Hi Bold Bakers!
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 do you 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.
How do you 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 in 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.
How do you make a 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.
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Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Get a taste of summertime with my sugar-dusted funnel cake - topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberry sauce.
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Strawberry Sauce:
- 2 cup (10oz/284g) quartered fresh strawberries
- 1/2 cup (4floz/115ml) water
- 1/4 cup 2oz/57g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Funnel Cake:
- 2 eggs , beaten
- 1 1/2 cup (12floz/340ml) milk
- 2 cups (10oz/284g) flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (24floz/675ml) vegetable oil
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
To make the funnel cake:
In a large bowl whisk together eggs and milk. Once the wet ingredints are combined add in the flour ,baking powder, and salt. Beat unitl a smooth thin batter is formed.
Allow the batter to rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes while you make the strawberry sacue.
To make the strawberry sauce:
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat combine the water, sugar and strawberries. Allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes or until the strawberries are soft. Whisk in the corn starch and vanilla and allow to simmer for an additional minute to activate the corn startch. At this point you should have a thick strawberry sauce. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
To fry the funnel cakes:
Line a cooling rack with paper towel and set aside. This is for the funnel cake to drain after frying.
Add the oil to a medium frying pan and allow to heat over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot transfer a 1/4 cups of batter to a piping bag using a ladel or large spoon. Snip the tip of the piping bag and carefully stream the batter into the hot oil using a sprial motion, to form the classic funnel cake shape.
Fry for 2-3 minutes then gently flip using a spider or fish fryer. Allow to fry for and 1-2 minutes.
Using your spider gently remove the funnel cake from the oil and transfer to the lined rack to drain and cool.
Repeat this process with the remaining batter until all of it is used.
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