Funnel Cake vs. Fried Dough – What’s The Difference?

Sweets and desserts are really mood fixers. When you think about having something sweet, such as ice creams, doughnuts etc., there flows a large wave of happiness. Just like other desserts and sweets, we have funnel cake and fried doughs.

We can say that fried dough and funnel cake is a combination of chewy and sugary pastry made from many ingredients. Many people consider funnel cake and fried dough similar, but it is not. Moving on towards its differences which is quite basic.

The main difference between a funnel cake and fried dough is that the funnel cake is made from baking soda, while the fried dough is made from yeast dough. The funnel cake is fired and has liquid batter, while the fried dough is solid and baked.

Technically, we can say that funnel cake is a type of fried dough but with some variations. Both of them are used as snacks or for breakfast. In some places, funnel cake is consumed, while the fried dough is consumed more frequently in some places.

This article has mentioned a few things to help you better understand the close relation and difference between the fried dough and funnel cake.

Fried Dough

As the name indicates, fried dough is a dough that is fried. This food dish is originated from North America and was like the most consumed breakfast food in their history. In today’s world, fried dough is found in every amusement park or along the sidewalk, footpaths, food vendors etc.

The fired dough contains yeast which creates bubbles during the frying process and helps in giving unique shapes to it. Many recipes and ingredients are added to fried doughs to make them delicious and appealing.

Fried dough is popular in every place or area but with various names. For example, in North America, it is called Bannock and fry bread while in Canada it is called beaver tails, in Italy, it is called zeppole, and in Germany, it is called kniekuchle. Every place has a unique name for the fried dough, but the food remains the same.

Fried Dough Types

As we already told you, there are many updated recipes and fried dough that we will be discussing now. Some of the variants of fried dough are doughnuts, elephant ears, doughboy, beignet etc. the main ingredient that holds all the variants is the addition of yeast.

Fried Dough Toppings

The best thing about fried dough is that it contains unique and delicious toppings. The toppings make the fried dough look appealing and attractive. Some of the fried dough toppings are mentioned below, which includes:  Powdered sugar, chocolate, maple or honey syrups, fruit jams, whipped cream, garlic butter, cheese and marinara.

Nutritional Facts

If we consider talking about fried dough’s nutritional facts, which most people are concerned about as they don’t want to consume a high caloric diet. A one piece of fried dough which is 136 grams, contains:

• 450 Kcal Total Calories
• 19 g Total Fat
• 13 mg Cholesterol
• 602 mg Sodium
• 57 mg Potassium
• 66 g Carbs
• 4 g Dietary Fiber
• 26 g Sugar
• 4 G Protein

Apart from this, the fried dough also contains micronutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, Calcium and Iron.  The fried dough contains sugar content which keeps your blood sugar level in control, and as it is a high caloric diet, it is a good source of energy. It is a good breakfast snack to start your day with.

Funnel Cake

Funnel cake is originated from Pennsylvania, Dutch, mainly in the 1700s. It is the type of cake that contains yeast and is called dreckderkuche; later, it named changed into funnel cake, and instead of yeast, baking soda was added in.

Funnel cake is named funnel because the dough batter is added through a funnel in circular form in the oil. Once fried, it gives a golden brownish appearance and later, sugary toppings are added in.  The funnel cake is sweet and is a high-calorie snack.

Funnel Cake Topping

The toppings added to the funnel cake are sweet, as powdered sugar is the most common. As funnel cake is light, one can also add them as a garnish on fruit salads, ice creams, pudding, and other desserts.  One can also add the toppings like ginger, cinnamon or allspice.

Funnel Cake Stir

Funnel cake is becoming popular day by day in every part of the world. Whether serving at a party or consuming it in the breakfast: funnel cake is welcomed as a side dish everywhere. One can make funnel cake at home with the addition of their favorite toppings or can consume the traditionally styled one from the restaurants.

Nutritional Facts

Moving on towards the nutritional facts of funnel cake, so for a 65-gram serving size of funnel cake contains:

• 260 Total Calories
• 12 g Total Fat
• 20 mg Cholesterol
• 290 mg Sodium
• 35 g Carbs
• 1 g Dietary Fiber
• 11 g Sugar
• 4 g Protein

It would not be right to say that funnel cake is completely a healthy snack, and you should consume it on a daily basis. Although it is high caloric food, it is not a nutrient-dense diet. Making funnel cake at home with the addition of healthy ingredients can make it more nutritious.

So, What’s The Difference Between Fried Dough and Funnel Cake?

Summarizing the above article into key points so that you can differentiate between fried dough and funnel cake:

1. The main difference is that the fried dough is made from yeast, while the funnel cake is made from baking soda.
2. The dough processed of fried dough is thinner and flattened, while the dough processing of funnel cake has a thick consistency and is added through the funnel in the warm oil.
3. Funnel cake looks lumpy, while the fried dough is thick, large and heavy.
4. Funnel cake requires more processing than fried dough.
5. The topping of fried dough contains a wide range of varieties, unlike funnel cake which only has powdered sugar or cinnamon topping.

Sources:

• Foodsguy
• Wickedlocal
• Spoonuniversity