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup cottage cheese
  • oil or butter, to coat the pan
  • butter and jam or maple syrup, for serving

Directions

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix well.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Mix well with a fork to scramble the egg. Add the cottage cheese to the liquids and stir to combine.
  3. Pour half of the flour mixture into the buttermilk and cottage cheese mixture. Mix gently with a silicone spatula.
  4. Add the remaining flour mixture and stir until there are no dry lumps of flour. Do not overmix. Let the mixture rest for a few minutes to hydrate.
  5. Warm a D3 Stainless Nonstick Fry Pan over medium heat. Coat the pan with butter or oil and continue to heat. Add ¼ cup of batter for each cake, spacing them apart so they do not touch.
  6. Cook until the bottoms are dark golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the center of the cake feels firm, about 3 minutes longer. Remove the cakes from the pan.
  7. Repeat this process until all of the batter has been used.
  8. Serve with butter and jam or maple syrup.

Pro Tip:

Pro Tip

A smiling chef in a white uniform stands against a dark background. The uniform is embroidered with a name on the chest, conveying professionalism and warmth.A smiling chef in a white uniform stands against a dark background. The uniform is embroidered with a name on the chest, conveying professionalism and warmth.

RECIPE BY

Gavin Kaysen

Chef Bio

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Gavin Kaysen is the award-winning chef and founder of Soigné Hospitality Group in Minneapolis, known for his nationally recognized group of restaurants as well as his leadership in the culinary profession. His restaurants in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis include Spoon and Stable, a 2015 James Beard Award Finalist for Best New Restaurant; Demi, an intimate 20-seat tasting menu experience ranked #3 on Robb Report's list of the "10 Best Restaurants in North America"; and Cooks | Bellecour, a culinary shop and cooking school which serves an array of French bistro-inspired pastries, sandwiches, and more. He introduced the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant Mara and Socca Café in Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis in the summer of 2022. Chef Kaysen's catering company, KZ ProVisioning, created in partnership with Chef Andrew Zimmern, fuels the Minnesota Wild and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

With the aim of supporting the next generation of young culinarians, Chef Kaysen serves as the President of the ment'or BKB Foundation Team USA where he collaborates with two of his mentors, and the world's most celebrated chefs, Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller.

Chef Kaysen is the proud recipient of two James Beard Awards: Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2008, and Best Chef: Midwest in 2018. He published his first cookbook, At Home, in the fall of 2022, exploring recipes and techniques for every level of home cook.