# Elephant ears vs. funnel cakes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 13, 2017, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246 "2017-09-13T15:53:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/1 "2017-09-13T15:53:55Z")
What’s the difference between elephant ears and funnel cakes? A search seems to indicate that the former is fried bread, and the latter is fried batter. But I found one place where elephant ears have ‘a delicious cinnamon taste’, which sounds more like a doughnut, and the person seemed to differentiate by texture. According to the [_Saint Petersburg Times_](https://web.archive.org/web/20041010114105/http://www.sptimes.com/2002/02/13/Taste/dish.shtml): > [@](#): > > How is a funnel cake different from an elephant ear, another deep-fried fair staple? The elephant ear is fried, flattened dough inspired by the fry bread of the American Indians of the West and named for their big ear shape. Navajo fry bread is served sweet, with powdered sugar or honey, or savory, with chili con carne or cheese on top. So the definitive answer seems to be that elephant ears are fried bread dough, and funnel cakes are fried batter. The last time I went to a fair was in the '80s, and no one heard of ‘elephant ears’ then. So I’m curious: If I went to a fair, would I find both elephant ears and funnel cakes? Or would funnel cakes be _called_ elephant ears? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/2 "2017-09-13T16:04:36Z")
Same thing, different names in different parts of the country. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/3 "2017-09-13T16:09:35Z")
Same thing. By coincidence, another culture (Madeirans) invented exactly the same thing independently and gave it another name: malasadas. Wikipedia describes malasadas as balls of fried dough. In my experience with malasadas made by U.S. Madeiran expatriates, my Madeiran-American grandmother, Portuguese feasts in New England, and Madeirans on the island of Madeira, they were always flat. Cinnamon and butter are optional. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/4 "2017-09-13T16:16:18Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > Same thing. By coincidence, another culture (Madeirans) invented exactly the same thing independently and gave it another name: malasadas. > > Wikipedia describes malasadas as balls of fried dough. In my experience with malasadas made by U.S. Madeiran expatriates, my Madeiran-American grandmother, Portuguese feasts in New England, and Madeirans on the island of Madeira, they were always flat. Cinnamon and butter are optional. I think every culture independently came up with their own version. Zeppoles are also very similar. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/5 "2017-09-13T16:17:48Z")
Never heard of elephant ears before now. I have heard of Indian fry bread before though, which is not very similar to a funnel cake at all. Except that both are fried. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/6 "2017-09-13T16:18:11Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Same thing, different names in different parts of the country. > [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > Same thing. According to the link, and according to sites I visited before posting, they are different things. So whether they’re the ‘same thing’ depends on what part of the country the fair is in? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/7 "2017-09-13T16:29:37Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Same thing, different names in different parts of the country. You have fucked up fairs if you think elephant ears and funnel cakes are the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/8 "2017-09-13T16:38:42Z")
I have never had an elephant ear, but after looking at them online I can definitely say that they are not the same as funnel cakes. An elephant ear appears to be a sheet of dough which is rolled out and fried, whereas a funnel cake is made by pouring a thin batter through a funnel (hence the name) directly into hot oil. The funnel is moved around to form the shape of the cake. The result should be fairly light and airy with a little bit of crunch to it. I have noticed a tendency in recent decades for the funnel cakes to be made larger and heavier, with a much larger opening in the funnel so that instead of a light, crispy treat you get a heavy, soggy mess. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/9 "2017-09-13T16:59:17Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I think every culture independently came up with their own version. Zeppoles are also very similar. I suspect you’re right that many cultures have come up with fried dough. Malasadas are just another identical thing I have seen sold at feasts and fairs and so particularly relevant to the OP. > [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > You have fucked up fairs if you think elephant ears and funnel cakes are the same thing. Maybe. I have seen “elephant ears” and “funnel cakes” advertised at the same stands and ordering either one gets you the same thing. This means at least some of the people selling them don’t think there’s a difference. > [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > I have never had an elephant ear, but after looking at them online I can definitely say that they are not the same as funnel cakes. An elephant ear appears to be a sheet of dough which is rolled out and fried, whereas a funnel cake is made by pouring a thin batter through a funnel (hence the name) directly into hot oil. The funnel is moved around to form the shape of the cake. The result should be fairly light and airy with a little bit of crunch to it. I have noticed a tendency in recent decades for the funnel cakes to be made larger and heavier, with a much larger opening in the funnel so that instead of a light, crispy treat you get a heavy, soggy mess. The OP’s article and this description are the first times I’ve ever noticed anyone drawing a distinction. It’s not clear to me that this is a distinction maintained in practice today. Even your description of today’s funnel cakes sounds a lot like a the elephant ears I am familiar with. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/10 "2017-09-13T17:11:19Z")
