Classic Funnel Cake

By
David Venable
David Venable
David Venable is the author of three bestselling cookbooks and host of QVC's "In the Kitchen With David."
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Updated on 02/10/23
Close-up of a funnel cake
Foap AB/Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
462 Calories
32g Fat
36g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 462
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32g 41%
Saturated Fat 5g 26%
Cholesterol 75mg 25%
Sodium 509mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 6mg 31%
Calcium 114mg 9%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 157mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Fair foods—like deep-fried Twinkies—can be as fleeting and mysterious as the events themselves. Unfortunately, the mystery of funnel cake, the quintessential fair food, is often enough to send the home cook running for the hills. But this summer, why not throw your own fair-themed party?

Deep-fried until crunchy and golden brown, funnel cakes can be topped with anything: sugar, syrup, fresh fruit, you name it. Popularized by the Pennsylvania Dutch in the 1950s, they’ve become a staple at amusement parks and boardwalks across the country.

Rediscover this fair food in your home kitchen in four easy steps. 

Ingredients

  • Oil, for frying

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, optional

  • Strawberry syrup, optional

  • Chocolate syrup, optional

  • Fresh fruit, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat a deep fryer, electric skillet, or deep-sided open skillet to 365 F.

  3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt; set aside.

  4. Then, in a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, water, butter, and vanilla extract.

  5. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and lump free. The consistency should be thin.

  6. Place a finger over the bottom opening of a funnel, and fill the funnel with 1/2 to 2/3 cup of batter. Hold the funnel close to the surface of the oil, making sure not to touch the surface. Then, remove your finger and pour the batter into the oil making continuous circles of different sizes.

  7. Fry until light golden brown on one side and then, using tongs, turn the cake over and fry for 45 more seconds.

  8. Pull the cake out of the fryer and place it on a paper towel-lined plate.

  9. Sprinkle with sifted confectioners' sugar and/or drizzle with strawberry or chocolate sauce, if desired. You can also add fresh fruit right before serving if desired.

Tips

  • Funnel cakes should be served immediately after frying, so they maintain a crisp, yet light-and-airy texture.
  • If using a deep fryer, consider starting with new oil to make this dessert. Otherwise, your funnel cake may taste a little like last week’s fish and chips.