Have you ever taken funnel cakes? They have a very magical aroma that attracts people and brings them back to memory lane. If you are a fan of funnel cakes you will understand that you can either purchase or make yours. If you want to always enjoy your funnel cakes, the ideal thing is to buy them in bulk or make them in large portions and then store the leftovers to be reheated when you are ready to eat.
If you have stored funnel cakes before and you have also reheated them before, you will realize that you have to be careful to ensure that your cake does not turn soggy or sloppy. This is why we are here to share with you the best way for you to reheat funnel cakes.
Soft or Crisp Funnel Cake
You have to first determine whether or not you want the funnel cakes to be crispy or soft. The truth is that reheating your funnel cake will not be perfectly delicious when compared to the deliciousness of fresh funnel cakes from the fryer, however, it could be close. If you want soft funnel cakes, use your microwave to reheat them and if you want it crispy, use your oven.
Oven
For crispier funnel cakes, using an oven is an ideal method. There are two options when you want to use an oven. If the funnel cakes are in bulk, the best thing to do is to warm the oven to a temperature of 350°F, use parchment paper to line your baking sheet, and lay the funnel cakes on it. Use aluminum foil to cover the baking tray if you don’t want the funnel cakes to dry out. You should then bake the funnel cakes for 10 minutes, the foil should be removed once it has baked for 8 minutes.
The second option is when you only have one cake to reheat and you are rushing, all you need to do is to warm the oven to a temperature of 450°F and place the funnel cake on the rack at the center of the oven for at most 3 minutes. You need to monitor the funnel cake to watch out for the changes from the delicious looking golden brown to a more ominous dark brown. You should remove it before it becomes black.
Microwave
Using a microwave is perfect to reheat funnel cakes if you want it soft and chewy. You need to put a paper towel on the microwavable plate if you don’t want them to be dry or soggy. Use the other side of that paper towel to cover the funnel cake after placing it on the plate. Turn your microwave on high heat for up to 20 seconds and then flip the cake to the other side to heat again for an extra 10 to 15 seconds.
Combining Tools
You can combine both of the tools in case you are not satisfied with the outcome both of the reheating methods gave you. The first thing to do is to preheat your oven to a temperature of 450°F. Use a paper towel to wrap the funnel cake and place it inside your microwave for up to 30 seconds. After that, remove it and then put it on the rack at the center of the oven for about 1 minute. It will give you a correct combination of the funnel cake being slightly caramelized, crispy outside and warm, soft inside.
Stovetop
This is useful if you wouldn’t mind having a bit more oil, re-frying the funnel cakes is also an option. The oil will not need too much because the cake has already soaked a lot. Put a tablespoon of either coconut oil, peanut oil, or other oil of neutral flavor inside the frying pan and warm it under medium heat. The temperature should not be too high, the cake is needed to be warmed without it getting burnt.
Put the funnel cake inside the hot oil for about a minute before you flip it to the other side for just 30 seconds. The top should not be inside your pan for just too long as it will burn the sugar. You will get a funnel cake that will be soft in the middle and crispy outside.
Cooking Funnel Cake from Scratch
If you are yet to try it, you should try cooking your funnel cake yourself. It is quite very simple to do. A funnel cake is made when you pour the batter through your funnel and then placed in hot oil. The funnel is swirled around to have a unique creation for each cake.
Making the batter is very simple, it is just like pancake or fritter batter and any oil can be used as long as the flavor is neutral. The common choice is peanut oil because it is very simple. You should then use some sugar or some other toppings to garnish it when you are done.
Ingredients
- Powdered sugar to dust and extra toppings
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- ¼ cup of sugar
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of milk
- 2 eggs
- Oil for frying
Directions
- Begin the process by first warming your oil to a temperature of 450°F inside the deep fryer.
- Get a very big bowl to pour the wet ingredients. You will whisk the eggs together, add vanilla, milk, and water to it and whisk it until all have combined.
- Get another bowl to prepare the dry ingredients. Blend the salt, sugar, and baking powder into the flour. Once they have mixed well, slowly add the mixture to the liquid mixture and proceed to whisk or mix until the batter is smoothened completely.
- You have to get a draining point where you put your cooling rack on your baking sheet. You should also get the funnel ready.
- Put your finger on the funnel’s spout bottom and the other hand should be used to ladle the batter inside the funnel. Fill the funnel according to the side you want the cake to look like. The first funnel may be about trying, you would have mastered it by the second pour.
- The funnel should be held at a distance that is safe from your hot oil, at least several inches, and then remove your finger from the funnel’s spout. The batter will stream inside your hot oil and you need to move your funnel in continuous spiral patterns until all your batter is out of the funnel. Get a spatula to ensure everything drops into your fryer.
- Allow the cake for about 2 minutes. You should then use stainless-steel tongs or flippers to flip your funnel cake to the other side. It will be floating on the oil’s surface, so you need to flip it to get both sides cooked. Allow it to fry for extra 2 minutes before you remove it carefully. Excess oil should be allowed to drain on a cooling rack as you repeat this process for the remaining batter.
- Use powdered sugar to dust all the funnel cakes and proceed to eat them warm.
Make your Funnel Cake Without a Funnel
You will not find funnel in all kitchens but that should not stop you from cooking funnel cakes. You could use several alternatives:
- Get a very old squeeze bottle used originally for mustard or ketchup, ensure it is clean, fill the batter in and use it to squeeze it into your hot oil.
- If your hand is reliably steady, pour the batter out from a big measuring cup with the spout.
- Pour the batter inside a very big Ziploc bag and carefully seal it. Then cut one side of the bottom corners to make the spout.
- Get a decorating bag that can be used to pipe the batter inside the already hot oil.
Making your Funnel Cake Without the Deep Fryer
It is not everyone that has access to a deep fryer, you can also use a wok, Dutch oven, saucepan, and any deep pan. All you need to ensure is that the tool is deep enough where one or two inches of oil can be heated and you will still be left with a minimum of two inches left at the top. This is to ensure the bubble of oil does not threaten.
Use an oil thermometer to test for the hotness of the oil, the aim is a temperature of 375°F. Use a wooden spoon or chopstick to check the oil if you do not have an oil thermometer. If the oil is hot enough, when you dip the wooden spoon inside the oil, it will begin boiling around the wooden spoon.
The boiling will be violent or too rough if it is too hot, it means you need to cool the oil slightly before adding the batter. Once the oil can be used, funnel the batter inside the pan as we described above. Gently flip it in order not to spray oil on yourself inside the kitchen.
