Skillet Hoecake with Maple Butter

If you're an observer of the holiday, happy 420!

This skillet cornbread was inspired by a craving that hit while I was watching a video of a bunch of dudes getting barbecue ribs. One of the side dishes they got to enjoy was a searing hot slice of, what the chef called, hoecake. It was simply adorned with scallions and came with maple butter and I was sold.

I always thought hoecakes were just like breakfast pancakes with a bit of cornmeal so I sort of worked around that concept of having a sort of light and eggy batter, except instead of griddling and flipping small individual cakes, I poured everything into a searing hot cast iron skillet so the cake would have a crisp crust.

Ingredients [yields 8" cake]:
hoecake
1½ cups light cream
2 eggs
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
⅔ cup cornmeal
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup melted butter

maple butter
3 tablespoons softened butter
2 teaspoons maple sugar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
¼ teaspoon salt

Start by whisking together the cream, eggs, sugar, and salt. Then gently whisk in the flour, cornmeal, and baking powder. The last step of assembling the batter is to carefully stir in the melted butter.

Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat with a little oil. Once it's searing hot, pour In the batter and let the cake sit on the stovetop for 3 to 5 minutes until the edges set. This step will ensure a great, crisp crust. Then, pop into a 375F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, stir together softened butter with maple syrup, maple sugar, and salt until smooth.

When the cake comes out of the oven, while it's still hot, sprinkle with green onion.

This cake ends up being almost custardy. It's essentially a giant, fluffy, thick pancake and the combination of savory and sweet work so well.

I served this hoecake with a plate of ribs and collard greens and some rice. It was a great side dish but also kind of the standout star of the meal. I loved the way the maple butter melted onto the hot slices and it really complimented the sweetness of the corn.

Here's the recipe page: