I don't believe I just found this thread
The past few weeks, I've been working on improving the basic Funnel Cake recipe I have. I've made it a few times, but a couple weeks ago, I had a thought. Why not use a buttermilk base? So, I reformulated my original recipe into two different ones. One is a "quick" mix, using buttermilk baking mix. The other is identical to the original, except I used buttermilk instead of milk. It came out pretty darn good. So good, in fact, that my MIL has been dropping hints for me to make some more, as I still have Buttermilk left
Buttermilk Funnel Cakes
Yields: 4 - 6 servings
I like to use an 8” cast iron skillet for this, with about ½” of oil in it. If you have one, by all means, use it. If you’re lucky enough to have a 6” cast iron skillet, even better, as you can get personal-sized desserts.
I also just mix this up in a large measuring cup, then pour the batter directly into the hot oil. Messing with a funnel, and capping the end with a finger, is just a little to messy in my opinion. Using a measuring cuts down on dirty dishes, and works just great.
1 1/3 c flour
¼ t salt
2 T sugar
½ t soda
¾ t baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1 ½ c buttermilk, or more as needed
Oil for frying
powdered sugar
Into a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Combine the liquid ingredients in a 4 c measuring cup. Add the dry ingredients. Beat until smooth. Fill a skillet or pan with ½” of cooking oil and heat to a temperature of 375°F. Pour the batter in a small stream into the hot oil, swirling around and criss-crossing over itself. Fry until golden brown, about 1 or 2 minutes, turning once with two spatulas. Remove to paper toweling to drain. Place on a plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar or fruit filling. Serve hot. Repeat the process until all of the batter is used up.
On a final note: I wouldn't be to surprised if the recipe I've posted here can also be used for basic buttermilk pancakes. Also, around here, fruit fillings seem to be the norm, instead of powdered sugar. I made a basic apple pie filling and topped my funnel cakes with that, although, just about any fruit filling will work.