Sweet and Moist Cornbread Recipe

IMPORTANT! If you plan to make this recipe in an 8×8 or 9×9 inch square pan:

1. Only use 1 teaspoon baking powder. (Your cake will overflow the pan if you use 2 teaspoons.)
2. Do not put the pan in the oven while it is preheating. Spray the pan with nonstick spray. There is no need to set aside the 1/2 tablespoon of butter from the stick of butter called for in the recipe. 

Making this cornbread recipe in a 9×13 inch pan

UPDATE February 2024: There have been a lot of reviews saying that a doubled recipe overflows. This never happened for me, but I experimented with reducing the amount of batter for a 9×13 and am happy with the results. If you bake in a metal pan, the edges will still get pretty crispy, which is awesome.  Below is my updated recipe for a 9×13 pan; it’s 1.5x the recipe, not a full double. 

Grease a metal 9×13 inch pan and do not put it in the oven while preheating. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, not 375. 1.5x all the ingredients except for the baking powder:

• 1 and 1/2 cups flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 3/4 cup butter (this is 1 and 1/2 sticks)
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3 large eggs
• 1 and 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons buttermilk

The 9×13 recipe takes about 35-38 minutes to bake at 350. About halfway through the bake time, cover the cornbread loosely with foil to prevent over browning. Take it out when the center is no longer jiggly and a toothpick comes out clean. 

Buttermilk:

*You can use cheater buttermilk for this recipe. For 1 cup of cheater buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup, then add milk until you reach 1 cup. Stir and let sit 5 minutes before using. (For the 1 and 1/4 cups that the recipe calls for, use 4 teaspoons vinegar and fill to the 1 and 1/4 cup mark.)