Funnel Cake: Crisp Fried Batter Spirals with Icing Sugar and Strawberries
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking.
A lacy tangle of light batter fried crisp at 190 °C, dusted with icing sugar and topped with fresh strawberries.
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Method
- 1
Whisk the batter. Whisk the milk, egg, sugar and vanilla in the bowl, then add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until smooth. It should be thick but still pour in a steady ribbon. Rest it for 5 min.
- 2
Heat the oil. Pour about 4 cm of oil into the pot and heat to 190 °C. Hot oil sets the thin strands instantly, so they stay crisp rather than oily.
- 3
Pour the spiral. Fill the squeeze bottle with half the batter. Starting at the centre, squeeze it into the oil in a wide spiral, then zigzag back across so the loops join into a cake about 20 cm wide.
- 4
Fry and flip. Fry for 60-90 s until the underside is golden, turn it over with the two fish slices and cook another 60-90 s until crisp and evenly coloured.
- 5
Make the second cake. Drain on the paper, wait until the oil is back at 190 °C, then pour and fry the rest of the batter.
- 6
Top and serve. Cut each cake in half, sift over a thick layer of icing sugar and pile on the strawberries. Eat while warm.
Storage
Funnel cake is best eaten within minutes. Leftovers lose their crunch, but you can refresh them in a 200 °C (180 °C fan) oven for 4-5 min.
Equipment
- large bowl
- whisk
- 23-25 cm heavy pot or deep frying pan
- deep-fry thermometer
- squeeze bottle or jug with a narrow spout (or a funnel)
- 2 fish slices or tongs
- tray lined with kitchen paper
- small sieve
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 320 kcal |
| Protein | 6.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 38.2 g |
| of which sugars | 12.3 g |
| of which free sugars | 7.9 g |
| Fat | 15.6 g |
| of which saturates | 2.2 g |
| Fibre | 1.6 g |
| Salt | 0.59 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
2.1 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
