What are Johnny Cakes?
Johnny cakes (hoecakes) are soft and tender cornmeal flatbread or hot cake made from a quick batter that’s cooked in a skillet on the stovetop. They are made with finely ground cornmeal and often flour, then mixed with a liquid such as buttermilk, milk or water. A fat such as oil, bacon drippings, lard or butter are also included to keep them rich and moist. And eggs are included to bind ingredients. They were an early American, inexpensive staple food and they are popular in regions from Canada, the Unites States and down to Jamaica and other islands coming in many different variations. To give you comparisons to foods you may likely be familiar with, they are like a cross between pancakes and cornbread. In other words they are the perfect homestyle comfort food and are absolutely delicious! Is there a difference between Johnny Cakes and Hoecakes? Hoecake is a term used for these in the Southern United States while Johnny Cake is usually what they are called in other places.
Johnny Cakes Recipe Ingredients Needed
1 cup (5 oz) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure) 1 cup (5.6 oz) fine cornmeal 1 Tbsp granulated sugar 1 Tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 cup buttermilk 2/3 cup whole milk 2 large eggs 1/4 cup rendered bacon drippings or butter, melted 3 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil for skillet, divided
What type of cornmeal to use?
Yellow or white cornmeal can be used in this recipe. Just be sure to use finely ground cornmeal here, not medium or coarse ground.
How to Make Johnny Cakes AKA Hoecakes
Helpful Tips for the Best Johnny Cakes
Pan to use: A cast iron pan works best but if you don’t have one, another heavy skillet will do (something that is non-stick). Begin with hot skillet: Preheat the skillet so they cook up nice and fluffy. Sugar?: Some may say sugar is not traditional at all and maybe so but I think it builds flavor and also balances the salty flavor. Don’t worry, it’s not enough to make them sweet though. Type of baking powder: Preferably use aluminum free baking powder so they don’t have a light metallic taste since a larger quantity is used. Mixing batter: Be careful not to over-mix the batter, another key to tall and fluffy hoecakes. Use a fair amount of liquid: When I first tried johnny cakes/hoecakes following a popular traditional recipe for them they ended up dry. Cornmeal does absorb quit a bit of moisture so be sure to use the amounts of liquid called for here. Re-oil pan: Add oil to pan between batches so exterior doesn’t dry out and to reduce risk of sticking. Best fat to use: Rendered bacon fat is so delicious in these but it’s not something we always have on hand so butter will work will too.
More Delicious Recipes to Try
Cornbread Dinner Rolls Pancakes Pumpkin Cornbread
