Kaiserschmarren: the sweet, fluffy recipe for the Austrian shredded pancake

Kaiserschmarren (also known as Kaiserschmarrn) is a slightly sweet, fluffy pancake that was named by Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I. It’s said that he was a big fan of this fluffy, “shredded” pancake. It’s a popular recipe in Eastern Europe, where it’s often served as either dessert or even a light lunch.

What can you expect? Ultra-light and fluffy pancakes with just the right amount of sweetness in each bite. No need to go out and buy special ingredients. Grab a few eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla extract, and butter, and start baking! It’s a great way to make dessert for a large group, and they definitely won’t want to stop after one serving.

Tips

Depending on what you like, you can add other ingredients to the Kaiserschmarren.

Dried fruits: cranberries or raisins. For added flavor, soak your raisins in rum beforehand.

Fresh strawberries, blueberries, or banana slices.

Chocolate chips or miniature M&M’s.

You can even make it savory by adding ham and cheese.

The egg whites will increase about 8 times in volume, so make sure you start with a big enough bowl. It’s absolutely essential to wipe the bowl clean before you start beating the egg whites. If there is any fat residue (or even a bit of egg yolk), the egg whites won’t whip properly.

Make sure to use the freshest eggs possible. This will ensure perfectly whipped egg whites. Add cream of tartar it stabilizes the egg whites to create a stable meringue. Use 1/8 tsp per egg white, and if you don’t have cream of tartar, you can use lemon juice (1/2 tsp per egg white).

To make it dairy-free, you can use almond milk instead of regular milk.

Make sure to rest your Kaiserschmarren batter. This gives the gluten time to relax, which means light and fluffy Kaiserschmarren. Rest for at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 days.

Use a medium frying pan— either a non-stick pan or a well-seasoned cast-iron pan.

Don’t make the pan too hot, instead cook over medium heat. If the pan is too hot, the batter will cook before it spread completely to the sides.

How To Store Kaiserschmarren

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep it in an airtight container.

How To Make Kaiserschmarren

Beat egg whites with salt and half of the sugar until stiff peaks form.

Whisk egg yolks with vanilla and leftover sugar.

Add milk and flour. Whisk until smooth batter forms. Whisk egg whites into the batter carefully to save as much air as possible.

Heat a 26 cm pan with some butter in it over the medium heat.

Pour the batter on top, wait for 1 minute, then remove from the stove and transfer into the oven preheated to 200C/400F.

Cook for 10 minutes, then remove and chop into pieces immediately.

You should get a shredded pancake.

Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

Serve with a dollop of fresh cream, ice cream, fresh berries, or your favor