Pancake vs. Hotcake: What's the Difference? (2024)

FAQs

Pancake vs. Hotcake: What's the Difference? ›

Our crew Googled it and the definition of a hotcake is in fact “a pancake.” There is, however, a subtle difference on how you prepare a hotcake versus a pancake. Generally, pancakes are wide and have a fluffy texture, whereas the hotcakes tend to be thicker and denser.

There is no difference. We just prefer to call them 'hotcakes' instead of 'pancakes. ' Still round, fluffy and topped with real butter. Simple as that.

In both the US and UK, the term hotcakes is used as a synonym of pancakes. The word hotcakes is often used for marketing or branding reasons (it just sounds delicious, right?), such as by the fast food chain McDonald's, which uses the name hotcakes for their pancakes.

Morinaga describes their Pancake Mix as only lightly sweetened cooked using water for and overall heavier and heartier cake that would be suitable for a meal. On the other hand Hotcake Mix uses more sugar and is cooked with milk. The end result is a fluffier and sweeter cake that you might eat as a snack.

American and Canadian pancakes (sometimes called hotcakes, griddlecakes, or flapjacks) are usually served at breakfast, in a stack of two or three, topped with maple syrup or table syrup, and butter. They are often served with other items such as bacon, toast, eggs or sausage.

Pancakes are sometimes called hoecakes in the South. Most Southerners are familiar with lacy cornbread, aka hot water cornbread. A hoecake is a rustic fried version of a pancake made with ground cornmeal.

While pancake mix and Bisquick share many ingredients, the two are not the same. The main difference is that the pancake mix is sweeter. Most pancake mixes can be used in place of Bisquick and vice versa in sweet recipes. Compare your pancake mix with Bisquick's ingredient list before swapping.

Both waffle and pancake recipes share some of the same basic ingredients, like eggs, milk and flour, but their batters are not the same. Waffles usually contain more fat and sometimes more sugar.

What is the old name for pancakes? ›

People began using the word “pancake” during the 15th century, and the word became standard in 19th century America. Previously, people referred to them as Indian cakes, hoe cakes, johnnycakes, journey cakes, buckwheat cakes, griddle cakes, and flapjacks. Early American pancakes were made with buckwheat or cornmeal.

They are different. American pancakes are made with self raising flour (or baking powder) so they have a cake-like texture. British pancakes are made with plain flour and no raising agent. The batter contains a greater proportion of milk and egg to flour than the American variety.

Crêpes are an ultra-thin pancake common in France that can be made sweet or savory, typically rolled or folded with a variety of fillings from jam or Nutella to ham and cheese to seafood.

Pancake mix is generally less sweet in comparison to a cake mix. Moreover, pancake mix doesn't typically contain any flavoring, unlike cake mix. For both pancake and cake mixes, you might need eggs, water, or milk, to make them into a batter.

While they may taste warm and fluffy right out of the drive thru, they are definitely not made fresh each day. In fact, the hotcakes that McDonald's serves for breakfast arrive at locations frozen, and are reheated by employees when customers order them.

McDonald's Hotcakes Are Simply Reheated

While the fluffy stack of hotcakes may have you believing they are made fresh to order, McDonald's isn't shy about discussing their suppliers that provide many of their pre-made foods.