Homemade Funnel Cake Recipe » County Fair Carnival Style

This delicious incredibly easy-to-make homemade funnel cake recipe will immediately bring back all the feels like a child from your county fair.

The funnel cake was invented by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania in the 18th century. The earliest known recipe was found in a cookbook in 1935. They were always served hot and frequently consumed at festivals and get-togethers. Since they are so easy to make with readily available ingredients and delicious, local fairs and carnivals began to serve them.

The concept of a funnel cake began when the concession stand workers would pour the batter from a water pitcher through a funnel and would make a zig-zag circular motion into a deep fryer. The batter immediately expands into a fluffy dough making it stick together to form a circular-shaped fried pastry. It is then served warm with a lot of powdered sugar sprinkled over top.

Ingredients for this recipe:

• 2 large eggs
• 2 3/4 cups whole milk
• ½ stick melted unsalted butter extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Oil for frying
• Powdered sugar for garnish

Makes 8 funnel cakes

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Procedures:

1. Add 4 to 6 cups of oil to a medium to a large size saucepot over medium-low heat until it reaches and holds at 375° Fahrenheit.
2. Next, add the eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla to a large bowl and whisk until completely combined. Set aside.
3. In a separate medium-size bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
4. In batches of 3 add the flour mixture to the wet ingredient bowl and vigorously whisk until it is smooth before adding in the next batch.
5. Once combined transfer to a large squeeze bottle with a large open top. In addition, you can do this the original way and transfer the batter to a water pitcher and pour the batter through a funnel directly into the hot oil.
6. Whether you are adding the batter through the squeeze bottle or through the funnel you want to add a total of about ¾ cup of the batter in zig-zag circular motions overlapping the batter to form a large circle.
7. Cook for 90 seconds or until lightly browned and then flip over and cook for a further 30 seconds.
8. Remove the funnel cake and quickly drain it on a paper towel. Garnish with powdered sugar and serve.
Chef Notes:

Make-Ahead: These are meant to be eaten right away. However, you could make them up to 1 hour ahead of time and keep them warm at very low temperatures in the oven or under a heat lamp.

How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cover and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before reheating.

How to Reheat: Add the funnel cake to a pan and place it in the oven at 350° for 2-3 minutes or until warm. You can also heat in the microwave until warm.

Please feel free to use any oil you desire except olive oil.

This will not bake in the oven.

You can also serve this up with jelly, jam, whipped cream, or fresh fruit.