Fall festivals are an American tradition and the exclamation mark to punctuate a summer of fun and frolic. There seem to be two kinds of people who go to these festivals: those who love to roam the booths in search of handmade goods and those who go for the festival food.  For many, there is nothing more exciting than walking down a street set up with festival booths and dodging plumes of smoke whipped around by the breeze. You hear the sizzle of grilling onions, peppers and meat, smell the sweet aroma wafting from fried elephant ears and funnel cakes, and stop to watch cotton candy being spun onto sticks. Classic red candy apples are plentiful as well as apples dipped in caramels and chocolates and covered with candies and nuts. Corn on the cob dipped in butter, burgers and hot dogs, and things we didn’t know could be deep fried are being freshly made as we walk around trying to decide what we should eat. It is festival, food, and fun all rolled into one. And we love it!  (Click here to jump forward to the recipe.)
Funnel cakes are a quintessential festival food. They must be a fun treat because they have fun in their name! They are eaten hot and usually have powdered sugar sprinkled on top.
They are so easy to make at home and have a pancake-type batter. The difference between the two is that funnel cakes are deep fried and pancakes are not.
A fun thing to do when you make funnel cakes at home is to make a funnel-cake bar that contains different toppings for different tastes.
Ideas for a funnel cake bar include fresh fruit or pie filling, nuts, chocolate ganache, chocolate chips, butter, syrup, or even ice cream! The list is endless.
You could serve funnel cakes for breakfast instead of pancakes or invite guests over for dessert after dinner and have a funnel cake bar.
But any time you serve them, funnel cakes are a fun treat!
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 4 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 2 eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- vegetable oil
- powdered sugar
- Butter, maple syrup, honey, nuts, fruit (optional)
- Brown sugar and butter, chocolate, jam (optional)
Ingredients
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- In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and then add the milk and vanilla and beat for a few seconds until well mixed.
- In another bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
- Add the dry mixture to the egg mixture a little at a time and beat on medium speed until all is combined and smooth.
- In a large frying pan with enough oil to deep fry, heat the oil until hot. Test to see if it is ready by dropping one drop of batter into the oil. If the batter bubbles immediately, the oil is ready.
- Using a funnel, measuring cup with spout, or a bottle with nozzle, pour the batter into the hot oil to make a cake about 8 inches in diameter. When pouring the batter use a circular motion to form the cake and leave a few holes.
- Fry the cake approximately 2 minutes a side or until it is golden brown. Flip the cake using tongs and a spatula. When cooked, take the cake out of the oil and let the excess oil drain.
- Sprinkle powdered sugar on the cake. Other ideas for garnish include fruit, brown sugar and butter, nuts, maple syrup, honey, chocolate ganache, and jams. Use your imagination to create a one-of-a-kind funnel cake.
This recipe will make approximately (7) 8-inch funnel cakes or 14 mini funnel cakes.