Method
- Whisk eggs, sugar, honey and mirin in a bowl until pale and thickened, about three minutes — the mixture should ribbon when the whisk is lifted.
- Sift in flour and baking powder. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined, then thin with the water until the batter pours like double cream. Rest 20 minutes for the gluten to relax.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium-low. Wipe with the lightest film of oil — too much oil leaves blotchy patterns. Drop a small ladle (about 60ml) of batter to form a 9cm circle.
- Cook 90 seconds. The surface should bubble all over and dry around the edges. Flip carefully — the cooked side should be a uniform deep tan, not patchy. Cook another 60 seconds; the second side should colour more lightly.
- Stack pancakes under a clean cloth as they come off — the steam keeps them tender. Continue until you have 12 pancakes.
- Pair pancakes by size. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of anko onto the flat side of one, mounded in the centre. Top with a second pancake, flat side down, and press gently so the anko reaches just to the edge but doesn't squeeze out. The dorayaki should be plump and slightly domed.
Common questions
Can Dorayaki be made ahead?
Dorayaki is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 20 minutes.
Is Dorayaki spicy?
Dorayaki as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is Dorayaki vegetarian or gluten-free?
Dorayaki is suitable for vegetarian (and vegan if dairy is omitted) diets.
How hard is Dorayaki to make at home?
Dorayaki is approachable for a home cook with basic stove skills — total time about 35 minutes, no special technique required.
Can Dorayaki be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 6 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Dorayaki — the name comes from dora (gong), which the round shape resembles — has been a Japanese teatime sweet since the Edo period, but the modern sandwich form was popularised by the Tokyo confectioner Usagiya in 1914. The honey-and-mirin in the batter give it the characteristic moist, fragrant interior; ordinary Western pancake batter is too dry. Doraemon, the time-travelling robot cat from the manga, eats dorayaki obsessively and has done more for the global recognition of the sweet than any pastry chef.
