Name: Kaiserschmarrn (Shredded pancake)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: serves 4 people
Cuisine: Austrian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp butter; 180 g all-purpose flour (6.4 oz or 1 1/2 cup); 1/2 tsp baking powder; 3 eggs; 90 g granulated sugar ( 3.2 oz or 1/2 cup); 300 g milk (10.6 oz or 1 1/4 cup); 1/2 tsp vanilla essence or vanilla seeds; 1 tsp rum (optional); 2 tbsp icing sugar; 2 tbsp butter (for cooking)

Kaiserschmarrn (Shredded pancake)

If I should choose one thing to eat for the rest of my life, for breakfast, lunch or dinner, I would choose Kaiserschmarrn in a heartbeat. It's one of my all-time favorite treats and I honestly can't imagine not making it at least once every month. It's probably also the one thing I crave most often. Every time I say to Jernej "gosh honey, I soooo want to eat something delicious madly." He knows immediately what that is all about: It's time to make Kaiserschmarrn or for those of you who aren't familiar with the dish: Fluffy, shredded pancake. It's been in my family for as long as I can remember and it's honestly one of the most delicious pancakes you will ever make. Can't wait to share all the details about it below.

How to make Austrian Shredded Pancake

So this Austrian dessert called Kaiserschmarrn is one amazing treat that I am sure you guys will love. It's basically a sweet pancake, that's shredded into bite-size pieces. It's one of our favorites because:

has a beautifully caramelized exterior
has a soft and fluffy interior
loved by kids and adults
prepared on a stove or in the oven
easy recipe
served with delicious fruit preserves

Ingredients

Butter - First make the brown butter. It adds an amazing nutty aroma to the schamrrn. It's not the same if you use oil or melted butter.

Flour - Use white flour, plain flour or all-purpose flour. Makes it fluffy, light with a wonderful cakey texture. Other flours won't work in this recipe.

Baking powder - To give it an extra spring. You can use baking soda as well - it's not traditional though.

Eggs - Bind everything together. Egg whites are one of the most crucial ingredients in this recipe. It’s super important to really gently fold in the egg whites so that there aren’t any white lumps left.

Sugar - Use regular white sugar.

Milk - Full-fat milk is the way to go.

Rum - Optional, but it adds an amazing flavor.

Raisins - There aren't raisins in this recipe, but they are very popular and common, also traditional in other Kaiserschmarrn recipes. For the best possible result, soak the raisins in hot water or even better, in rum (for at least 30 minutes). Drain and sprinkle them on top of the Kaiserschmarrn batter while cooking.

What is Kaiserschmarrn

Kaiserschmarrn is one of my all-time favorite pancakes. It originates from Austria, Europe and it was first prepared for the Emperor (hence the name Kaiser) Franz Joseph I. It's also pretty popular here in Slovenia, where we call it "cesarski praženec" or "šmorn". The batter is cakey and light and it's made with flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and milk. Occasionally, raisins are added too. It can be served both as a meal or as dessert, hot or at room temperature. Serve it with fruit preserves and some icing sugar, it's the best.

Can I make it in the oven

Yes. You can prepare Kaiserschmarrn in the oven as well. Use a skillet or oven-proof pan. In that case, cook the Kaiserschmarrn in the oven for about 10 - 15 minutes at 180 °C / 350 °F. Using a spatula or a fork tear the pancake into bite-sized pieces and finish the recipe on the stove.

What to serve with Kaiserschmarrn

Rhubarb Compote
Apricot Jam with Vanilla (or any other fruit jam)

Other delicious pancakes worth making

METHOD

brown butter

Place a non-stick pan with a double bottom (24 cm or 9-inch) over medium-high heat. Add the butter and let it melt. As the butter melts, it will begin to foam. Leave it to foam until you can smell a lovely nutty aroma and the butter becomes lightly brown. Remove from the heat and bring to room temperature.
dry ingredients and eggs

Add all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder to a bowl. Stir to combine. Separate egg whites from the egg yolks. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer. When the whites start to foam, gradually start adding the sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Kaiserschmarrn batter

Add two tablespoons of dry ingredients (flour mixture) to the egg yolks in a bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon, to get a nice, glossy paste texture. Add half of the milk and the rest of the flour mixture. Stir with a whisk, make sure to get rid of any lumps. Add the rest of the milk, vanilla, rum (optional) and brown butter (room temperature). Stir to combine. Make sure to get rid of any lumps. Now gently fold in the stiff egg whites, working in batches of three. It’s super important to really gently fold in the egg whites so that there aren’t any white lumps left.
Cook

Place a non-stick pan with a double bottom (24 cm or 9-inch) over low heat. Add the butter (2 tbsp) and let it melt. Pour the kaiserschmarrn batter into the pan. Cover with a lid and cook for about 15 - 20 minutes on low heat or until nice and golden brown underneath. Using a spatula, divide the shredded pancakes into quarters and carefully turn the kaiserschmarrn. Cook for another 10 minutes (uncovered).
Tear and Serve

Using a spatula or a fork tear the pancake into bite-sized pieces. Increase the heat, sprinkle with 1 tbsp of icing sugar. Toss the pieces with a spatula and cook for another 2 - 3 minutes until the sugar caramelizes. Serve as soon as possible. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with warm fruit jam (our favorite is plum jam) or compote on the side. Enjoy.