Shredded pancakes, rum-soaked raisins, and a side of plum preserves make this Kaiserschmarrn, a popular Austrian dessert. The sugar that coats the pancake caramelizes to make a sweet and delicious Austrian treat!
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Austrian Food is packed to the brim with absolutely delightful recipes (my favorite is this Wiener Schnitzel). And what’s even better– Austrians absolutely love their dessert (Sacher Torte, anyone?). And this recipe proves it!
Recipe Origins
What does Kaiserschmarrn mean, you ask? When translated, the word “kaiser” is German for “emperor” and “schmarrn” means “mess”. So the name means “Emperor’s Mess”.
The name is no joke! Kaiserschmarrn sure does look like a mess, but my-oh-my is it a delicious mess.
There are a few theories about how Kaiserschmarrn got its name, and all of them involve the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I in one way or another. This is my favorite:
How Kaiserschmarrn Got Its Name
Emperor Franz Joseph I was married to Elisabeth of Bavaria. Elisabeth was very health conscious and strict about keeping a healthy diet, so she requested that the royal chef only make her very light desserts.
Franz Joseph, on the other hand, loved dessert. He found this quality about Elisabeth irritating.
One day the royal chef made this dish for Elisabeth, but she found it far too rich, so she gave it to her husband to eat instead. Upon being handed the plate, Franz Joseph said “Now let me see what “schmarren” this chef has cooked up.”
He ended up loving the dessert and finishing both helpings. Kaiserschmarrn has been a common dessert in Austria ever since!
Why Make this Recipe
- “Travel” to Austria: If you want to try some flavors of Austria, this is a good recipe to try! If you ACTUALLY want to travel to Austria, check out this list of the Best Places to Visit in Austria.
- Fluffy: This pancake recipe is delicious. It is so thick and fluffy, and is sweet without being overpowering.
- Breakfast OR dessert!: You pick. I won’t judge 😉
What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?
Ingredients
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Rum: I used spiced rum. You can use whatever you have on hand.
- Raisins: These are traditional to include, but you can omit them if you do not like raisins.
- Flour: All purpose flour
- Lemon: You will only need the zest.
Tools
- Utensils: Whisk, rubber spatula, spatula
- Electric Hand Mixer: Or a stand mixer
- Mixing Bowls: Small, medium, and large
- Pan: I use my largest frying pan for this recipe.
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Soak the Raisins
In a small bowl, soak the raisins in the rum for about 15 minutes.
Then, strain the raisins out of the rum and discard the rum.
Set the raisins aside.
Step 2: Make the Batter
In a medium bowl, mix the egg yolks with the vanilla, milk, lemon zest, and salt. Add the flour and 2 tbsp of granulated sugar. Whisk until combined.
Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Add ½ tbsp of granulated sugar and continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
Add the egg whites into the batter and gently hand mix with a rubber spatula until the whites from the whites blend into the batter.
Step 3: Cook the Pancake
Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Once the butter begins to bubble, add the batter into the pan.
Sprinkle the top of the batter with the rum-soaked raisins and the remaining ½ tbsp of granulated sugar. Cover with lid and allow it to cook for 3-5 minutes.
Once the bottom is cooked, flip the pancake. Continue cooking until the Kaiserschmarrn batter is cooked all the way through.
Step 4: Shred and Serve
Once cooked, leave the pancake in the pan but use a spatula to cut the pancake into uneven bites.
Top the shredded pancake with powdered sugar and serve with a side of applesauce or plum preserves. Serve warm in the pan.
What to Top Kaiserschmarrn With
There are a lot of options for toppings/dips you can use with your kaiserschmarrn. This recipe calls for
- Applesauce
- Plum Preserves
You can also use
- Four Berry Jam
- Red Currant Jam
- Raspberry Jam
- Lingonberry Compote
- Strawberry Compote
- Plain
Other Add Ins
This recipe calls for rum-soaked raisins, the most popular addition to Kaiserschmarrn. If you want to experiment with other additions, you can also try:
- Slivered almonds
- Cherries
- Plums
- Small pieces of apple
Caramelizing Your Pancake
If you want to add a bit of caramelization to the pancakes, add a coat of powdered sugar after the pancakes have been cut.
