When considering a visit to Vienna, photographs of delicious sweets inevitably spring to thoughts and this text is your information to discovering – and sampling – one of the best desserts in Vienna.
From the world-renowned Sachertorte to the fluffiest Strudels to the Austrian takes on pancakes and crepes, Vienna has no scarcity of scrumptious desserts to maintain your candy tooth glad throughout your subsequent journey to Central Europe.
However earlier than we dive into this checklist of one of the best desserts in Vienna, let’s take a look on the Austrian capital’s espresso home tradition, one of many metropolis’s defining options.
Vienna’s Espresso Home Tradition
The historical past of Vienna is so intertwined with its espresso home tradition that the latter was inscribed within the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage checklist in 2011. The Viennese have been launched to espresso after the tip of the Ottomans’ Siege of Vienna in 1683. Since then, a whole bunch of espresso homes opened within the metropolis.
Other than merely serving espresso, Vienna’s espresso homes quickly turned cultural hubs and assembly spots for writers, poets, and intellectuals who sought refuge throughout the partitions of the elegant espresso homes to jot down their masterpieces, all the time by the sound of classical music.
A few of Vienna’s oldest espresso homes didn’t survive the relentless passing of time, however people who did nonetheless stand as a testomony to Vienna’s previous grandeur. Amongst them, Café Demel, Café Central, Café Landtmann, Café Hawelka, and Café Sperl stand out.
Alongside these, trendy cafés deal with youthful or various crowds. Irrespective of which espresso homes you go to throughout your journey to Vienna, they’re all the proper locations to strive among the greatest Viennese desserts, paired with a cup of scrumptious Viennese scorching chocolate.
10 Greatest Desserts in Vienna To Attempt on Your Subsequent Austria Journey
1. Sachertorte
Sachertorte is the indeniable queen of Viennese desserts. It’s a dense chocolate cake with skinny layers of apricot jam inside, topped with darkish chocolate and sometimes served with unsweetened whipped cream on the facet.
This decadent cake was named after Franz Sacher, the apprentice chef who got here up with the unique recipe for Sachertorte when he was solely 16 years outdated. He did so to impress Prince Metternich and he was profitable. You possibly can strive the unique Sachertorte on the historic Café Sacher within the coronary heart of Vienna, which has been serving the unique cake for hundreds of years.
In fact, there are a number of different Sachertorte variations to strive throughout town. Among the finest is the equally well-known Eduard Sachertorte served at Café Demel with a pinch of an intriguing backstory that entails lawsuits between Resort Sacher and Café Demel as to which espresso store serves the unique model.
2. Apfelstrudel
A real image of Austrian culinary experience, Apfelstrudel – or Apple Strudel – might be the preferred among the many greatest desserts in Vienna on our checklist. Austrians love Strudel a lot that it’s thought-about one of many nation’s nationwide dishes.
Apple Strudel consists of skinny layers of dough full of a scrumptious apple-based filling with a fragile candy cinnamon taste.
You possibly can strive Apple Strudel wherever in Vienna: from historic espresso homes to trendy cafés to bakeries scattered throughout town. In case you can deal with extra sweetness – who can’t? – you may order your Strudel served with vanilla ice cream, vanilla sauce, or whipped cream.
3. Topfenstrudel
Since we’re as regards to Strudel, one other well-liked variation is Topfenstrudel or Cream Cheese Strudel. The latter consists of skinny and flaky pastry layers full of wealthy cheese custard cream.
Though this Strudel has its origins in Hungary, it’s a favourite amongst Austrians who find it irresistible as a lot because the aforementioned Apple Strudel.
You possibly can strive Topfenstrudel in any café or bakery in Vienna. Just like Apple Strudel, generally Topfenstrudel is served with vanilla ice cream or vanilla sauce.
4. Kaiserschmarren
Loosely translated into The Emperor’s Mess, there’s nothing messy about Kaiserschmarren, a divine dessert that you simply simply can’t miss when in Vienna.
Kaiserschmarren is a sort of scrambled caramelized pancakes topped with icing sugar and served alongside a candy thick sauce manufactured from apples or different fruit. It might not sound a lot, however it’s completely scrumptious.
Café Demel is likely one of the greatest locations to strive Kaiserschmarren in Vienna. Whereas there, aside from sampling this delectable dessert, it’s also possible to see the pastry cooks in motion as they put together Kaiserschmarren earlier than your very eyes.
