Funnel Cake Recipe

I love surprising people, so Funnel Cake is often on my table. This versatile, incredibly perfect treat is quick to make. Best Funnel Cake Recipe is the ideal choice when you’re tired of crepes or pancakes or don’t have time to make laborious other fried dough Spanish Churros. You can make it as a traditional cake or fry it as funnel cake fries.

How to choose the best ingredients for Homemade Funnel Cakes

You likely have all the ingredients at home. Just ensure they are of good quality and in the right amount.

All-purpose flour—You can use any flour, if you have a special one for baking it will be perfect for this easy recipe.

Egg—It will be best to use a large egg, but any size will work for the cake. Eggs are one of the factors that make the dough rise and fluffy. Baking powder is just a support.

Milk can be cow’s milk or a vegetarian drink replacing milk. It can also be just water.

Water—If you have good-quality tap water, it can be from the tap. I have a filter at home, and I filter it myself. You can also use sparkling water; the cake will be slightly aerated.

Salt—Use the salt you have at home. This ingredient is needed to maintain balance with sugar and emphasize the taste. A small amount works wonders in the kitchen.

Sugar—I use cane sugar or brown sugar because it is less processed, but you use what you use daily. It also works well. To further enrich the taste of Funnel cake, you can use muscovado sugar because it has more molasses than other cane sugars and adds a specific flavor to the cake.

Vodka or vinegar can be added to the batter to prevent the cake from absorbing too much oil, a trick I learned from my grandmother.

Oil For frying an easy funnel cake recipe, you can use any neutral oil, such as canola oil or vegetable oil, that does not impart taste and smell. The oil is also best for deep frying because it has a high smoke point, which makes it suitable for deep-fried foods.

How to Make Homemade Funnel Cake Recipe

To make a funnel cake, you will need a large mixing bowl, a whisk, and a frying pan about 15 inches for a 6-7 inch diameter. From my experience, I recommend frying one funnel cake at a time. You can use kitchen gadgets like a wire rack or candy thermometer when making a funnel cake, but they are unnecessary.

Step 1: Measure all the dry ingredients and pour the sifted flour with baking powder into a bowl. Then, add the egg, vanilla extract, salt, and sugar.

Step 2: Add the egg, vanilla extract, salt, and sugar.

Step 3: Add the milk and mix. The dough will be very thick but should come together without lumps.

Step 4: Slowly add the vodka and mix thoroughly.

Step 5: In the next step, we will gradually add wet ingredients, so add half of the water mix and then the rest to achieve the perfect consistency for frying a funnel cake. Pour the batter into a bottle, using a funnel for ease.

Step 6: Pour the oil into a pan and medium-heat it (around 4 for an electric stove, similar for gas). The oil should reach ⅔ of the pan. I recommend a heavy pot or cast iron pan for its excellent heat retention and quick heating. If using one, be cautious of the cast iron handles. For other pans, ensure the height is suitable for flipping the funnel cake while baking. Test the oil’s heat by observing tiny air bubbles rising from the bottom.

Step 7: Once the oil is heated, pour the funnel cake batter into the pan in a circular motion, making various patterns and creating a circle. These can be snails, zigzags, or even flowers. If you are making this easy funnel cake for the first time, I assure you that when you make zig-zag lines or circular patterns, focus on having fun and not on looking like perfect funnel cakes. This will come with time. It is essential to make inch-hole sizes for the cake to bake.

Step 8: Once the dough takes on color from the oil side, flip it over using a skewer and a spatula. The funnel cake is ready when it achieves a light brown color.

Step 9: Place the funnel cake on a plate covered with a paper towel to drain excess fat.

Step 10: Serve with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, fresh fruit, and yogurt fillings.

Enjoy!

Helpful Tips and Tricks for the Best Funnel Cakes

•  To prevent the funnel cakes from becoming greasy, placing them on white paper towels without prints right after baking to absorb excess fat is good.

• For the funnel cake, you can use a plastic bottle or for topping if you have one. I cut off the tip to a diameter of about 1 cm (0.40 inch). You can also use a plastic squeeze bottle from ketchup or mayonnaise, but washing the bottle well in water with baking soda (soda removes bad smells) would be good. In such a bottle, cut out the silicone protection so that the dough flows smoothly, and you will have control over its amount. Another option you can use for funnel cake is a piping bag.

• I definitely recommend funnel cake bottles because you can pour several portions into such a bottle, and it saves time; it is also cleaner during baking.

• When you only have the dough for the last funnel cake, it is a good idea to plug the bottle with your finger and turn it upside down so that all the dough flows into the bottle opening. The dough must flow out of the bottle in a continuous stream. Otherwise, small pieces will form (which can also be eaten, but the whole thing can be decorated and given the flavor you want)

• If your funnel cake cools down and you want to reheat it, I recommend using an air fryer at about 190 degrees and 1 minute. The cookies will be crispy and warm again.

• If you plan to freeze the funnel cakes, I recommend not baking them until brown but removing them from the oil when golden brown.

• You absolutely must use either a funnel or, better yet, a bottle to pour the batter into the hot oil. If you do it with a spatula, the batter will pour out in too thick portions and will not bake entirely inside.

Sides To Serve Funnel Cake

This cake is like a chameleon because it changes its taste depending on the additions. The most classic way is to serve it sprinkled with powdered sugar. This is one of many versions I have in mind. You can add anything you wish, such as chocolate or fruit toppings, or combine my favorite toppings, like Greek yogurt with fruits (strawberry sauce). If you don’t have fruit, you can use preserves or jams. You can also replace the yogurt with whipped cream, giving it a light taste. But the most crucial step is to drizzle chocolate syrup or caramel sauce over the entire dessert. The best funnel cake toppings for me are apple pie filling, gelato, and chocolate syrup. UnhighlightMark as Done

But wait, there’s more fun to be had with this cake! You can also transform it into a mini apple pie using the Apple Pie Filling from my recipe or caramel apples. The result is a masterpiece of taste, especially when you add a scoop of ice cream and sprinkle with cinnamon. The perfectly crispy funnel cake will make an apple pie you must try. It’s not just a recipe; it’s a fun culinary adventure waiting to be explored. Cream cheese will be perfect if you want more protein in this dessert. You can make Labneh cheese from Greek yogurt using my recipe.

Substitute

Funnel cake fries or churros can be a great alternative to funnel cake. Similarly, Crepes or pancakes can also be served.

How to store Funnel Cake

If you want to enjoy more cookies later, you can freeze them. The best option for warming up will be the oven or an air fryer or to bake in the oven:

• Preheat it to about 200 degrees Celsius and bake the frozen cookies for 6-10 minutes, depending on your oven.

• Set the temperature to 200 degrees Celsius for the air fryer and bake for 1 minute.

• In both cases, place the frozen cookies directly on the baking tray or in the air fryer basket.

By following these simple steps, your cookies will regain their delightful crispiness and freshness, just as they were when first baked.

Funnel cakes can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also use the freezer for up to 4 weeks.