Fried dough and powdered sugar is a winning combination.
Serves4MakesMakes 4 funnel cakesPrep10 minutesCook15 minutes
When I was a kid, I was convinced that there was no better job than serving food at a fair or festival. What was better than spending your days dipping apples into buttery caramel, hearing the pop of kettle corn, twirling clouds of pink cotton candy around a paper cone, or dusting funnel cakes with an obnoxious amount of powdered sugar? While I never did end up working in a booth or under a tent, I still love the feeling of sharing playful treats and sweets.
Funnel cake is one of the most iconic fair foods. It’s made from a pancake-style batter that’s thin enough to drizzle, and fried until golden-brown. At the fair, the batter is drizzled through a special funnel-shaped batter dispenser, but at home there’s no need to invest in that equipment when a standard liquid measuring cup works just as well. In fact, you probably already have everything you need to make funnel cake at home. It’s easy and fun to do — just don’t forget to shower it with a thick layer of powdered sugar.
Why You’ll Love It
- It tastes just like your favorite fair food. There’s nothing like the taste of sweet fried dough topped with a thick layer of powdered sugar, and now you don’t have to wait for the state fair to enjoy this sweet treat.
- You can use what you have. Carnival vendors use specialized equipment to crank out funnel cakes to hordes of fair-goers. To serve fresh funnel cake at home, you need just a Dutch oven and a liquid measuring cup or ladle.
Key Ingredients in Funnel Cake
- All-purpose flour: You’ll need 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour to make 4 (8-inch) funnel cakes.
- Baking powder: This leavening agent gives the batter lift for a light texture.
- Powdered sugar: No funnel cake is complete without a generous dusting of powdered sugar. Use a fine-mesh strainer to shower the fried dough with sugar.
- Oil: You’ll need a neutral-flavored oil that has a high smoke point to fry the funnel cake. Some of the best oils for frying include vegetable, canola, and peanut oils.
How to Make Funnel Cake
- Heat the oil. You don’t need a deep fryer to make funnel cake when a Dutch oven works just as well. The high sides of a Dutch oven keep oil splatters contained, and you can use the interior as a guide for the size and shape of the funnel cake. Heat the oil to 375°F.
- Make the batter. Funnel cake batter is essentially pourable pancake batter. Whisk the wet ingredients together, sprinkle all-purpose flour and baking powder over the top, and mix until just combined.
- Fry the funnel cake. Drizzle the batter into the hot oil in a spiral pattern, then criss-cross back over the top. Fry until golden-brown on both sides.
- Dust with powdered sugar. Remove the funnel cake from the oil to drain and dust with a generous amount of powdered sugar.
Storage Tip
Funnel cakes are best served hot from the fryer. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
More Fair Food-Inspired Recipes
Funnel Cake Recipe
Fried dough and powdered sugar is a winning combination.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 15 minutes
Makes Makes 4 funnel cakes
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- About 4 cups
neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola, for deep frying
- 1 1/4 cups
whole or 2% milk, plus more as needed
- 2
large eggs
- 2 tablespoons
granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups
all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon
baking powder
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
Heat enough neutral oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to a depth of 1 inch (about 4 cups) over medium-high heat until 375ºF. Meanwhile, fit a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet, or line the baking sheet with paper towels. Make the batter.
Whisk 1 1/4 cups whole milk, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt together in a large bowl until combined. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 3/4 teaspoon baking powder evenly over the top, and whisk until the batter is smooth and combined; do not overmix.
When the oil is ready, transfer 1/2 cup of the batter to a measuring cup with a spout or a ladle. Slowly drizzle about 2/3 of the batter into the hot oil in a spiral motion, starting around the outside (about 8 inches wide) and working your way in, then continue drizzling the remaining batter across the spiral in a criss-cross motion. Fry until golden-brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Use a metal spatula, spider, or tongs to transfer the funnel cake to the baking sheet. Let drain for 30 seconds, then generously dust with powdered sugar.
Skim off any bits of fried dough from the oil. Repeat frying the remaining batter. The batter should remain thin enough to pour in a steady stream. If it thickens up, whisk in an extra tablespoon of milk.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.