Wiener Kaiserschmarrn is one of the most famous desserts in Austrian cuisine. Whenever I’m in Austria, I definitely have to order some Kaiserschmarrn. I love this sweet dish and that’s why I had to give it a try. And what can I say: This Kaiserschmarrn tastes delicious, although of course it is not exactly the same as the Austrian original…but pretty close.
It is light, fluffy and that smell when the batter bakes in the pan and oven is incredible. This dish is made in no time, but you still can hardly wait until it is finally done. Luckily, once baked, you do not have to wait any longer, you can serve and enjoy it right away. In fact, I should say, do not wait a second longer and eat it right away, before it gets cold.
You only need a few ingredients and I think you have most of them on hand at home anyway. Because this recipe is so quick to make and contains such simple ingredients, I love it as a spontaneous breakfast on a cozy Sunday morning. For me, Kaiserschmarrn is simply comfort food. Love it.
Tools & Equipment
- 25cm/10-inch cast-iron skillet
- 2 small bowls
- Fork
- Handheld mixer
- Large bowl
- Medium bowl
- Silicone spatula
- Slotted spatula
- Whisk
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Raisins: A traditional Kaiserschmarrn has raisins in it. Although I’m not a big fan of raisins, they go pretty well with Kaiserschmarrn and I like them in there. But you can omit them if you do not like raisins.
Baking: You can bake Kaiserschmarrn in the pan or use the combination of pan and oven. If you use only the pan for baking, pour the batter into the pan no higher than 1,5cm/0,6-inch and set on medium heat. After 6-7 minutes, quarter and flip with a spatula, let cook for another 3-4 minutes. Then tear into small pieces.
Serving Kaiserschmarrn: I love Kaiserschmarrn on its own, with just some powdered sugar on top. Traditionally, the dessert is often served with plum compote or applesauce. But you can choose any other compote you like. Adding vanilla sauce is also delicious.
Ingredients for Wiener Kaiserschmarrn
Step by Step Guide – How to Make Wiener Kaiserschmarrn
Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F. Separate the eggs. Whisk together the egg yolks with 30g sugar until light and foamy.
Add the flour alternately with the milk and stir until smooth and thick.
Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold into the thick batter using a silicone spatula.
Melt the butter in the skillet. Slowly pour in the batter, no higher than 2cm/0,8-inch, and cook over medium heat, for about 8-10 minutes. Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven, quarter and flip the batter. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and tear the Kaiserschmarrn into irregular pieces.
Add the raisins, mix well and sprinkle the remaining sugar on top. Place the pan back in the oven to caramelize the sugar, for about 1 minute. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with compote, applesauce or vanilla sauce.
Storage: Kaiserschmarrn tastes best fresh and when it is hot. When it cools down, it becomes firmer. However, you can reheat it in the pan and it will still taste good, but unfortunately not as good as freshly made. Leftovers can be stored, covered tightly, in the fridge for up to 3 days. I do not freeze leftovers, because Kaiserschmarrn can be prepared quickly and as already mentioned, it simply tastes best fresh.
My Summary for Wiener Kaiserschmarrn
Difficulty: Simple.
Taste: Kaiserschmarrn tastes sweet. Since the batter is similar to pancake batter in terms of ingredients, the flavor also reminds me a bit of pancakes.
Texture: This is where the similarity to pancakes ends, as for Kaiserschmarrn the batter is simply torn apart. This results in different bite-sized pieces that taste light and fluffy. So delicious.
Time: It takes about 15 minutes to make the batter and about 20 minutes to bake it. That’s it and then you can enjoy the warm Kaiserschmarrn directly. Yum…!
More “BREAKFAST” Recipes
- Basic Sourdough Bread
- Braided Sweet Bread
- Bread Pudding
- Malasadas
- Pistachio Babka
- White Chocolate Mango Banana Bread
