Hotcake Vs Pancake: How Are These Words Related?

Hotcake v.s pancake; how do you refer to the breakfast item you prepare on a griddle or ordinary pan? Do these words refer to the same thing? You are in the right place to know all these.

A pancake is a breakfast dish made with flour, baking powder, butter, milk, & sugar on a hot skillet or griddle. A hotcake is an alternative word for a pancake. However, there is a slight difference; a pancake is smaller and thinner than a hotcake. Also, a hotcake is oval, while a pancake is round.

When you search for the word pancake in the dictionary or online, the word hotcake comes up as a related term or vice versa. However, what is the relationship between these words? This post answers this question and covers all the basics of the words “hotcake” and “pancake.”

Definitions Of Hotcake And Pancake

In one study, researchers asked participants what approach they would take to find the differences and correlations between confusing words and terms. Over 95% of the responses related to the dictionary. Differentiating or comparing words is nearly impossible if you do not know their meanings. Therefore, we begin our comparison of the words “hotcake” and “pancake” with their definitions below.

Definition Of Hotcake

“Hotcake” is the alternative word for a “pancake.” Therefore, the primary definition of a pancake will explain what a hotcake is.

Note: The word pancake has multiple meanings. Therefore, only the first one applies to hotcakes.

Definition Of Pancake

The primary definition of a pancake is a sweet dish made from batter prepared with eggs, flour, milk, sugar, baking powder, and leavening agents on a skillet or griddle. Here is an example in a sentence, “I serve my breakfast milk with a pancake every morning.”

Another definition of a pancake is a type of airplane landing made through pancaking. Pancaking means “to drop flat to the ground after leveling off a few feet off the ground.” For example, in a sentence, “The pilots in training will learn the pancake landing in their final year.”

The informal definition of the verb pancake is “to flatten due to a collision or mishap.” In a sentence, “If the metal drops on the vehicle, it will pancake the hood.”

How To Properly Use Hotcake And Pancake In A Sentence

Now that you know the definitions for both words, you can start using them in sentences. Below are some tips to guide your sentence construction with these words:

How To Use The Word Hotcake

Use this word as a noun when referring to a fluffy or thicker pancake. Since it is a countable noun, you can use its plural form (hotcakes).

How To Use The Word Pancake

Use this word as a noun when referring to a breakfast dish made with sugar, milk, baking powder, flour, milk, and butter/vegetable oil.

Use this word in a sentence as a verb in the following contexts:

• The process of landing a plane via the pancake landing technique. 
• The process of flattening something by collision with a heavy object.

When using this word as a verb, use its past tense/ past participle (pancaked), present continuous tense (pancaking), and simple indicative form (pancakes). In contrast, when using this word as a noun, use it in singular or plural form (pancakes).

Hotcake Vs. Pancake: More On Similarities And Differences

Hotcakes and pancakes are made from similar ingredients. You get to prepare both of them on a frying pan or skillet. However, their primary difference is that pancakes are typically smaller or thinner than hotcakes.

Besides this, below are other differentiating elements for hotcakes and pancakes:

History

Hotcakes emerged in ancient Egypt and Greece. The Egyptians prepared the first hotcake with flour, milk, and water on a hot griddle. Also, the word “hotcake” emerged in the early 1800s in the United States when they were the most popular breakfast food served with maple syrup and butter. In contrast, pancakes originated in ancient Greece, where people prepared them with wheat flour, milk, and eggs on a frying pan or griddle. The first known use of the word “pancake” in English was in the 15th century in Native America.

Preparation/Recipe

If you want to use a pre-made hotcake mix, the instructions on the packaging will be sufficient for preparing the dish. However, if you want to prepare it from scratch, you will need a whisk, frying pan, and bowls. Also, you need ingredients, including wheat flour, egg, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, and butter. You can prepare a hotcake by following the steps below:

Start by whisking a cup of flour with two tablespoons of sugar, a tablespoon of baking powder, and a pinch of salt.

1. Whisk an egg with milk and two tablespoons of melted butter in a separate bowl.
2. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir the mixture until it is suitably blended.
3. Cook the hotcake on a heated griddle, pan, or skillet over medium heat.
4. Coat the surface with a little butter or oil and cook each side for two minutes

On the other hand, making a pancake is almost as simple as preparing a hotcake. All you need is a whisk, frying pan, bowl, and the ingredients. You can either use pancake mix or all-purpose flour. If you use pancake mix, follow the instructions on the package. However, when preparing it from scratch, follow the steps below:

1. Add baking powder and salt to all-purpose flour
2. Prepare your wet ingredients (milk, egg, and melted butter/vegetable oil)
3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients (Be sure you know the difference between tbsp and tsp for your dry ingredients!)
4. Heat a frying pan over medium heat, then coat it with butter or cooking spray
5. Cook each side of the pancake until they are golden brown

Cooking Time

Since hotcakes are thicker and larger than pancakes, they take longer to cook. You can cook pancakes in a minute or two as they are thinner.

Shape

Another difference is that hotcakes are usually oval-shaped, while pancakes are round. However, their size and shape do not influence their taste or texture.

List Of Examples Of Hotcake And Pancake Use In Sentences

Hotcake and pancake are the easiest words to use in sentences because they apply in everyday contexts. They are not professional jargon or complex terms. People will easily understand you when you use the terms in written or spoken sentences. Below are some examples of sentences with the words “hotcake” and “pancake:”

Example sentences of the word hotcake

1. My mother refused to share her hotcake recipe with Mr. Lopez.
2. I was annoyed at my roommates because one of them ate my hotcake yesterday morning.
3. John always carries a hotcake for breakfast on Wednesdays.
4. Please sit down as I prepare a hotcake for my guest.
5. Rose almost burned the kitchen while preparing her breakfast hotcake.

Example sentences of the word pancake

1. Who can resist a pancake in the morning?
2. Jane missed her breakfast pancake because she had to hurry to the bus station after oversleeping.
3. My mother bought the most expensive pancake syrup at the store to spite my father.
4. Before eating, please dab a napkin on the pancake to eliminate the extra grease.
5. My trainer forbade me from eating even one pancake for an entire month.

Conclusion

While many may argue that pancakes and hotcakes are the same, this is not entirely true. These breakfast foods indeed feature similar ingredients, textures, and tastes, but they have a few differences.

First, pancakes are smaller and thinner than hotcakes; hence take less time to cook. Second, hotcakes are usually oval, while pancakes are round. So, it is safe to say that their differences are entirely cosmetic. Please feel free to use these words in your context now.