\*\*Elephant ears vs. funnel cakes \*\* Now _there’s_ a Death Match I would pay to watch. And I’d be willing to eat the loser, piece by piece. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/11 "2017-09-13T17:15:27Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > The OP’s article and this description are the first times I’ve ever noticed anyone drawing a distinction. I’m not sure I’ve heard of ‘elephant ears’ before this month. I’ve never had one. (I don’t think I’ve ever had a funnel cake either.) ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/12 "2017-09-13T17:17:02Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > The OP’s article and this description are the first times I’ve ever noticed anyone drawing a distinction. It’s not clear to me that this is a distinction maintained in practice today. Even your description of today’s funnel cakes sounds a lot like a the elephant ears I am familiar with. A [google image search for elephant ears](https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=elephant%20ear%20fair) shows mostly fry bread or sopapilla-type desserts, with a few actual funnel cakes. For the record, [this is a funnel cake](https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7359/27807731825_058e6383dd_z.jpg). Batter, extruded through a tube like cake frosting, directly into hot oil, where it tangles up like a snake’s nest into a glob that could reasonably be called a cake. And dusted with powdered sugar. Is that what some of you are calling “elephant ears”? Because the rest of the google image search results looks more like sopapillas – made out of dough, not batter, cooked in one large, flat piece, and topped with cinnamon and sugar and possibly honey or fruit. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/13 "2017-09-13T17:21:04Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > The OP’s article and this description are the first times I’ve ever noticed anyone drawing a distinction. It’s not clear to me that this is a distinction maintained in practice today. Even your description of today’s funnel cakes sounds a lot like a the elephant ears I am familiar with. The pictures I’ve seen of [elephant ears](http://www.cookingmamas.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Elephant-Ears.jpg) look like a flat piece of fried dough, like fry bread or sopapillas. A properly made [funnel cake](https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7359/27807731825_058e6383dd_z.jpg) should look like a 3D lacy structure make of a (roughly) continuous 1/4" to 1/2" tube of fried batter. Dramatically different. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/14 "2017-09-13T17:23:55Z")
In Minnesota an elephant ear is an unbaked cinnamon roll rolled flat and then fried, then coated with sugar. A funnel cake is a stream of batter poured into hot oil and swirled into a circular pattern, often topped with sugar or fruit toppings or even ice cream. You can easily make elephant ears at home, and they’re available pre-made at my bakery, but I’ve only seen funnel cakes made fresh to order at fairs. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/15 "2017-09-13T17:29:08Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > Maybe. I have seen “elephant ears” and “funnel cakes” advertised at the same stands and ordering either one gets you the same thing. This means at least some of the people selling them don’t think there’s a difference. I am astounded. To my way of thinking this would be like ordering a waffle and getting a pancake. Similar, but very much not interchangeable! ---
**Author:** ![pendgwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@pendgwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pendgwen)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/16 "2017-09-13T17:35:09Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Same thing, different names in different parts of the country. Absolutely wrong. [This](http://www.flavor574.com/2016/02/24/diy/) is an elephant ear. They’re made of a bread-type dough that’s rolled or stretched out and then dropped in a fryer. [These](https://www.google.com/search?q=funnel+cake+image&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjmu5is1aLWAhVJLmMKHemGBw0Q_AUICigB&biw=1525&bih=710) are funnel cakes. They’re made of a liquid batter that’s dribbled into the fryer, often in a kind of spiral pattern. In my experience funnel cakes are greasier than elephant ears. Which one you find at the fair seems to be regional. I grew up going to fairs in Washington State and we always got elephant ears. When I went to fairs on the East Coast there were many funnel cake stands and no one had heard of elephant ears. I went to the state fair here in Missouri a couple of years ago and there were many funnel cake stands and one lonely elephant ear stand. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/17 "2017-09-13T18:01:00Z")
Elephant’s Ears are a baked pastry, a kind of _[palmier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmier)_ made from rolled puff pastry. And I always assumed funnel cakes were what happened when you tried to make churros but had less than zero coordination… ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/18 "2017-09-13T18:06:50Z")
Interesting, where does a New England style fried dough fit on that continuum? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/19 "2017-09-13T18:27:38Z")
> [@pendgwen](#): > > Absolutely wrong. [This](http://www.flavor574.com/2016/02/24/diy/) is an elephant ear. They’re made of a bread-type dough that’s rolled or stretched out and then dropped in a fryer. [These](https://www.google.com/search?q=funnel+cake+image&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjmu5is1aLWAhVJLmMKHemGBw0Q_AUICigB&biw=1525&bih=710) are funnel cakes. They’re made of a liquid batter that’s dribbled into the fryer, often in a kind of spiral pattern. In my experience funnel cakes are greasier than elephant ears. That’s how I know them as well. They are not the same thing, except that they are both deep fried, bready products. I know an elephant ear to be a large, flattened piece of dough, like flat bread that has been deep friend. It does remind me of Indian fry bread or Hungarian _lángos_. A funnel cake is batter passed through a funnel into a deep fryer. [Here is a video of making funnel cakes.](https://youtu.be/WjOnYKlghM4?t=120) I’ve linked it to the time where the funnel cake goes into the deep fryer. [Here are elephant ears going into the fryer](https://youtu.be/nJW3-EMHKmg?t=340). Now I’m sure there must be some dialect differences, but that’s how I’ve always known them to be. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246/20 "2017-09-13T18:35:39Z")
They most absolutely are different things. Elephant ears are like Krispy Kreme donut consistency, they’re rolled out and stretched like a fat lumpy pancake, and are roughly the size of a paper plate. They’re dropped whole into the fryer like a big beignet. They are most often sprinkled with a mix of cinnamon and regular table sugar, and often are topped with fruit preserves or chocolate syrup. They are eaten straight from the plate or napkin they’re on in bites like a sloppy thin pizza. They’re more doughy and more substantial. Funnel cakes are thin batter like pancake mix poured directly and slowly into the fry oil, where the batter twists and turns and kinks around to make a nest of thin fried dough strands all coiled around each other. They are most properly covered with about a pound of powdered sugar and eaten by pulling bits off with your hands as the sugar flies everywhere. They are light and airy - not much cooked interior batter, mostly fried surface and air pockets. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-ears-vs-funnel-cakes/796246.md?page=2)