Funnel Cake Catering for Your Events: Everything You Need to Know

Funnel Cakes: What Are They?

A funnel cake is a unique treat that, for many people, elicits a deep sense of nostalgia and childhood fun at the state fair or at a carnival. It’s a common treat that, for many people, only came around once a year in the height of summer, to highlight the fun and exuberance that comes out of a city delight. In recent years, however, funnel cakes have been increasingly sold at more venues as a way to bring that life and excitement of childhood to a broader audience outside of the dazzling lights of carnivals and street festivals.

Unlike the fluffy, rising layers of a cake that you might bake at home, funnel cakes are curly, crunchy-yet-soft, deliciously sweet treats that are typically fried and coated with some kind of topping. Most traditionally, these fried treats are topped with powdered sugar to give it an extra dash of sweetness. Other toppings may be used, or you can even enjoy funnel cakes without any toppings for a little bit more savory treat.

Some people may note that funnel cakes puff up when fried, and because they don’t rise, they tend to taste more like doughnuts than anything else. Surprising as it may seem, funnel cakes are actually a type of doughnut. One could even consider it a doughnut cake because it is served on a plate, rather than as a handheld treat.

So, what are funnel cakes? They are a type of doughnut cake that is made from batter, fried, and then topped with a range of sweet treats — most traditionally powdered sugar. While you can make funnel cakes at home and store them, they are generally traditionally made-to-order, which makes a food truck the perfect way to have them where you want them

What is the Origin of the Funnel Cake?

The conceptual origin of the funnel cake goes back for centuries, first originating in medieval times throughout Persia and Arabia. This kind of cake, called a zalabiyeh, which are small portions of deep-fried dough poured in circular shapes and then dipped in sugar syrup, honey, or – in North Africa – a mixture of honey and rose water. These cakes are not always the same shape, density, or size. In some parts of the world, it’s made into a large spiral shape as a street food. In other parts of the world, they pour the batter to be an overlapping series of thick squiggles that mimic the appearance of ant colonies. In still other parts, these cakes are made to mimic the shape of pretzels.

The earliest known recipe comes from a 10th century Arabic cookbook, and it has since graced cuisines across the world. From here, the fried dough dipped in syrup made its way into Europe where it was favored by Germans, who later emigrated to Pennsylvania. In this region, the dish was called Drechderkuche, and quickly caught on as a favorite celebration treat. By the late 1800s, it had been adapted to be topped with powdered sugar, called a funnel cake, and spread throughout the country from there.

In the United States, the funnel cake may have started in Pennsylvania, but it has certainly grown a national profile, with different regions of the country making it a little differently, or even calling it a different thing. One thing remains true, however: wherever there’s a funnel cake, there’s fun and childlike joy to be had.

Why It’s Called a Funnel Cake

While it’s called a cake, these cakes are nothing like you might think of as a traditional birthday party cake or other sort of dessert cake. Funnel cakes are another kind of treat entirely that is made of fried dough instead of fluffy glutinous layers that rise in a deep-dish baking pan. Whether you get this at a county fair, an amusement park, carnival, or other kind of concession stand, it’s almost always an indicator that you’re having a good time.

Funnel cakes get the name from the technique that is used to make the sweet treats. Traditionally, these are made by pouring the batter into hot frying oil through a funnel. The funnel creates a circular, overlapping, and squiggly kind of dough that is fried almost as soon as it hits the oil. Because of the circular, pan, or biscuit shape of the entire sweet treat, it is commonly served on paper plates or in food paper and called a cake. Put the two together, and you get a funnel cake.

In Pennyslyvanian Dutch, the funnel cake is called a Drechderkuche, which is loosely translated as turner cake, drizzle cake, or turned cake. These translations all reference the same, circular noodle-shape the batter takes as it is poured into the oil. When it was topped with powdered sugar and introduced to more people outside of the region, it took on the new name as funnel cake.

Funnel cakes also have a wide range of regional names. While it’s a popular item in North America, it’s also widely known throughout Europe and in different languages. For North America, funnel cake can also be called a dribble cake, funny cake, fried dough, cake fries, funnel fries, and a carnival cake. Some names are regional, and certain regions will top their funnel cakes with different items or make the batter using a different recipe than others.

Variations of Funnel Cakes

There are as many variations of funnel cakes as you can possibly think of in the world. Whether you’re changing out the dough for something unique, or looking for an extravagant topping, there’s nothing you can’t make happen when it comes to fun funnel cakes.
 
Try a traditional funnel cake with a Pennsylvania Dutch original recipe, or go back to medieval times with Maida flour and honey as a dipping sauce. Or, put a unique modern spin on it and make a red velvet cake batter with chocolate sprinkles and vanilla ice cream!
 
How ever you like to have your funnel cakes, you can pair it with almost any food item or have it on its own. The best way we like our funnel cakes? Either classic powdered sugar or a layer of fruit topping over the top. You can’t get any better than simple and traditional for a fresh, hot, hand-poured funnel cake at your next event.
 
