Funnel cake
Swirled fried batter dusted with icing sugar
Funnel cake started in Pennsylvania Dutch kitchens and became the smell of every American county fair and boardwalk, from the Kutztown Folk Festival to the Jersey shore. A thin batter is poured through a funnel in loops into hot oil, so it fries into a crisp, lacy, golden nest that you tear apart with your fingers under a snowfall of icing sugar. Chef's tip: keep your finger over the funnel until it is right over the oil, then move in quick overlapping circles from the centre out.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¼ cups milk
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 9 oz plain flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor frying
- 1 ⅜ oz icing sugarfor dusting
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Whisk the 2 eggs, 1 ¼ cups milk, 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract, then whisk in the 9 oz plain flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt to a smooth batter like single cream.
4 minStep 2: Heat 4 cm of 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a wide, deep frying pan to 375°F.
8 minStep 3: Pour about 120 ml of batter into a funnel (or a jug or squeezy bottle) and swirl it into the oil in a 18 cm lattice of loops.
1 minStep 4: Fry for 1½ minutes until golden underneath, flip with tongs and fry 1 minute more. A common mistake is oil that is too cool, which gives a heavy, greasy cake.
3 minStep 5: Drain on kitchen paper, dust thickly with 1 ⅜ oz icing sugar sugar and eat hot. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does funnel cake take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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