Paul Wildberger cuts a slice of cinnamon cream cake, or zimtrahmkuchen, at Cafe Baennjerrueck on June 27, 2023. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
When I was young, my grandmother took my sister and me out to breakfast at least twice a month.
Grandma always ordered the same thing: two poached eggs. It prompted my sister to joke she could easily make the same dish at home for a fraction of the price. But those breakfasts were more about the overall experience than the food itself.
Cafe Baennjerrueck, on the outskirts of Kaiserslautern, Germany, reminds me a bit of the restaurants my family used to visit in the northern suburbs of Detroit. It specializes in cakes and breakfast items, most of which could easily be prepared at home.
Cafe Baennjerrueck, in the Baennjerrueck area of Kaiserslautern, Germany, on June 27, 2023. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
But its ambiance, created in part by large windows that overlook a calm wooded area and a retro interior complete with sea foam-colored booths and Kandinsky-esque ironwork dividers, makes going out to eat there worthwhile.
I first visited Cafe Baennjerrueck on a Saturday and it was full of customers. A hum of German chatter and clinking coffee mugs filled the room. Many of the guests that day are regulars, I was later told.
American visitors will quickly notice the breakfast choices aren’t as extensive as they are at the average restaurant stateside. Stacks of pancakes dripping with maple syrup or omelets served with hash browns and sausage links are nowhere to be found.
The French breakfast at Cafe Bannjerruck consists of a croissant and a coffee or cappuccino. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
But what is on offer is sufficiently filling and beautifully presented. For those with a small appetite, the French breakfast consists of a cup of coffee or cappuccino and a croissant.
The pastry is light and buttery and comes with additional squares of butter and jam. The peach jam I had was full of flavor. The meal was served on a plate garnished with strawberries, kiwi, apricot, nuts, raisins and two small pretzels.
The “big hunger” breakfast includes a colorful charcuterie plate and various types of bread, an ensemble that allows customers to make their own sandwiches.
Slices of cheese, turkey, roast beef and salami are included on the charcuterie plate, as are various vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, red peppers, lettuce and pickles, which are fresh and crisp. A hard-boiled egg is also thrown in.
The “big hunger” breakfast at Cafe Bannjerruck includes a charcuterie plate and breadbasket. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
The dish most reminiscent of breakfast fare at a U.S. restaurant is a helping of eggs, fried or scrambled, with American-style bacon.
The scrambled eggs served to me almost resembled an omelet. They had an excellent consistency, firm enough to where they weren’t dried out, but also not watery. A generous pinch of chives boosted the taste.
They also came with cucumbers, red peppers and tomatoes on the side, and I used all of the fixings to build an egg sandwich on a pumpkin seed roll.
In addition to breakfast, many customers visit just to enjoy something sweet with tea or coffee in a relaxed atmosphere.
Sit-down service is offered only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, but the cafe bakery sells cakes and other baked goods from a separate side entrance every day except Monday.
Andrea Rohde, the owner of Cafe Baennjerrueck, says the cafe is finally starting to hit its stride after opening in 2020 and facing several COVID-19-related setbacks. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
The eatery makes around 50 cakes a week, owner Andrea Rohde told me. Of the several I tried, the cinnamon cream cake, or zimtrahmkuchen, was the best.
The cheesecake dusted with cinnamon was recommended to me by Rohde’s nephew. It’s not too sweet and the cinnamon is more of an aftertaste. The light texture made it even more enjoyable.
Coming in a close second was the cream cheese mandarin cake. This surprised me, as I’m usually not a big fan of fruity cakes. But the slightly tangy mandarins blended perfectly with the sweet creamy filling that sat between two layers of white sponge.
The cream cheese mandarin cake, or kasesahne mandarine, is one of several dozen cakes made at Cafe Bannjerruck each week. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
The Black Forest cherry cake packed a punch. I was warned it contains kirsch, a cherry brandy, but I wasn’t expecting the alcohol element to be so strong. The cake was otherwise soft and fresh.
The item I appreciated the least was the gefullter kranz, which translates to “filled wreath.” It’s a dense, round cake that looks like it should be sweet, but it doesn’t have much of a taste at all.
About a dozen other options are available at the cafe at any given time. I recommend going on the weekend and enjoying them at the restaurant.
The exterior of Cafe Baennjerrueck in Kaiserslautern, Germany, on June 27, 2023. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Cafe Baennjerrueck
Address: Leipzigerstrasse 17, Kaiserslautern, Germany
Hours: Dine in: Friday, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Bakery shop for takeaway: Tuesday to Friday, 6 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Mondays.
Prices: French breakfast, 6.50 euros; “big hunger” breakfast, 14 euros; two eggs, 2.90 euros; two eggs with bacon, 4.50 euros; most cake slices between 2.50 and 4 euros. Cash payments only.
Information: +49 631 593 67, reservations recommended.