Even regionally, there are different types of funnel cakes that you can enjoy, from carnival cakes and funnel fries, to doughboys and fried dough. Mostly, you won’t see regional variations in a traditional recipe; most variations come from the flavor of the batter itself and how the funnel cake is topped. That’s where the world of options are!
 
There are also a ton of recipes out there that will give the batter a different taste or texture, which is why at Funnel Fare, we only use the classic country fair-style batter using our own traditional recipe. Everything’s better when it’s seasoned with a little nostalgia and childlike joy, don’t you think?

Why Funnel Cakes Are Such a Popular Food Truck Item

Have you ever wondered why funnel cakes are such a popular item for food trucks to offer? Go to any food truck festival, and you’re likely to see at least one truck selling funnel cakes. If you do, come say hi! It’s possible it will be the funnel cake chefs at Funnel Fare!

For us, there’s a certain kind of nostalgic appeal to being able to serve our favorite childhood carnival cakes out of a food truck. Not only did the carnival always serve them from food trucks, but you’ll find that the quality and taste of a funnel cake is unmatched when it comes from a food truck, also. Something about the dedicated workstation and the experience of the cake experts working the fryer makes the hand-poured dough all that more appealing.

Furthermore, funnel cakes are easy to customize, making them a favorite treat for just about everyone. Everyone loves a sweet treat, but for people who prefer a treat with a little less sweetness to it, you can always top it with something simple like powdered sugar, or even leave it as-is without anything but dough. For the more decadent sweet tooth, you can top the funnel cakes with anything from ice cream to fruit toppings, and even syrups and candy sprinkles.

The Keys to Funnel Cake Success

You’d be surprised how many ways there are to make a funnel cake if you’ve ever tried to make one at home. The greasy, oily methods that many home cooking videos don’t tell you is that the secret lies in just a few things: timing, funnel spout size, and your batter.

For timing, you need to make sure you’re working fast to keep the funnel cake from burning, becoming overdone, or – even worse – collecting too much oil and losing its crunch. The crunch is everything in a funnel cake!

Funnel spout size can help you control your timing as it goes into the oil, and you’d be surprised how many people we’ve seen pour funnel cakes that are far too thick – resulting in a goopy, soggy cake that can’t be eaten and won’t stand up on its own after being topped with some of the more decadent toppings.

Now, for the batter, we’ve got that down. Funnel Fare has the best batter, and our funnel cake connoisseurs have been making their own funnel cakes since 2006. That’s nearly twenty years of funnel cake mastery at our fingertips, helping you get the most out of your event and creating perfect, golden-brown funnel cakes made fresh to order, every order. No matter the time of year, size of your crowd, or type of event.

How Funnel Cakes are Made

The batter is the hardest part of the funnel cake to get right. Once you have the right batter, everything else is practice, dedication, and experience to get it right. Once you’re ready to get started, you’ll need to get your funnel cake to a deep fryer. A lot of home-cooking setups will require use of a stove and pan with oil in it, but we find that best results come from a true deep fryer, no matter how hot your stovetop gets.

Once your oil is to temperature, pour the batter through the specialized funnel using gentle swirling or scooping motions to keep the circular pattern going. You’ll want to be careful to continue overlapping the dough as you pour, keeping it all relatively together as it cooks. The batter, if made correctly, should pour smoothly without any lumps or clumping, and shouldn’t be too slow when going through the frying process. Finally, flip to get both sides golden brown – and serve!

Choose Funnel Fare for Your Catering

At Funnel Fare, we are dedicated to bringing a level of fun and levity to any event that you choose to host. We are here to provide an extra-ordinarily FUN fare, where catering is made fun! We’ve specialized in a range of fun food treats since 2006, making everything hot, fresh, and fried from the window of our food truck. In addition to our delicious funnel cakes, we also provide a range of toppings that you can request on booking.

Rest assured, all our funnel cakes use only the freshest ingredients to create the batter, and every cake is made fresh, served hot. Hand-poured batter made ready-to-order is the only way we serve our legendary funnel cakes. Choose from a range of standard toppings, such as classic powdered sugar; or go all out with cinnamon sugar, rainbow sprinkles, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, or caramel sauce.

Want to add an extravagant twist? Choose from our premium toppings, which include vanilla ice cream, or strawberry, apple, or cherry topping. We can also accommodate special requests, such as gluten free options for gluten-sensitive individuals.

Whether you’re putting together a company picnic, can’t wait for your wedding guests to enjoy some nostalgic fun, or just want to put a fun spin on any other kind of event, Funnel Fare is here for professional and prompt full-service catering.

How to Book Funnel Fare

To book Funnel Fare for your event, submit a booking inquiry and tell us about the details of your event. We’ll be happy to get in touch with more information about our typical catering process, estimated costs, and available menu options for the venue.

Every step of the way from booking to day-of catering, we’ll help you with the logistics, tailoring our menu and services to your guests’ preferences and creating a memorable experience for everyone. Get in touch today and see the difference that a sweet treat can make at your event.