These cakes are believed to have originated from Native Americans either in New England or the American South. The ingredients and cooking process are simple- cornmeal, flour, sugar, milk, water, and eggs whisked together with no special tools, and the batter is fried in round cakes in a cast-iron skillet. The process is easy, and once you taste them, you’ll know why they’ve stood the test of time. For more classic breakfast recipes, check out my homemade cinnamon rolls, easy waffle recipe, or French toast recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Cornmeal – yellow cornmeal gives these cakes a golden hue and corn taste. Fine ground cornmeal will work best for this recipe and lend a creamier texture than other coarser-grind cornmeals sold under the names polenta and grits. Cornmeal varieties like stone-ground corn meal that maintain some of the hulls during processing will have a heartier texture and offer very good flavor. Milk – I use whole milk in this recipe, but you can also use dairy-free or plant-based milk such as oat milk or almond milk. Butter – unsalted butter adds a bit of richness to these slightly sweet cakes. Melted butter easily blends when whisked with the other wet ingredients. Frying Oil – each corn cake is fried in oil to give them a crisp outer layer and pillowy inside. You can use vegetable oil, butter, or bacon fat. Bacon fat or even lard have a more distinct taste, while vegetable oil will have a more neutral flavor.
How to Make Johnny Cakes
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, water, melted butter, and eggs.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil, butter, or bacon fat in a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, scoop the batter by the 1/4 cupful into the hot skillet, cooking until the edges are golden brown. Flip and continue to cook until golden brown on the other side. Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
Use a cast iron pan. A cast-iron skillet maintains a consistent cooking temperature and is an excellent pan for frying. When properly seasoned, a cast-iron pan is naturally non-stick, will brown the corn cakes beautifully, and is the type of pan this dish is traditionally cooked in. You can also use a hot griddle if you don’t have a skillet. Heat the cooking oil before adding any batter. Hot oil is essential to getting the ideal golden brown, slightly crisp, exterior on these cakes. Once the oil has been added to the pan, heat it until it reaches 325-350 degrees Fahrenheit before adding any batter. Reduce the heat if the oil spatters. If the cooking oil is spattering or the cakes are browning very quickly, reduce the cooking heat. As you make subsequent batches, you may find that adjusting the heat is necessary. Make the cakes ahead of time. Also known by the name journey cake, these little cornbread cakes store particularly well. This name comes from early American travelers preparing these cakes before a journey to sustain them during their trek, so this is the ideal recipe to make ahead of time. Make these a day ahead to save time on busy mornings or when you are preparing to host a larger group. I do recommend refrigerating them if keeping them for more than a few hours. Serve as a side dish with dinner. These pair well with savory entrees such as roast beef, chili, or baked chicken, so don’t be limited to serving them at breakfast. Any time you’d serve cornbread, you can serve these corncakes. Try making them mini-sized using ⅛ cup of batter and serve in a breadbasket.
If you’ve tried this Johnny Cakes recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
