Mexican Sweet Corn Cake
Mexican Sweet Corn Cake is moist, sweet corn cake perfect as a side dish for whatever Mexican meal you’re serving!
When I was in my twenties, I often frequented Chevy’s or El Torito’s restaurants. Besides a margarita, there was always one thing I had to have — a double order of the sweet corn cake on the side.
I know, right? I still have an enormous weakness for the stuff, but I show a little more restraint this days.
This Mexican Sweet Corn Cake is sweet, moist, and loaded with corn flavor. It’s the perfect match for whatever you’re serving for Cinco de Mayo, or any other time you’ve got a wicked corn cake craving. 🙂
Mexican Sweet Corn Cake
A few years ago I decided to make homemade Mexican Sweet Corn Cake and was so glad that I did. It tastes exactly as I remember — soft, and moist with kernels of corn throughout.
These corn cakes utilize corn in 3 ways: masa harina, or corn flour, regular corn meal and whole corn kernels. That’s 3 times the corn flavor!
If you’re not familiar with masa harina, it’s a fine corn flour used to make corn tortillas. I need to put that masa to use, so I think I’ll try making my own tortillas soon.
I need to do something else with it because I can’t make this Mexican Sweet Corn Cake all the time. It’s much too tempting for me to have it around often!
You can use cooked, fresh or frozen, thawed corn. I opted to use frozen roasted corn this time around to save time. The corn kernels need to be pulsed in a food processor for just a bit. Leave them chunky — we don’t want mush.
I love the nice, rustic look of the corn chunks, too.
This Mexican Sweet Corn Cake would be the perfect addition for your Cinco de Mayo feast or any time you’re serving Mexican dishes. 🙂
Here are some of my other dishes that would be wonderful for Cinco de Mayo as well:
Mexican Sweet Corn Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/3 cup masa masa is corn flour, which cannot be substituted with corn meal
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn thawed, if frozen
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the masa and water, and beat until incorporated. Set aside.
- Pulse the corn in the food processor. Leave the corn chunky! Stir the corn into the butter mixture.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk, and stir to combine.
- Stir the corn meal mixture into the butter-corn mixture just until incorporated. Pour into an ungreased 8x8" baking pan.
- Place the baking pan into a 13x9" baking dish with water filled up 1/3 of the way full. Cover the corn cake with foil.
- Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, then use an ice cream or cookie scoop for serving.
Notes
- Use roasted corn for extra flavor and flair!
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
86 Comments on “Mexican Sweet Corn Cake”
What would happen if I leave out the milk and use dairy free butter?
Hi Shannon. I have never used dairy free butter, but I would think that it would work. You could also try dairy free milk as well. I’d love to hear how it works out!
Am I bad to ask if green chili’s(?) or jalapeños cam be added.
I think a can of green chilies would be great! If you do use a jalapeno, it should be cooked first as I don’t think it will soften up much in the oven.
I make this but call it “sweet corn tomalito” just like they called it at Chevy’s. I steam it on the stove top instead of the oven.
But you are right! It is so good!!!
I’m glad you love it too, and steaming it sounds like a great idea!
Thank you for this recipe. Acapulco restaurant used to serve this as well like a tamale, in the husk. It was my FAVORITE thing to have from there.
I can’t wait to try this. I wonder if you have ever tried corn pudding since you like this so much. I had never had it until I moved to the Midwest and it is a staple for my family at most holiday meals now. If you live the corn flavor of your recipe you will love corn pudding as well. It uses a well loved corn bread mix and is super simple.
I hope this corn cake reminds you of the one from Acapulco! And I have seen corn pudding but never tried it…I’m sure I would absolutely love it. I need to try it soon!
I want to make this for a potluck dinner for 16 people. I would need to double the recipie, but what size pans would I need to do this? I plan on baking this right before leaving to take it right from the oven.
The purpose of the water bath is to steam the corn cake, so I’d advise using (2) 8×8″ dishes, which means you’d also need (2) 13×9″ dishes as well.
What if your have no corn meal on hand?
I would suggest purchasing some as the recipe won’t work without it.
Is this sweet corn cake known by any other name?
I don’t it by any other name…sorry.