Kaiserschmarrn
Kaiserschmarrn literally means “emperor's mess” — a thick, fluffy pancake deliberately torn into pieces and caramelised in the pan. The lift comes purely from whipped egg whites, so there is no baking powder and no shortcut.
Your own work in that: 0 min.
- Soaking the raisins 15 min
- Batter with meringue 10 min
- Frying the pancake 10 min
- Tearing and caramelising 5 min
Step by step
0 / 6 doneSoak the raisins
Cover the raisins with rum and leave for 15 minutes. They plump up and stop stealing moisture from the batter. Drain before using, but keep the rum — it goes into the batter.
Ingredients: 60 g raisins · 3 tbsp rum
Whip the whites
Whisk 4 egg whites with a pinch of salt to stiff peaks, adding 20 g of the sugar towards the end. The meringue should hold a firm peak on the whisk — it is what lifts this pancake.
Ingredients: 4 pcs eggs · 150 g plain flour · 250 ml milk · 55 g sugar · 1 tsp vanilla sugar · 1 pinch salt · 50 g butter · 3 tbsp icing sugar
TipA trace of fat or yolk in the bowl and the whites will never stiffen. Wipe the bowl with lemon.
A firm peak — weaker whites give a flat pancake instead of a fluffy Schmarrn.Make the base and combine
Whisk the yolks with 20 g of the sugar, the vanilla sugar, the milk and the rum drained from the raisins, add the flour and mix until smooth. Stir in one third of the meringue to loosen the batter, then fold in the rest with a spatula in two additions, lifting from the bottom.
Ingredients: 4 pcs eggs · 150 g plain flour · 250 ml milk · 55 g sugar · 1 tsp vanilla sugar · 1 pinch salt · 50 g butter · 3 tbsp icing sugar
TipThe batter should be as thick as waffle batter. If it runs off the spoon in a stream, add a spoonful of flour.
Fry a thick pancake
Melt half the butter in a 26 cm pan over medium-low heat. Pour in all the batter (a layer about 2 cm deep), level it and scatter over the drained raisins. Cook 6–7 minutes covered, until the base is golden and the top almost set.
Ingredients: 4 pcs eggs · 150 g plain flour · 250 ml milk · 55 g sugar · 1 tsp vanilla sugar · 1 pinch salt · 50 g butter · 3 tbsp icing sugar
Raisins go on top so they do not sink and scorch.Tear and caramelise
Flip the pancake (easiest cut into quarters with a spatula first) and after a minute tear it with two forks into rough chunks. Add the remaining butter, sprinkle with the rest of the sugar (about 1 tablespoon) and fry 3–4 minutes more, stirring, until the edges caramelise.
Ingredients: 4 pcs eggs · 150 g plain flour · 250 ml milk · 55 g sugar · 1 tsp vanilla sugar · 1 pinch salt · 50 g butter · 3 tbsp icing sugar
TipUneven pieces are not sloppiness — more edges means more caramel.
Two forks and a moment of chaos.Serve heavily dusted
Pile onto plates and dust generously with icing sugar through a sieve — the way it is served in Austria. Serve with plum compote or apple sauce.
Ingredients: 4 pcs eggs · 150 g plain flour · 250 ml milk · 55 g sugar · 1 tsp vanilla sugar · 1 pinch salt · 50 g butter · 3 tbsp icing sugar
Before you start
Alcohol free
Soak the raisins in hot apple juice or tea — they plump up just the same.
For four people
Double the batch but fry in two rounds. Too thick a pancake will not set in the middle.
Oven version
Use an ovenproof pan. After 4 minutes on the hob, slide it into an oven preheated to 200°C for 8 minutes — the top rises even higher. Then tear the pancake and caramelise it on the hob as in step 5.
