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Hi Bold Bakers!
WHAT YOU GET: An easy Funnel Cake recipe that you can make right at home by shallow frying instead of deep frying. It has that iconic fair taste but is much easier and you know exactly what’s going into it.
There is something about summer that can be so nostalgic. Now that summer’s here in Southern California, there is so much fun to be had from taking day trips to Disneyland to exploring the local county fairs…and of course, no summertime memory is complete without the joy that is funnel cake!
Classic funnel cake is not actually a cake at all. Instead, this iconic dessert is made with a spiraled fried batter, topped with fresh strawberry sauce, and generously dusted with lots of powdered sugar. The combination of crunchy fried dough and sweet and tangy strawberry sauce is unforgettable. Now you can blow everyone away by making funnel cake at home.
How To Make Funnel Cake At Home
The reason I love this funnel cake recipe is that it completely busts the myth that you can only get a funnel cake at a fair. Making funnel cake is really just a matter of whisking together a milk-and-flour-based batter and frying it up in a pan. After combining all the ingredients in one bowl, transfer the funnel cake batter into a piping bag so that it’s easy to spiral over a thin layer of hot oil. This allows you to skillfully achieve the coiled funnel cake look at home and without any fuss.
Tools For Making Homemade Funnel Cakes
- Large Bowl
- Whisk
- Frying pan
- Piping Bags
- Thermometer
- Spider or Fish Fryer
![Top-down view of two funnel cakes topped with strawberries and whipped cream.](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 809 1214"></svg> "Funnel cakes recipe - Make your favorite fair food homemade!")
How To Shallow Fry Desserts
If you’ve ever had funnel cake at a theme park it was most likely deep-fried, and the truth about fair food is that there’s really no need for that.
Frying can seem intimidating for those of you that have never done it before but shallow frying is much safer and gives you complete control. To shallow fry this funnel cake recipe, all you have to do is pour about 2 inches of oil into a medium frying pan and turn on the heat. Once the oil is hot, pipe your batter into the oil and allow the funnel cake to fry up into a lovely golden-brown coil. I like to use a spider or fish fryer to turn over my funnel cakes.
This method of shallow frying is a simple and safe method to handle your cakes all while achieving that deeply fried crispiness.
The Best Oil For Frying
When baking neutral oils like vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil are ideal. I would refrain from using oils like olive and avocado due to their strong flavor. Neutral oil allows you to bake or fry things like this crunchy funnel cake without the oil overpowering the dish.
The Strawberry Sauce
No funnel cake recipe would be complete without a sweetly fragrant strawberry sauce and a hefty dusting of powdered sugar. This strawberry sauce comes together in five minutes flat. Start by combining fresh strawberries, water, and a touch of sugar. I allow mine to simmer together for just a few minutes then finish it with aromatic vanilla extract and a bit of cornstarch. The sauce will be thick and rich and so much better homemade (rather than taken from a can or jar). This marvelous strawberry sauce is great for funnel cakes or laden over ice cream, cheesecakes, and puddings.
Can I top with other sauces?
Yes! Though I love the sweet tangy taste of strawberry sauce, you can top your funnel cakes with anything. Salted caramel sauce, chocolate sauce as well as any fruit sauce will work perfectly with this dessert. You also can never go wrong with a simple dusting of powdered sugar.
Tips And Tricks To Making the Best Funnel Cakes
- Try to pipe cakes in 6’ to 7’ circles as fast as possible to ensure the cake cooks simultaneously.
- Be sure to cut the tip of the piping bag at ½ inch to ensure a steady stream of batter
- Use a wire rack when draining oil off of funnel cakes
Be sure to dust the funnel cake with powdered sugar almost immediately after letting the oil drain. This ensures that the powdered sugar adheres to the funnel cake.
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