Funnel Cake: the quick and easy dessert recipe

Mention fair favorites, and funnel cake is sure to come up in the conversation. It’s a quick, easy dessert recipe often enjoyed at fairs and carnivals across Northern America. A simple batter is piped into hot oil and deep-fried until golden. A dusting of powdered sugar finishes off the funnel cake to add just the right amount of sweetness.

It’s crispy on the outside, but light and fluffy on the inside. Of course, you can customize the funnel cake recipe as you like. Don’t want powdered sugar? Then why not add your favorite sweet sauce. This easy funnel cake recipe is the perfect sweet treat and will become your new favorite!

What Is A Funnel Cake?

Contrary to the name, a funnel cake is more like a fritter combined with a pancake, than an actual sponge cake. The batter is fried until golden and crispy, and then covered with powdered sugar. The name comes from how the batter is squeezed through a funnel in a circular pattern to create a pattern of fried dough.

It’s a popular fair food across the United States!

Funnel Cake Ingredients

Use an oil suitable for frying at higher temperatures.

These include: canola, peanut, sunflower, corn oil, and more.

If you want to reuse the oil, allow it to cool, and strain it. You can use it a few times more for other batches of funnel cake.

How To Make Funnel Cake

Whisk the batter ingredients until smooth. Pour the batter into a funnel or a squeeze bottle and pour the batter into the hot oil. (If you don’t have a funnel, you can also use a piping bag, or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off).

Funnel Cake Topping Ideas

You can top the funnel cake with a variety of delicious toppings. Try any of the following:

Fruits like strawberries, blueberries, or bananas.

Ice cream, whipped cream, or mascarpone

Chocolate sauce or caramel

Chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, or cinnamon sugar.

Tips For Homemade Funnel Cake

Don’t make your oil too hot, otherwise the thin batter will burn too quickly.

You can make the batter with Bisquick. Simply mix together 2 cups Bisquick, 1 cup milk, and 2 eggs. Whisk until smooth.

Make a vegan batter by whisking together 1 ½ cups almond milk, 2 tsbp sugar, 1 ¼ cups flour, ¼ tsp salt, and 1 tsp baking powder.

What To Do With Leftover Funnel Cake Batter?

Use leftover pancake batter to make funnel cake fries. Pipe straight short strips of batter into the hot oil and fry until golden.

How To Store Funnel Cake

Leftover funnel cake batter can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for 3-4 days.

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Instructions

In a bowl add and combine flour, granulated sugar, fine sea salt, and baking powder.

Separately, crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk them together.

To the beaten eggs, whisk in whole milk until combined then whisk in the flour mixture until fully incorporated and smooth.

Add the dough to the squeeze bottle and start inserting the dough into the pot with hot oil from the middle of the pot and move in a spiral.

Fry 1-2 minutes on both sides until golden brown.

Decorate with powdered sugar and fresh fruit.

Notes

Funnel cake is best eaten when freshly made and still warm.