Kaiserschmarrn Recipe

Let’s allow ourselves to destroy a regular pancake and make a Kaiserschmarrn, called "trhanec" in Czech! I guarantee you’ll enjoy this sweet treat a lot. Curious? Then hurry up to the kitchen!

➜ What Is Kaiserschmarrn

Kaiserschmarrn is a sweet Austrian dessert made with raisins. It resembles a big soft pancake, torn into bite-sized pieces while being fried in the pan. Then, the fried chips are served on a plate and dusted with powdered sugar.

Kaiserschmarrn is popular in Austria and across the whole of Central Europe, like south Germany (Bavaria), Slovenia, or Hungary.

We know this sweet delicacy as “trhanec” or “císařský trhanec” here in the Czech Republic.

➜ Meaning

The name Kaiserschmarrn consists of two German words: Kaiser and Schmarrn. Kaiser means Emperor, Schmarrn could be translated as a failure, something that didn’t quite work. 

You see, both words describe exactly what a Kaiserschmarrn is – a shredded pancake!

➜ History

You may wonder why I am introducing an Austrian dish here on a blog with Czech recipes. But trust me, it makes sense! 

The Czech lands were a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918. Therefore, Czech cuisine has a lot in common with the Austrian one. Besides Kaiserschmarrn, great examples are also traditional apple strudel or Wiener schnitzel.

And how did Kaiserschmarrn come to be? 

According to one legend, it was prepared by the Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1854–1898) herself when she failed to flip the pancake and tore it into pieces. 

Another legend says that the Kaiserschmarrn was prepared by a farmer who unexpectedly had the imperial couple over for lunch. Nervously, he shredded the pancake into several smaller pieces and, to cover his mistake, spread plum jam on it.

Nowadays, you can enjoy Kaiserschmarrn mostly in Viennas cafés. Also the Austrian alpine huts have this delicacy traditionally ready for the hikers and skiers on their menus. 

In Czech restaurants, this sweet is not so common. If you’re lucky, you’ll find it under the name “trhanec”.

➜ Ingredients

You can prepare Kaiserschmarrn from a few basic ingredients that you probably have in your cupboard at home.

• All-purpose flour
• Eggs; with the yolk and white separated
• Milk
• Unsalted butter; 2x1 Tbsp, each tablespoon for frying of one pancake's side
• Salt
• A handful of raisins, soaked in brown rum ahead (optional)
• Granulated sugar
• Powdered sugar; for the final icing
• Jam for serving

➜ Instructions

The batter for Kaiserschmarrn is straightforward. You only need a 10-inch (25 cm) non-stick pan with a properly fitting lid.

STEP 1: Sift the flour mixed with salt into a bowl. In a clean bowl, whisk the milk, granulated sugar, and egg yolks. Stir the egg mixture into the flour until a pancake batter is created. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

STEP 2: Meanwhile, whip the egg whites into stiff snow and then gently fold them into the batter.

STEP 3: In a large frying pan (with a lid), melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Pour in the batter and sprinkle with raisins. 

STEP 4: Cover with the lid, wait until the underside is browned, then use two forks to tear the thick pancake into bite-sized pieces. At this point, add the 2nd Tbsp butter to the pan. Flip the shredded pieces and fry them until golden. 

➜ Serving

Serve dusted with powdered sugar as a dessert or a light lunch. If you want, you can add a bowl of good jam.

Cook’s Tip

• The Kaiserschmarrn pancake should be about 1-inch high. If the batter layer is higher, the bottom will be cooked through, while the middle will still be runny.
• It is important to fry the pancake over medium heat. If you turned the heat too high, Kaiserschmarrn would be burnt downside. Be patient, please!

More Czech sweets:

• Loupáčky – sweet crescent rolls with poppy seeds
• Bábovka – marble bundt cake
• Kolache – authentic Czech!

Kaiserschmarrn Recipe

Let’s allow ourselves to destroy a pancake and make a Kaiserschmarrn, called "trhanec" in Czech! I guarantee you’ll enjoy this sweet treat a lot. Curious? Let’s hurry up and cook!

Print Pin

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 2

Author: Petra Kupská

Equipment

• a 10-inch non-stick pan

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Austrian

Keyword: European Recipes

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 eggs with the yolk and white separated
• ▢ 1 cup (240 ml) milk
• ▢ 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• ▢ handful raisins optionally soaked in rum ahead
• ▢ pinch of salt
• ▢ powdered sugar for the final icing
• ▢ jam for serving

Instructions

• Sift the flour mixed with salt into a bowl. In a clean bowl, whisk the milk, granulated sugar, and egg yolks. Stir the egg mixture into the flour until a pancake batter is created. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whip the egg whites into stiff snow and then gently fold them into the batter.
• In a large frying pan (with a lid), melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Pour in the batter and sprinkle with raisins on the surface.
• Cover with the lid, wait until the underside is browned, then use two forks to tear the thick pancake into bite-sized pieces. At this point, add the 2nd Tbsp butter to the pan. Flip the shredded pieces and fry them until golden.

Notes

1. Makes 2 portions.
2. Serve dusted with powdered sugar as a dessert or a light lunch. If you want, you can add a bowl of good jam.
3. The Kaiserschmarrn pancake should be about 1-inch high. If the batter layer is higher, the bottom will be cooked through, while the middle will still be runny.
4. It is important to fry the pancake over medium heat. If you turned the heat too high, Kaiserschmarrn would be burnt downside. Be patient, please!

DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:

Conversion chart

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