Oma's Kaiserschmarrn: Austrian Pancake Recipe – German Torn Pancakes (2024)

FAQs

What is Kaiserschmarrn made of? ›

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

The name means “imperial mess” in German. The story goes that a frazzled farmer created the dish in a tizzy when Austria's Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife showed up hungry at his home. As a last-ditch attempt to save face, the farmer shredded his disastrous pancake and topped it with sugar and marmalade.

“Without cream of tartar, the meringue wouldn't be as strong, which may result in pancakes that aren't as tall and fluffy as they could be,” she mentions. “Or you'd have a batter that weeps or begins to separate while it waits for its turn on the griddle.”

Kaiserschmarrn is a well-known Austrian dessert. It was popular in the former Austria–Hungary as well as in Bavaria. The Czech name is "trhanec" or "kajzršmorn". In Hungary it is called "császármorzsa" or simply "smarni".

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”.

Serve with a plum or berry ragout, or fruit compote. The Kaiserschmarren can also be cooked at the top of the oven and caramelised at the end with a lid to cover.

There are many legends on the origins of Kaiserschmarrn. Wikipedia provides the most fanciful legend surrounding its creation by the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in the days of the Empire. It is generally agreed that the dish was first prepared for the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I (1830–1916).

Kaiserschmarren is prepared from pancake dough and – besides the Sacher Cake – one of the most popular sweets of the Viennese cuisine. Enjoy this imperial Viennese delicacy! One of the many legends about the origin of Kaiserschmarren says that Emperor Franz Joseph I liked to have Palatschinken (pancakes) for dessert.

If the pan isn't hot enough then the liquid does not heat up and create the steam quickly enough and so the flour will cook through and set before the pancake can rise. We suggest that you give the oven and skillet plenty of time to heat up thoroughly before adding the batter.

How are German Pancakes different than American Pancakes? German pancakes use a whole lot more eggs and no added leavening agent. German Pancakes are also baked in the oven to a golden perfection.

Does milk instead of water make pancakes better? ›

Can I Use Water Instead of Milk in Pancakes? Milk adds both flavor and texture to pancake batter, so if you are looking to make pancakes without milk, a simple swap to water doesn't always do the trick. For pancakes made without milk, you'll want to add some flavor through melted butter and vanilla extract.

Adding baking powder is the easiest way to make fluffy pancakes. There's more than one way to make the bubbles that make a pancake fluffy, but the easiest way is by adding a raising agent such as baking powder.

Pancake lovers' biggest complaint when adding water instead of milk is that the flavor seems to change. Pancakes aren't as richly flavored with water. There are a few ways to improve your batter when you've used water, including: Add extra butter.

The batter is made with flour, tempura scraps (tenkasu), grated yam (nagaimo or yamaimo), and eggs. It's then mixed with shredded cabbage and sometimes additional ingredients like shrimp and squid. A classic topping is pork belly slices, placed on top of the savory pancake while grilling.

The batter for Swedish pancakes contains a higher ratio of milk, butter, and eggs to flour, resulting in something that's lighter and fluffier than crêpes. Swedish pancakes are also traditionally served with jam (lingonberry or strawberry) and whipped cream, although these days, anything goes.

A Dutch pancake is usually larger and much thinner than the thick and fluffy American pancakes. If you order a Dutch pancake at PANCAKES Amsterdam, you will get a delicious thin pancake with a diameter of 32 centimeters. Pancakes are made of basic ingredients, namely flour, milk, salt, and eggs.