Pancake Souffle Muffins with Strawberry Maple Syrup

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Generously spray two 12-cup muffin pans with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.

In a large, clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until firm peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

In another large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the mixer on medium-high speed until light yellow and thick ribbons form, about 6 minutes. Add the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla; mix on medium-low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add one-third of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed. Add one-third of the buttermilk and mix to combine. Alternate adding the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk, ending with the buttermilk and mixing until just combined.

With a large rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter, leaving some streaks.

Scoop about 1/2 cup of the batter into each muffin cup – you can fill the cups to the rims. Bake until browned on top and puffed, and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out dry, about 18-22 minutes. (Note the tops of the muffins will deflate slightly.)

Pour the maple syrup into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Then remove it from the heat. Prepare the strawberries and put them into a glass bowl. Pour the warm syrup over the strawberries and set in a warm place until ready to use.