Recipe: Southern Corn Cakes

Southern Corn Cakes… these little babies are true gems… if you like corn …. and most of the population does… you will love these. Corn is always in the top 10 favorite vegetables … and it’s no wonder why… the sweet taste of sweet corn… hmmmm… a summer tradition in most parts of the country.

I had corn cakes recently at Applebees with their BBQ chicken.. and decided to put the corn cakes on my “To Do” list of recipes to post.. while theirs were good… they just aren’t as good as homemade… but then again what is?

The recipe is short… the tips are long… do take a moment to read the tips.. I think it will be well worth your while.

TIPS

A number of things will contribute to the quality of the corn cakes… sweetness of the corn, the quality of the creamed corn used, the quality of the corn meal, the freshness of the baking powder and butter… I can’t forget to mention butter… I wouldn’t recommend substituting anything else… the butter taste with the sweet corn make the calories worth it…

You can use fresh or frozen corn… use sweet corn for the best taste. I cook it in the micro for about 5 minutes on high … I didn’t want to use raw corn… I don’t think it would matter, I just think it’s easier to digest that way… there isn’t a lot in the recipe… just enough to add a more definitive corn “presence” and texture.

You can use canned creamed corn or make your own… homemade is probably best… but adds considerably to the prep time… so maybe make creamed corn one night and save the leftovers.. trouble is.. I NEVER have leftover creamed corn… so buy a good quality creamed corn.. this isn’t the place to skimp since this will be the flavor of your cakes.

Use a good quality corn meal… I used Martha White Self Rising Corn Meal Mix which is their most popular corn meal. It already contains leavening in it, but I still added the baking powder… my cakes were nicely light. If you can’t find the Corn Meal Mix use a good quality corn meal available in your grocery store.

White or Yellow Corn Meal? … which to use? …. the short answer is … either one… just be aware there are slight differences in flavor between the two… I prefer yellow but will buy white if I can’t find yellow… I think the difference is negligible…

Baking Powder… I can’t emphasize this enough… make sure your baking powder is fresh… I have to admit I was very lax about replacing it when I still had quite a bit left in my container… but I learned the hard way… it can ruin your baked goods or in this case, corn cakes. Over time, my quick breads and pancakes seemed not to rise as much… a little at a time until one afternoon my banana bread came out pitiful… the culprit was old baking powder…

To test your baking powder see my post “How to Test the Effectiveness of Baking Powder and Baking Soda”.

You can fry these in butter or… you can do as I did… cut the fat a little and spray a non-stick griddle with cooking oil (Butter flavor preferred). I used my electric frying pan set on 375 degrees F. and they came out perfect.

This simple recipe is quick and easy and one that will become a family favorite… it has in my family!






Recipe: Southern Corn Cakes

All you need:

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup yellow corn meal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 can (14 ¾ oz.) Del Monte Creamed Corn
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted
½ cup whole milk
¼ cup fresh or frozen corn, partially cooked (see tips)
Cooking oil spray (Butter Flavor)

All you need to do:

Sift together the dry ingredients into a large bowl and set aside.

In medium bowl, beat the egg lightly with a fork.

Add the remaining wet ingredients and mix well.

Add the corn.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.

Cook corn cakes on a hot griddle, turning when bottom side is golden and bubbles appear all over the top side.

Serve hot.