Authentic Kaiserschmarrn Recipe (Austrian Torn-Up Pancakes) (2024)

FAQs

Why are my pancakes ripping? ›

If the batter is too thin, or you have used insufficient eggs then you may find that your pancakes break up easily.

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

In his honor, it was improved with milk, raisins and eggs. So the traditional Holzfällerschmarrn became the fine Kaiserschmarrn. Another legend says that the Emperor Franz Joseph I liked to have pastries for dessert, especially Palatschinken (an Austrian version of the French crêpe).

Prügeltorte is a special type of Austrian cake, often seen at celebrations like weddings, christenings, and during the Christmas season. It is a beloved part of traditional Austrian cuisine.

The first is that heat hasn't yet evenly distributed across the surface of the pan when the first dollop of batter is added. The centre of the pan will invariably be hotter than the edges and there will be hot spots – especially with thin pans or with pans that are too big for the burner or hob.

Eggs are a crucial ingredient. They provide the cakes with the structure to hold light bubbles. Eggs also give the batter additional, richer flavor from the yolk fat. If you add too many eggs, you'll have “pancakes” that look more like custard or crepes.

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”.

The chopped pancakes are a long-term favourite in Austria. While the Austro-Hungarian monarchy may have united any number of peoples under its emblem of the two eagles, when it came to his choice of meals Emperor Franz Joseph proved very loyal to his native country and region.

Various stories surround the origins of the dish, all of which relate to the name. Kaiser is German for Emperor and Schmarrn is a colloquial expression for a mess or nonsense, often uttered in exasperation at some unfortunate situation. (Ironically, I tend to make a Schmarrn of making Kaiserschmarren.)

The Apfelstrudel is the most popular pastry in Germany. Germans often top Apfelstrudel with vanilla cream and whipped cream. What is Germany's most famous dessert? Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte is Germany's most famous dessert.

What is a German dessert called? ›

Kuchen. Kuchen is the German word for cake, and is used in other languages as the name for several different types of sweet desserts, pastries, and gateaux.

English sweets included many types of cakes, custards, and fritters such as funnel cake. They used strawberries, apples, figs, raisins, currants and almonds. They also made cheese-based sweets including cheesecake.

Apfelstrudel. Ah, right up the top of your list of desserts associated with Austria and Vienna is likely Apfelstrudel (apple strudel).

Sometimes we also eat a "Mehlspeise". Austrians prefer a sweet breakfast and like to eat their bread with butter and jam. But some people rather eat a savoury breakfast with ham and cheese. The most popular beverage, by the way, is coffee, closely followed by tea!

Glühwein & Punsch

If you ever visit a Christmas market in Austria, there's no chance of leaving without having tasted at least one mug of Glühwein or Punsch. Glühwein is the German word for mulled wine—a drink we probably all know too well. Punsch is a traditional mixture of fruit juice or tea with spices and liquor.

If you fear your pancake batter may have been mixed beyond repair, an egg could help to salvage the texture. In another bowl, whisk an egg white until stiff peaks form. Then, fold the egg whites into the pancake batter until it's loosely combined, and then cook up the pancakes as usual.

There are a couple of ways to tell if your pancake mix has turned inedible. If there are clumps in the batter, this might mean that your mix was exposed to moisture and shouldn't be consumed. Additionally, if the mix smells soured this means the powdered milk in the batter has gone bad.