Corn Cakes
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the batter
Separate the eggs and beat the yolks until creamy.
Stir in cornmeal and salt, then beat well.
Add the beaten egg whites and mix gently.
Bake
For thin cakes, bake on a hot griddle.
For thicker cakes, add baking powder and more cornmeal, then bake in muffin pans at 400°F (200°C).
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Yolks add richness and beaten whites lighten the batter so the cakes stay tender.
- Cornmeal
- Forms the body of the cakes and sets as it cooks, giving them their grainy texture.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas during baking so thicker cakes rise and become lighter.
The step that matters
Add the beaten egg whites and mix gently. Beaten whites hold air that gives the batter lift. Overmixing deflates them, leaving dense, flat cakes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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