Austrian Kaiserschmarrn Bread Pudding Gratin

About This Recipe

Kaiserschmarrn is Austria's famous shredded pancake dessert, traditionally cooked in a pan and torn into irregular pieces with two forks before being dusted with powdered sugar. This gratin-style adaptation takes the same caramelized, torn pancake pieces and bakes them under a light custard, giving a softer, more cohesive dessert closer to a bread pudding while keeping the essential caramelized, slightly chewy texture that defines the original. The technique that matters is caramelizing the torn pancake pieces properly in butter and sugar before adding the custard, a step that develops the deep golden color and slightly crisp edges kaiserschmarrn is known for. Once caramelized, the pieces are transferred to a baking dish, covered in a light egg-and-milk custard, and baked briefly until just set, giving the dish a softer, more spoonable texture than the traditional stovetop version. Served warm with a dusting of powdered sugar and traditionally a side of stewed plums (Zwetschkenröster), this gratin adaptation offers a slightly different, more custardy take on one of Austria's most beloved and recognizable desserts.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.5 cupsall-purpose flour
• 4eggs(separated)
• 1.5 cupsmilk(divided)
• 0.33 cupsugar(divided)
• 0.25 tspfine sea salt
• 0.33 cupraisins
• 5 tbspbutter(divided)
• 0.5 cupheavy cream
• 0.5 cuppowdered sugar(for dusting)
• 1 cupstewed plums(or plum compote, for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the batter

   Whisk flour, egg yolks, 1 cup milk, half the sugar and salt into a smooth batter. Whip egg whites to soft peaks and fold in.

2. 2

   Cook the pancake

   Melt 2 tbsp butter in a wide pan over medium heat. Pour in the batter with raisins scattered over, cover, and cook 5-6 minutes until mostly set.

3. 3

   Tear and caramelize

   Flip in sections and tear into rough pieces with two forks. Add remaining butter and sugar, and cook 5-6 minutes, tossing, until deeply caramelized.

   Real caramelization here is key — the pieces should look genuinely golden-brown, not just lightly toasted.

4. 4

   Transfer to a baking dish

   Spread the caramelized pancake pieces into a buttered baking dish.

5. 5

   Add the custard

   Whisk remaining milk, cream and remaining sugar together and pour evenly over the pancake pieces.

6. 6

   Bake

   Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20-25 minutes until just set with a slight jiggle in the center. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with stewed plums.

Variations

• •

  Add a splash of rum to the batter for a more traditional, slightly boozy flavor.

• •

  Serve with applesauce instead of stewed plums, another classic pairing.

• •

  Add lemon zest to the batter for a brighter, more traditional flavor profile.

Storage

Best eaten warm the day it's made. Refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days and reheat gently in a low oven.

Frequently Asked Questions