Funnel Cake

by | Aug 20, 2021

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Funnel cake – you know the smell, you know the look, and you know the taste! Fried dough covered in powdered sugar is sure to bring back memories and make your belly full of warm funnely sweetness.

funnel cake with powdered sugar on platae with raspberries

Happy Memories 

One of the things I love most about funnel cakes is how they remind me of happy memories. Whether that was going to baseball games with the family, enjoying a day at the amusement park, or heading to the local fair, a hot funnel cake was many times a part of those memories. 

They hand them to you in that red plastic basket with the checkered basket liners, and the funnel cake is absolutely coated in powdered sugar. So tasty! Our funnel cake recipe tastes just like one you would buy, and when served hot, it is hard to not eat the entire thing yourself!

funnel cakes on cooling wire rack and plate

No Funnel, No Problem!

There is an enormous number of kitchen gadgets you can get, but I like to keep my kitchen simple. A funnel cake is called a funnel cake because the batter is passed through a funnel over hot oil. I don’t have a funnel sitting around my house, so I got creative and used a quart-size ziplock bag, and cut a small hole in the corner. Guess what? It worked the same! But be sure the hole is small so the dough fries up quickly and becomes crisp. Thin streams of dough are what you are aiming for. 

If using a ziplock bag as your funnel, make sure to hold the part of the bag with the hole in it upwards when you pour in more batter so it doesn’t immediately come out the bottom. Once the bag is over the hot oil, you can let that corner with the hole face downwards and the batter will pour out in a small stream. 

funnel cakes on plates and cooling wire racks with raspberries and powdered sugar

Funnel Shapes

There is no specific way to make a funnel cake shape. It is best to do circles or zigzags, making sure to overlap the batter multiples times. After all, a good dusting of powdered sugar covers the funky shapes of funnel cakes. 

funnel cake batter on table in glass bowl
funnel cakes with powdered sugar and raspberries

Recipe Ingredients

  1. Sugar – You might be surprised at how little sugar is in a funnel cake, but that’s because the oil gives it that flavorful taste. Plus, when it’s covered in powdered sugar it becomes sweet enough. 

Cooking Tips

  1. Pour the batter in a thin stream into the hot oil. Whether you are using a funnel, a ziplock bag, or a measuring cup, as long as the stream is thin you will have a tasty funnel cake. Too thick of a stream leads to an underdone, doughy funnel cake. 
  2.  Immediately top with powdered sugar. Eating these fresh is the only way to eat them! The heat of the funnel cake softens the powdered sugar and makes the “melt in your mouth” texture we all love! 

What memories do funnel cakes bring back to you?

powder sugar on funnel cakes

Looking for more delicious hot bread recipes? Try these:

funnel cake pinterest pin
funnel cake with powdered sugar on platae with raspberries

Funnel Cake

Yield: 3 large funnel cakes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 13 minutes

Funnel cake - you know the smell, you know the look, and you know the taste! Fried dough covered in powdered sugar is sure to bring back memories and make your belly full of warm funnely sweetness.

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 1 C milk
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • 3 T (1.4 oz) white sugar
  • 1 ⅔ C (7.5 oz) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp cream of tartar
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • 3 T powdered sugar (for dusting)

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, mix together egg, milk, and vanilla. Then add sugar, flour, salt, and cream of tartar. Mix until all combined and smooth. 
  2. In a pot, add oil to a depth of one inch. Heat until oil measures 375*F. 
  3. Pour ½ C batter at a time through a funnel, or ziplock bag (see note) into the hot oil, making circles and zigzags, swirling batter around the oil. 
  4. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until a light gold color, then flip and cook other side.
  5. Remove from hot oil, dust with powdered sugar, and serve immediately. 

Notes

  • If you don’t have a funnel, use a quart-size ziplock bag and cut a small hole in the corner. Make sure the hole is small to prevent doughy or undercooked funnel cake. When adding batter to ziplock bag, hold the corner with the hole in it upwards until it is ready to be put in the oil to prevent leaking. 
  • If you don’t have a thermometer, dip the thin part of a wooden kitchen utensil into the oil.  The oil is hot enough if it starts bubbling consistently around the wood.  If it bubbles too vigorously, turn down the heat.

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Hi, I’m Missy. Welcome to Taste Before Beauty. For 28 years I’ve been developing recipes that taste delicious, before they look delicious.

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