Secrets To Baking The Best Cornbread Recipe

Hint: It is not buttermilk

IS YOUR CORNBREAD DULL AND DRY? WANT TO BAKE THE MOISTEST AND BEST CORNBREAD RECIPE? Well read on friends, because I will share my secrets to baking the best cornbread recipe with you!

Classic Cornbread

Cornbread, for those of you not familiar with American fare, is a regional favorite of the southeastern United States. If you read the About me page, you know I did not grow up in the South. However, while serving in the Army, I lived in Jesup in southern Georgia for three years. I met some very dear friends who shared local southern culture with me. I have to say, Southerners definitely know how to eat. The food is pure comfort; very much like the lilting southern Georgia drawl.

I first ate cornbread, corn casserole and corn pudding while living in Georgia. Cornbread (the base for all three dishes) is delicious and versatile, sometimes including mix-ins like cheese, bacon or green chiles. All very good add-ins but when I developed my recipe, I just wanted corn flavor.

If you are a purest, you may be disappointed as this is not a traditional light cornbread recipe made only with corn flour. However, that’s not what I was looking for with this recipe. I wanted a moist, dense cake with deep corn flavor that could be cut and served. Similar to a corn casserole but sliceable like cornbread.

Secret to Flavorful Cornbread

The first problem I tackled was bland flavor. I wanted a rich corn flavor in my bread. I started with a fresh, high quality, organic corn meal like Bob’s Red Mill Corn Meal. However, the flavor I wanted could not be achieved by using corn meal alone. I needed another corn boost. I found it in the addition of creamed corn. If you are living somewhere that does not sell prepared creamed corn in a can, you can make it from fresh or frozen corn by using this Cream Corn Recipe from Spend With Pennies blog. Homemade creamed corn boosts the flavor even more!

Secret to Moist Cornbread

The next problem I tackled was dry, crumbly cornbread. Now, this is a personal preference. Some people want airy cornbread that can be crumbled into stew or chili but I was not after those qualities. I wanted my bread to be moist and dense but not have to be spooned like a corn casserole. I decided to rely on my culinary training. To achieve moist cake in the bakery, I would whip butter & sugar together before adding eggs, and then add dry ingredients. I kept the whipping step to add air but substituted cream cheese for moistness and density instead of butter.

If you can not find cream cheese for purchase in your local area, you can substitute 1/2 cup of mascarpone cheese. That’s double the cream cheese amount in the recipe since mascarpone is not as dense as cream cheese.

The Results

The resulting cornbread is flavorful, moist and dense but could still be cut for serving, all the qualities I hoped for. Serve warm with a generous topping of butter. I absolutely love serving this beside beef chili or white chicken chili. I recommend you check out my blogger friend’s Chili-con-Carne recipe! I make it often, it’s delicious and it perfectly pairs with my cornbread recipe below.

I hope you will enjoy trying my Secrets To Baking The Best Cornbread. If you do try it, remember sharing is caring! Invite a friend or a neighbor to dinner and serve this delicious cornbread with some yummy chili. It is sure to warm their heart (and stomach). Share a picture of your results on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and tag @christinasbreadbakes. I love to see your creations! Happy baking.

Moist, Flavorful Cornbread

Christina

This is a recipe for a very moist, dense cornbread recipe. It is not a light and airy cornbread but similar to a corn casserole but can be cut like a cornbread.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course bread, Side Dish

Cuisine American, southern

Servings 12

Equipment

• Electric Mixer with paddle attachment
• Digital Metric Scale
• 8" x 8" x 2" square glass cake pan

Ingredients

  

• 55 g cream cheese room temp
• 55 g sugar, granulated
• 400 g cream corn room temp (one can)
• 1 ea egg room temp
• 195 g flour, all purpose
• 140 g corn meal (corn flour)
• 10 g baking powder (2 tsp)
• 3 g salt 1/4 tsp
• 170 ml 2% milk room temp

Instructions

 

• Prepare cream corn if making from scratch (homemade)
• Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
• Prepare the pan with butter (or spray) and flour.
• Scale or measure all ingredients, ensuring cold products are at room temperature.
• Mix all dry ingredients (flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt) together and set aside.
• Whip the cream cheese and sugar at medium speed for 1-2 minutes until throughly mixed.
• Add egg. Mix on medium-low for 1 minute. Scrape Bowl and mix again until incorporated.
• Add cream corn and mix on low for 1 minute.
• While mixer is on low, alternate the addition of dry ingredients with the milk in thirds (one third dry, one third milk, etc. until complete). Stop mixer and scrape down bowl.
• Turn mixer on to medium and mix for 1 minute.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick is clean.
• Allow this to cool on a rack for 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

Keyword corn, corn casserole, cornbread, cream corn