Homemade Funnel Cake

5 stars (3 reviews)

With my homemade funnel cake recipe you can deep fry a batch of crisp, pillowy and lightly chewy cakes dusted with powdered sugar any time, with only simple ingredients and a squirt bottle (or a funnel, of course). The process is not as complicated as you might think, especially when you have my expert tips that put the "fun" in making your own funnel cakes from scratch!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: Cakes

Calories: 506kcal

Author: Sommer Collier

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 quarts oil for frying peanut or canola oil
Powdered sugar for dusting

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Set a large 6-8 quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil, and clip a cooking thermometer to the side of the pot. Make sure the tip of the thermometer is down in the oil. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F. Set a paper towel lined tray to the side for the finished funnel cakes.
Meanwhile, set out a mixing bowl. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk well, until the mixture is completely smooth. (No clumps.) Pour the batter into a squirt bottle. You can cut the tip of the squirt bottle to make the batter come out easier.
Once the oil reaches the right temperature, squirt the batter into the hot oil. Move fast, making a 6 inch circle, then filling it in with small circles or zig zags. The temperature will come down as the cake cook. Adjust the temperature as needed, to keep it around 350 degrees F.
Fry the funnel cake for 30-60 seconds per side, flipping once. Try to pull each funnel cake out of the oil when it reaches a light honey color, or it will cool and be too crispy.
Repeat with the remaining batter refilling the squirt bottle as needed. Once all the funnel cakes are ready, give them a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar. Serve warm and fresh.

Video

Notes

Homemade funnel cakes really do taste better when you eat them shortly after frying, while they are crispy on the outside and lightly chewy on the inside. That being said, they will keep well in an airtight container and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Note that if you need to stack them to fit inside the container, put a piece of parchment paper between each layer to keep them from sticking.

You can also freeze them for longer storage, if you like. I suggest wrapping each cake individually in plastic wrap, then storing them together in a Ziploc bag. They'll freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw them on the counter for 20-30 minutes before reheating.

The best way to reheat them is in the oven or air fryer. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 10 minutes, or air fry for 5-6 minutes, flipping the cakes once at the halfway mark.

Nutrition