State fairs come around just once a year, but the need for funnel cake happens way more often than that! Our funnel cake recipe makes a carnival-worthy cake that is fried to golden-brown perfection, easy to tear and share, and finished with a thick dusting of confectioners’ sugar. It will really make you feel like it’s summertime at the state fair, sticky fingers and all!
Next time you get a hankering for the confectioners’ sugar-laden fried delicacy, pull up this recipe. We’ll walk you through making funnel cake the easy way. And if you’re really hankering for all the fairground treats, tuck into these iconic state fair foods.
Ingredients for Funnel Cake
- Eggs: Bring your eggs to room temperature so they blend better into the batter. There’s a science to it!
- Milk: You can use 2% milk or whole milk for this recipe. Be cautious if you decide to use a liquid with less fat than 2% milk. It may affect the taste and texture of the funnel cake and won’t be carnival-level quality.
- All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour provides just enough structure to build the structure of the cake, but it has a tender crumb for easy tearing and sharing.
- Oil: Pick an oil that has a smoke point of 400°F or higher, has a neutral taste and fits in your budget. We highly recommend canola oil!
- Confectioners’ sugar: Is any funnel cake complete without a thick dusting of confectioners’ sugar?
Directions
Step 1: Create the batter
In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the milk, water and vanilla until everything is well blended.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat the flour mixture into the egg mixture until the batter is smooth.
Editor’s Tip: Funnel cake batter is similar to pancake batter, so stop mixing when you’ve reached the same batter consistency.
Step 2: Fry the funnel batter
In a deep cast-iron or electric skillet, heat the oil to 375°. Cover the bottom of a funnel spout with your finger. Ladle 1/2 cup batter into the funnel. Holding the funnel several inches above the oil, release your finger, and move the funnel in a spiral motion until all the batter is released, scraping the funnel with a rubber spatula if needed.
Fry the funnel cake until it’s golden brown, two minutes on each side. Drain the funnel cake on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat process with remaining batter.
Dust the funnel cakes with confectioners’ sugar, and serve warm.
Editor’s Tip: Use a candy thermometer to keep an eye on (and maintain) your oil’s heat.
Funnel Cake Toppings
- Whipped cream: There’s nothing like a big dollop of whipped cream on a funnel cake. Use the canned version, or make your own sweetened whipped cream at home.
- Ice cream: Top your funnel cakes with a couple scoops of your favorite ice cream. Just remember, it will melt a bit on top of a freshly fried cake—but it’s so darn good anyway!
- Syrup: Rich chocolate, salted caramel, tangy homemade dulce de leche or nutty Nutella—the choice is yours. Also, who says you should choose just one syrup?
- Sprinkles: Who can say no to chocolate or rainbow sprinkles? Or you can sprinkle on cinnamon sugar! There really are no rules when it comes to funnel cakes.
- Cherries: The cherry on top—literally! Maraschino cherries are preserved cherries that are pre-pitted and taste super sweet. Add one (or a few!) on top of your funnel cakes.
- Flaky salt: We recommend only adding a sprinkling of flaky salt on the funnel cakes if you decide to use a lot of sweet toppings. The salt will balance out any over-sweetness without making anything actually taste salty.
How to Store Funnel Cake
Funnel cakes really are best eaten hot and fresh from the fryer, but if you happen to have some leftovers, you can save them! Allow the funnel cake to cool to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container for up to three days.
Reheat the cakes in a 350° oven until heated through and crispy. Avoid the microwave as the moist heat won’t crisp up the funnel cake.
Can I make the funnel cake batter ahead of time?
Yes, you can make the batter ahead of time! Whip up the batter, then cover the bowl with storage wrap. It can keep in the fridge for up to three days.
Funnel Cake Tips
How do you make funnel cakes without a funnel?
Yes, you can make funnel cakes without a funnel! Instead, use a measuring cup, squeeze bottle or pastry bag. Just make sure the hole is about 1/4 inch wide on the bottle or the bag.
What oil is best for funnel cake?
The best oil to use for frying funnel cakes is a neutral oil like canola, soybean or safflower oil. Sunflower oil also works, but keep in mind that it has a slightly nutty taste (because of that, we actually love using sunflower oil to fry doughnuts!).
