Best Funnel Cake Recipe - Mess for Less (2024)

FAQs

Why won't my funnel cake stay together? ›

If your batter is too thin or watery, you'll have an enormous mess that spreads and won't hold together.

What oil is best for funnel cake? I recommend using a neutral oil for in my funnel cake recipe. Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil all work great for this recipe and are my frying oils of choice for frying everything from apple fritters to fried pickles.

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.

If you're stacking a cake taller than 3-layers, I suggest using dowels or straws to help support the cake so it doesn't wobble as you frost the sides. If you're cake still feels wobbly after you've filled the cake, go ahead and freeze it for about 10 to 15 minutes BEFORE the crumb coat.

The Pan Wasn't Greased

Even if you're working with non-stick bakeware, thoroughly greasing and flouring your cake pan serves as insurance against sticking. For an even more ironclad policy, line the bottom of your greased pan with parchment paper, and then grease that, too.

You'll want to heat the oil to about 350°F (177°C) before you pour in the batter. If the oil is not hot enough then the funnel cakes can absorb too much of the oil and turn out a little greasy. I suggest using a thermometer if you have one, this is the one that I like to use.

Check the temperature of the hot oil by using a candy thermometer. If the oil is too hot it will burn the funnel cake. If it is too cool, the batter will sink to the bottom of the pan.

Funnel cake frying temperature

In order for a funnel cake to even work at all, a relatively high frying temperature is needed. 375°F (191°C) is high enough to start coagulating the proteins and gelling the starches in the batter almost on contact, preventing the batter from literally frittering away.

So a 5 lb bag would make about 30 funnel cakes." Hope this helps! :) Thank you for your feedback!

Funnel cakes are best served fresh. However, if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat them in the oven instead of the microwave to crisp them back up.

How much does it cost to make 1 funnel cake? ›

A funnel cake can sell on average from $3.00 – $5.00. Yet, it costs less than $1.00 to make, so you will yield as much as $4.00 profit on each cake. GM: What products do you sell at your concession stand?

The most common reason your funnel cake is falling apart is your oil is too hot. This will cause the funnel cake batter to break apart when you pour it into the pan. Another reason your funnel cake may fall apart is your batter is too thick.

Overbeating can add too much additional air and/or large air bubbles which the cake can't support, causing it to collapse in the oven. Beat your butter and sugar gradually at medium to medium-high speed. Don't beat too aggressively; creaming can't be rushed, as the air needs to be incorporated gradually.

The emulsion breaks when the fat can no longer hold the water. This can happen for several reasons: If your eggs are just slightly too cold, they may cause the soft butter to seize up, breaking the emulsion. Or if you rush while beating in the eggs, the emulsion won't be stable enough to hold in place.

Use your frosting as cake “glue.”

Depending on how your cake broke, your best option might be to “glue” it back together. Think of the frosting as mortar and spread it in and around the crack to get the cake to hold. Then frost all around it to cover the mistake, chill, and voila!