Kaiserschmarrn

A fluffy Austrian pancake torn into pieces in the pan, lightly caramelized and served with powdered sugar and fruit compote.

Kaiserschmarrn: A cast iron pan of torn fluffy Kaiserschmarrn pancake pieces with raisins, dusted with powdered sugar, a bowl of plum compote beside it
  • Cakes, cookies, pastries and baked goods
  • Austria

Also called: Kaiserschmarren

The batter is made from flour, milk, egg yolks and sugar, with whipped egg whites folded in for lightness. It cooks in butter in a large pan, often with raisins soaked in rum. Once it sets and browns on both sides, it is torn into bite-size pieces with two forks and tossed with a little more butter and sugar until caramelized.

It is served with a heavy dusting of powdered sugar and plum compote or applesauce. The name is linked to the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph, and it is a classic in mountain huts and cafés.

Bake it at VanillaGoods

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Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. Kaiserschmarren, Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture (BMLUK), Register of Traditional Foods