Funnel Cakes

Looking back, I can’t recall visiting an amusement park, carnival, or state fair without being welcomed with the sweet smell of fried dough. I’m embarrassed to say I may have even attempted to bring a few funnel cakes home for a midnight snack. This was a grave error on my part, because as delicious as funnel cakes are, their life span is somewhat short. Funnel cakes are best served piping hot, still crisp from the bubbling oil. So we can all benefit from having a good recipe on hand to enjoy freshly made funnel cakes whenever the craving strikes.

In this funnel cake recipe, powdered sugar works double time. It’s a sweet topping, yes, but it’s also in the batter itself to help the cakes develop a crisp exterior. The cornstarch in powdered sugar is a saving grace when it comes to creating that crunchy bite we all love in deep-fried foods. When forming my cakes in the oil, I also like to leave sizable holes and gaps in between the batter ribbons. This ensures that all the nooks and crannies have maximum contact with the hot oil and also helps result in a deep golden brown funnel cake with lots of texture.

Most funnel cake recipes call for using a funnel to dispense the batter. That method requires placing your thumb over the hole in the funnel, then removing it right over the hot oil. It’s hard to control and makes frying at home feel unnecessarily intimidating. It’s also harder to get an even funnel cake, because the batter is thin and the holes in funnels can be wide. This is why I recommend using a squeeze bottle with a top trimmed to a ¼"-wide opening instead.

Done frying? Here’s our guide to properly disposing of cooking oil.