Continue stirring the pancakes over the heat for a few minutes until the sugar crusts onto the pancake. Then sprinkle a bit more sugar and serve with jam.
Expert Tips
- Some recipes for Kaiserschmarrn pour a tablespoon or 2 of the reserved rum into the pancake batter. If you like the taste of rum, you can certainly do this!
- Be gentle when folding the egg whites into the batter! We want as much air in the batter as possible, and the more you mix, the more air deflates out of the eggs.
- You may need to cut the large pancake in half in order to flip it. That is totally fine as we will be destroying the pancake when it is done cooking anyways.
Recipe FAQs
You will know your pancake is ready to flip when you see that the edges have begun firming up. You can even peek to make sure that the bottom is browned.
The pancake will not bubble like most pancakes do, so you will need to rely on looking at the edges and checking the bottom.
This recipe originated in Austria but it is also enjoyed in Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, and the Czech Republic (under different names
In Austria, Kaiserschmarrn is usually eaten as a dessert food.
However, in America we typically eat pancakes for breakfast, so I sometimes enjoy this for breakfast, too.
Did you like this recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
- Liptauer from Austria
- Kasespatzle from Germany and Austria
- Swiss Roll Recipe with Raspberry Filling
- How to Make a Pancake Breakfast Board
If you make this recipe at home, leave a review/comment on this post letting us know what you thought!
And don’t forget to share a photo of your finished product on Facebook and Instagram and tag @TheForeignFork and hashtag #TheForeignFork.
Kaiserschmarrn Recipe (Austrian Shredded Pancake)
Equipment
- Whisk, rubber spatula, spatula
- Electric Hand Mixer
- Various Mixing Bowls
- Large Frying Pan
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Rum
- ¼ cup raisins
- 3 eggs, separated
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk
- zest of one lemon
- Pinch salt
- 1 cup flour
- 2 ½ tbsp sugar, divided
- 2 tbsp Butter
- powdered sugar, for topping
- Plum preserves , for dipping
Instructions
- In a small bowl, soak ¼ cup raisins in 2 tbsp rum for about 15 minutes. Then, strain the raisins out of the rum and discard the rum. Set the raisins aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the 3 egg yolks with the ½ tsp vanilla, ¾ cup milk, lemon zest from one lemon, and a pinch of salt. Add the 1 cup flour and 2 tbsp of granulated sugar. Whisk until combined.
- Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to whisk the 3 egg whites to soft peaks. Add ½ tbsp of granulated sugar and continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
- Add the egg whites into the batter and gently hand mix with a rubber spatula until the whites from the whites blend into the batter.
- Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large frying pan. Once the butter begins to bubble, add the batter into the pan.
- Sprinkle the top of the batter with the rum-soaked raisins and the remaining ½ tbsp of granulated sugar. Cover with lid and allow it to cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Once the bottom is cooked, flip the pancake. Continue cooking until the batter is cooked all the way through.
- Once cooked, leave the pancake in the pan but use a spatula to cut the pancake into uneven bites.
- Top the shredded pancake with powdered sugar and serve with a side of applesauce or plum preserves. Serve warm in the pan.
Notes
- Rum: I used spiced rum. You can use whatever you have on hand.
- Raisins: These are traditional to include, but you can omit them if you do not like raisins.
- Flour: All purpose flour
- Lemon: You will only need the zest.
- Some recipes pour a tablespoon or 2 of the reserved rum into the pancake batter. If you like the taste of rum, you can certainly do this!
- Be gentle when folding the egg whites into the batter! We want as much air in the batter as possible, and the more you mix, the more air deflates out of the eggs.
- You may need to cut the large pancake in half in order to flip it. That is totally fine as we will be destroying the pancake when it is done cooking anyways.
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