Kaiserschmarrn — Emperor's Pancake

About This Recipe

Kaiserschmarrn (Kaiser's Nonsense or Emperor's Mess) is Austria's most beloved dessert: a thick, enriched pancake batter is cooked until set on the underside, then torn into irregular chunks with two forks (the 'mess') and caramelised in butter and sugar until each piece has golden, slightly crispy edges. The result is a pile of rich, fluffy, slightly caramelised pancake pieces dusted generously with icing sugar, served with warm Zwetschkenröster (plum compote). Legend connects the dish to Emperor Franz Joseph I, who supposedly created it by accident or had it made for him, and the combination of elegant name and deliberately chaotic presentation has delighted Austrians for over 150 years.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4eggs(separated)
• 200 mlwhole milk
• 120 gplain flour
• 2 tablespoonssugar
• 1 pinchsalt
• 1 teaspoonvanilla extract
• 50 graisins(soaked in rum if desired)
• 40 gbutter
• 2 tablespoonssugar(for caramelising)
• 3 tablespoonsicing sugar(to dust)
• 400 gplums or damsons(for compote)
• 50 gsugar(for compote)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make plum compote

   Simmer halved and pitted plums with sugar and a tablespoon of water for 10 minutes until jammy. Set aside.

2. 2

   Make the batter

   Whisk egg yolks with milk, flour, sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth. Whip egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold gently into the yolk mixture.

   The whipped egg whites create the characteristic airy, fluffy texture — fold carefully to preserve as much volume as possible.

3. 3

   Cook and tear

   Melt butter in an ovenproof pan. Pour in batter and scatter raisins. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes until set underneath. Transfer to a 200°C oven for 8 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove and immediately tear into irregular pieces with two forks.

4. 4

   Caramelise and serve

   Return torn pieces to the pan over high heat. Scatter over 2 tablespoons of sugar. Toss for 2 minutes until pieces are lightly caramelised. Dust generously with icing sugar. Serve immediately with warm plum compote.

Variations

• •

  Apple compote instead of plum is equally traditional.

• •

  Some recipes add lemon zest to the batter.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Cannot be stored — make and serve immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions