What is Kaiserschmarrn made of?

Kaiserschmarren is a light, caramelized pancake made from a sweet batter using flour, eggs, sugar, salt, and milk , fried in butter.

Where was Kaiserschmarrn invented?

The story goes that a frazzled farmer created the dish in a tizzy when Austria's Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife showed up hungry at his home. As a last-ditch attempt to save face, the farmer shredded his disastrous pancake and topped it with sugar and marmalade.

What is another name for Kaiserschmarrn?

Kaiserschmarrn is a well-known Austrian dessert. It was popular in the former Austria–Hungary as well as in Bavaria. The Czech name is "trhanec" or "kajzršmorn" . In Hungary it is called "császármorzsa" or simply "smarni".

What does Kaiserschmarrn mean in English?

What is Kaiserschmarrn? Kaiserschmarrn is best described as scrambled sweet pancakes. The name is a compound of the German words Kaiser which means Emporer and Schmarrn which can be translated as “a scrambled dish”.

What is a fun fact about Kaiserschmarrn?

One of the many legends about the origin of Kaiserschmarren says that Emperor Franz Joseph I liked to have Palatschinken (pancakes) for dessert. If the cook made them too thick or torn, they were served to the staff as "Kaiserschmarrn", because they were not good enough for the Emperor.

Who invented German pancakes?

More About the Origin This was a family-run restaurant that belonged to Victor Manca and was situated in Seattle, Washington. And although these pancakes are typically obtained from the German pancake dish, it's believed that one of Victor Manca's daughters coined the name Dutch baby.

Who made the first pancake in the world?

History. The Ancient Greeks made pancakes called τηγανίτης (tēganitēs), ταγηνίτης (tagēnitēs) or ταγηνίας (tagēnias), all words deriving from τάγηνον (tagēnon), "frying pan". The earliest attested references to tagenias are in the works of the 5th-century BC poets Cratinus and Magnes.

What is Japanese pancake made of?

The batter is made with flour, tempura scraps (tenkasu), grated yam (nagaimo or yamaimo), and eggs . It's then mixed with shredded cabbage and sometimes additional ingredients like shrimp and squid. A classic topping is pork belly slices, placed on top of the savory pancake while grilling.

What are Chinese pancakes made of?

Ingredients Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Nicotinamide, Thiamine), Water, Rapeseed Oil, Potato Starch,

What is Swedish pancakes made of?

The batter for Swedish pancakes contains a higher ratio of milk, butter, and eggs to flour , resulting in something that's lighter and fluffier than crêpes. Swedish pancakes are also traditionally served with jam (lingonberry or strawberry) and whipped cream, although these days, anything goes.

Kaiserschmarrn Recipe - (Austrian Shredded Pancake)

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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!

Kaiserschmarrn Recipe - (Austrian Shredded Pancake) - The Foreign Fork (1)

“Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!”

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.

Kaiserschmarrn Recipe - (Austrian Shredded Pancake) - The Foreign Fork (2)

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

Kaiserschmarrn Recipe - (Austrian Shredded Pancake) - The Foreign Fork (3)

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

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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

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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

Kaiserschmarrn Recipe - (Austrian Shredded Pancake) - The Foreign Fork (6)

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

Kaiserschmarrn Recipe - (Austrian Shredded Pancake) - The Foreign Fork (7)

How to Know When Your Kaiserschmarrn is Ready to Flip

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.

What Country is Kaiserschmarrn From?

This recipe originated in Austria but it is also enjoyed in Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, and the Czech Republic (under different names

Is this a Breakfast or Dessert Food?

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