For Foolproof Funnel Cakes, Ditch the Funnel (2024)

Growing up in Southern California, I never went a year without a trip to the LA County Fair. I always looked forward to the giant slide, the petting zoo, the rides that turn you upside down until you're blue in the face (or green), and, of course, the endless expanse of fried snacks. Candy bars, Twinkies, entire sticks of butter—if it's edible, it’s probably been battered and fried at a county fair.

Fried butter isn’t really my jam, but I’venever left a carnival without a shirt speckled in powdered sugar and a face full of funnel cake. After a few epically failed attempts to ferry these fried-to-order swirls of batter home, however, I finally had to concede that a funnel cake’s life span can’t continue any further than the parking lot of the fairgrounds.

But out of that failure came the inspiration for a homemade funnel cake trick that will keep you in fried sweets throughout fair season and beyond.

The best funnel cakes require no funnel at all

Many home cooks are wary of deep-frying in their own kitchens—or they simply want to avoid grease splatters, the lingering aroma of friedthings, and the cauldron of insanely hot oil. But there’s nothing to be afraid of if you have the right tools for the task, and in the case of funnel cakes, that tool is asqueeze bottle.

Funnel cakes are traditionally made with—you guessed it—a funnel, which allows the person doing the frying to control the batter stream with their thumb. But if you're not super enthused about holding your precious digits over a bubbling vat of hot fat, simply cut the tip off of a plastic squeeze bottle top, leaving about a ¼-inch opening. Carefully pour your batter into a plastic squeeze bottle (this is where having a funnel actuallydoes come in handy) and securely screw the top back on. That’s it.

Your thumbs will thank you, and you’ll find that ditching the funnel for a squeeze bottle gives you optimal control over the shape, doneness, and texture of your homemade funnel cake.

Consistency is key

A heavy-bottomed pot—preferably a cast iron pot orDutch oven—paired with a clip-on candy thermometer will always provide the most consistent cooking when you’re deep-frying. It’s important to keep to a frying temperature of around 375 degrees. Any higher than that, and your funnel cakes will brown before cooking through. At too low a temperature, the batter will absorb excess oil, resulting in a greasy, limp funnel cake. A thermometer will eliminate the guesswork, but some promising visual cues you can look for include bubbles rising up as soon as your batter hits the hot oil, and the batter quickly rebounding to the top of your pot after you stream it in.

Coax the crispy out of your cakes

Achieving the perfect crispy snap in your funnel cakes takes some practice, but a few things can help ensure success. First, my funnel cake recipe calls forpowdered sugar in the batter and as a sweet topping. Powdered sugar contains a small amount of starch—usually cornstarch, but sometimes tapioca—which helps your batter achieve thatcrispy snap we all love in deep-fried foods.

Second, as I stream the batter into the hot oil, I like to leave sizable holes and gaps in between my batter ribbons. This way, all the nooks and crannies will have maximum contact with the hot oil, crisping up a greater surface area and giving your funnel cake some nice textural variety.

Finally, make sure you’re prepared to remove your funnel cakes from the hot oil as soon as they’re done cooking. As part of your frying setup, line a sheet tray with paper towels and top it with acooling rack. Allowing the oil to drain will keep your funnel cakes crispier and less greasy—and no one wants a sad, soggy funnel cake.

Hurry, hurry, step right up

Funnel cakes taste best when they’re piping hot, so dust them with powdered sugar and serve immediately. As you take that first crispy bite, ponder how you’ll wield your new superpower of being able to recreate this county fair magic all year round.