5. Punschkrapfen
The bijou and all-pink Punschkrapfen might be essentially the most photogenic among the many greatest desserts in Vienna. However don’t be tricked by its tiny measurement. Punschkrapfen is loaded with sweetness.
This luscious dessert consists of a sponge cake soaked in rum and coated in thick rum and sugar icing. Its origins are misplaced in historical past. Some say it dates again to the Center Ages, others attribute it to the Ottoman Empire, whereas there’s additionally a principle that it was invented by the pastry chef of an imperial court docket.
Irrespective of how Punschkrapfen got here to be, one factor’s for certain: it’s important to strive it. Any Aida Café of a number of that dot Vienna’s streets is one of the best place to strive Punschkrapfen.
6. Marillenknodel
Talking of bite-sized candy treats, Marillenknodel is one more of one of the best desserts in Vienna that will not impress you with its measurement at first look. Marillenknodel consists of dumplings manufactured from cheese-based dough and full of cored apricots.
Beloved by frequent individuals and emperors alike, Marillenknodel was a favourite of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria. It’s stated that he requested Marillenknodel even when apricots have been out of season. To the dismay of his cooks, he would insist: I’m the Emperor, and I need dumplings!
These days, his drawback could be solved as Marillenknodel is even accessible within the frozen meals sections of Austrian supermarkets.
7. Vanillekipferl
In case you’re planning to go to Vienna on your Christmas break – which you undoubtedly ought to because the Austrian capital boasts a few of one of the best Christmas markets in Europe – you should strive Vanillekipferl. These crescent-shaped cookies are among the many most beloved Christmas cookies in Europe.
The dough is manufactured from floor almonds (or walnuts) and flavored with vanilla. After the cookies are baked, they’re coated in icing sugar. The form of Vanillekipferl is alleged to have been chosen to commemorate the Austrians’ victory over the Ottomans throughout the 1683 Battle of Vienna – the crescent cookies symbolize the half moon of the Turkish flag.
You possibly can strive Vanillekipferl at espresso homes and bakeries. Throughout Introduction and Christmas, the cookies are omnipresent all through Vienna.
8. Palatschinken
Palatschinken is the Austrian – and German – tackle French crepes and one in all Vienna’s conventional desserts.
Eggs, flour, and milk are combined to supply a scrumptious batter that shall be was tremendous skinny layers full of fruit jam, most frequently apricot or plum jam, then rolled and sprinkled with icing sugar.
You possibly can strive Palatschinken at any café throughout Vienna, regardless of if it’s one of many fancy historic ones or the extra laid-back institutions, principally frequented by locals.
9. Krapfen
Since we’re speaking in regards to the Viennese takes on desserts which might be well-liked all through (Central) Europe, now’s one of the best time to introduce you to Krapfen. The latter is the Austrian model of fried doughnuts full of apricot jam or cream – both vanilla or chocolate.
You possibly can strive Krapfen at any bakery in Vienna any time of the yr. Nonetheless, Austrian doughnuts are at their greatest – and most various – in February, because it’s customary for locals to eat Krapfen throughout the Carnival season that precedes Lent, main as much as Easter.
So, when you occur to be in Vienna for the Carnival celebrations, you may wish to indulge in a single or three of those fried masterpieces.
10. Dobostorte
Our final suggestion on this checklist of one of the best desserts in Vienna isn’t really an Austrian creation. Dobostorte is a typical Hungarian sponge cake layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with caramel.
The cake was invented within the late 1800s by a Hungarian chef and it quickly turned a favourite of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria.
Due to the cake’s sturdiness by way of delivery, Dobostorte turned a preferred dessert all through Central Europe. In Vienna, you may strive Dobostorte on the most interesting espresso homes and pastry outlets.
Style Vienna’s Greatest Desserts With JayWay
In your quest to pattern essentially the most celebrated Austrian desserts, you’re not alone. Our native groups in Central Europe are the proper individuals to suggest their favourite cake outlets, espresso homes, and different locations to strive among the greatest desserts in Vienna.
So, whether or not you set out on an Austrian journey or a journey to uncover the charms of Central Europe’s magic three – Vienna, Prague, and Budapest – relaxation assured that your journey shall be sprinkled with sufficient sugar to create the sweetest recollections of Europe.
Born and raised in Athens, Maria’s keen about journey and storytelling, a mixture that makes her very best for her position as our content material supervisor.