This Mexican Sweet Corn Cake is a moist and tender treat that perfectly captures the flavor of authentic restaurant-style corn cake, just like the ones from Chi-Chi’s or El Torito. Made with masa harina and sweet corn, it delivers that rich, buttery sweetness and irresistible corn texture that pairs beautifully with any Mexican-inspired meal.
It’s incredibly easy to make from scratch and turns out perfectly every time. Whether you’re serving it alongside enchiladas, tacos, or grilled meats, this corn cake adds a warm, comforting touch to your table that everyone will love.
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
Ingredients
-
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
-
1/3 cup masa harina see note 2
-
1/4 cup water
-
1 1/2 cups corn fresh, canned or frozen; see note 1
-
1/4 cup cornmeal
-
1/3 cup sugar see note 2
-
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 harina and water, and beat until incorporated. Set aside. 1/2 cup unsalted butter,1/3 cup masa harina,1/4 cup water.
- Pulse the corn in the food processor. Leave the corn chunky! Stir the corn into the butter mixture.1 1/2 cups corn.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk, and stir to combine. 1/4 cup cornmeal,1/3 cup sugar,2 tablespoons milk,1/2 teaspoon baking powder,1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Stir the corn meal mixture into the butter-corn mixture just until incorporated. Pour into an ungreased 8×8" baking pan. Place the baking pan into a 13×9" 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
- Pro tip: Use fresh, canned or frozen corn. If using canned corn, drain well and blot dry. Thaw frozen corn before using. The corn does not need to be cooked first.
- I don’t recommend substituting the masa harina with cornmeal as the texture of the corn cake would be grittier. The masa is what lends a soft, tender texture to the corn cake.
- Try swapping the butter and milk with vegan butter and plant-based milk to make this recipe dairy-free. The texture of the cake may vary slightly.
- Store leftover sweet corn cake in an air tight container for up to 3 days.
Let us know if you liked this recipe. Try the other recipe categories as well!
