Johnny Cakes are delicious, easy, and quick-to-make fried cornbread cakes made with pantry staples. Cornbread lovers, consider yourself warned because these little nuggets are so tasty.
I love to serve them warm out of the pan with all kinds of goodies. They go great with many dishes, like scrambled or fried eggs, turkey chili, creamy ham and potato soup, and corn chowder—to name a few!
What is a Johnny Cake?
A Johnny Cake, hoecake, ashcake, journey cake, Shawnee cake, or corn cake is a cross between cornmeal flatbread and cornmeal pancakes. They are slightly more fluffy than a true flatbread but not as fluffy as a pancake.
The little hand-sized pieces have tons of sweet flavor from the cornmeal and delectable crispy edges. My husband loves his dipped in syrup, while I prefer mine with a little pat of butter. As with almost anything fried, they are best served straight out of the pan.
What You’ll Need
- All-purpose flour
- Cornmeal: white or yellow cornmeal
- Baking powder: for a little rise
- Granulated sugar: just a little bit to add sweetness
- Salt: to enhance flavor
- Eggs: large ones, please
- Buttermilk: you can make your own. See preparation tips below.
- Butter: unsalted; if using salted, cut the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
- Vegetable oil: or butter for frying
How to make Johnny Cakes
First, mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the eggs, water, and buttermilk in a separate large bowl. Add the melted butter, whisking just until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined.
Heat a little vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add about 1/4 cup of batter for each cake to the pan. I use a gravy ladle, and it works perfectly. Cook until bubbles form on the top and the edges are a deep golden brown. Then flip with a spatula and cook until the other side is golden brown. Move to paper towels. For best results, serve promptly.
Preparation Tips
- These are best served hot from the pan while the edges are crispy. To keep the hoe cakes warm and crispy while you fry them, place them on a rimmed baking sheet in a 250-degree oven.
- You can make your buttermilk by mixing 3/4 cup of milk (maybe a scant less) with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar and letting it sit for 5 minutes before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
- It is best to reheat the cakes by wrapping them in foil and placing them on a baking sheet. Heat in the oven at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes.
- To elevate this recipe to a new level, fry the cakes in bacon fat. This gives them a slightly smoky flavor and extra crispy edges.
Serving Suggestions
The possibilities are endless on what to serve with Johnny Cakes (also called Hoe Cakes in the South); however, you should time whatever you serve to be done simultaneously. Hoe cakes are best served hot off the grill.
- warm maple syrup
- honey
- slow cooker pot roast
- scrambled eggs
- crock pot chili
- 15 bean soup
- sausage links or patties
- white chicken chili
- ham and bean soup
Johnny Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup melted butter slightly cooled
- vegetable oil or butter for frying
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, and buttermilk. Add the melted butter, whisking just until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add about 1/4 cup of batter for each cake to the pan.
- Cook until bubbles form on the top and the edges are a deep golden brown. Then flip with a spatula and cook until the other side is golden brown. Move to paper towels. For best results, serve promptly.
Notes
- These are best served hot from the pan while the edges are crispy. To keep the hoe cakes warm and crispy while you fry them, place them on a rimmed baking sheet in a 250-degree oven.
- You can make your own buttermilk by mixing 3/4 cup of milk (maybe a scant less) with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar and letting it sit for 5 minutes before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
- It is best to reheat the cakes by wrapping them in foil and placing them on a baking sheet. Heat in the oven at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes.
- To elevate this recipe to a new level, fry the cakes in bacon fat. This gives them a slightly smoky flavor and extra crispy edges.
Nutrition
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Elizabeth
These are delicious! I usually make corn muffins to go with chili, but from now on it’ll be johnny cakes all the way. 😀
Melissa
Wow – these were so delicious! I’m making this again.
Jacque Hooper
What a tasty way to start my day! Excited to make these for breakfast tomorrow; looks too good to pass up!
Kristyn
I have been missing out!! What delicious little cakes! I am a big fam of cornbread & found my new way to eat it!
Kevin
These were a hit over the weekend! I cannot wait to make them again!
Sara Welch
Excited to make this for breakfast tomorrow; looks perfectly light and fluffy! Delicious!
Toni Dash
My kids love these! A delicious breakfast idea!
Beti | easyweeknightrecipes
I am so excited to try these johnny cakes! They are incredibly delicious!
katerina @ diethood.com
WOW! These johnny cakes look SO GOOD! My family would love them!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert
These Johnny Cakes are sound delicious! Dangerously good…
Amanda
I have saved this for this weekend! I can’t wait!
Julia
I am saving this recipe for the upcoming Thanksgiving brunch we will have this weekend! That butter melting made me drool 🙂
Toni Dash
I really love how easy this is to make!! My kids loved it!
Taylor Kiser
These will go great with soups and Chili’s all season long! I love how easy they are to make!
Vidya Narayan
Johny Cakes stacked up with the melting butter looks absolutely delightful and tempting. A perfect breakfast for the entire family with scrambled eggs.
Nart at Cooking with Nart
These look so delicious. I could have them with fried eggs any morning!