Fluffy Japanese Pancakes

2 egg yolks
¼ cup sugar
½ cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup pancake mix
4 egg whites
Unsalted butter or cooking spray

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, milk, vanilla and pancake mix. Blend until smooth with no visible large lumps.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (about 2-3 minutes).
Carefully, fold about ? of the egg whites into the pancake batter mixture until just incorporated. Add the remaining egg whites and fold them into the pancake batter until just incorporated. The egg whites should be folded in gently so you don't deflate the batter.
Generously grease the inside of 2 ring molds. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray (or unsalted butter) and heat over low heat. Put the prepared ring molds in the middle of the skillet.
Fill the molds with the batter (about ¾ of the way full). Cover the skillet and cook for about 10 minutes or until the center of the pancakes are almost completely set. They will still have a slight jiggly center.
Release the bottom of the pancakes with a spatula. With the help of kitchen tongs, grasp the sides of the ring molds and carefully flip them over making sure you don’t spill any batter.
Cover and cook for about 5-7 minutes or until the pancakes are set and golden brown.
Transfer to a plate and remove the molds. Serve immediately with your preferred toppings. The pancakes should be eaten before they deflate.

Tips
For the fluffiest pancakes, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks before incorporating them into the batter.
Fold the egg whites carefully into the pancake batter, making sure not to deflate the batter.
Coat the ring molds with cooking spray to prevent the pancake batter from sticking to the molds.
Do not overfill the molds. The batter will rise while it cooks.
Depending on the type of ring molds you use, when flipping the pancakes to cook the second side, you may need to run a knife around the inside of each mold to loosen the fluffy pancake. Gently push the pancake down the mold so that the bottom of the pancake is in contact with the hot skillet.
For perfectly fluffy and tall Japanese Souffle Pancakes, you must cook them slow, covered with a lid, over low heat!