For Truly Delicious Mexican Sweet Corn Cake, The Frozen Stuff Just Won't Do
The world of cake flavors is vast and sweet, with some savory bits thrown in to mix things up. Mexican sweet corn cake falls into the latter category, with a hint of sweetness and a whole lot of savory goodness. This cake is made in Mexico with corn that's slightly drier and less gummy than the corn found in most parts of the United States, which is why some people refer to it as a type of bread, and some serve it for dessert.
The type of corn you use (there's a difference between white and yellow) to make Mexican sweet corn cake matters to the overall taste and texture of the cake, which is why it's best to avoid frozen corn kernels that can be too sticky. The crumb of this cake should be light and airy and feel a bit like cornbread but also have a moistness that's unusual with most other cake recipes.
The problem with frozen corn
Corn cake has bites of corn kernels and sweetened condensed milk, giving it a caramel-like texture. Because the type of corn that you choose to make this cake matters, fresh corn is preferable over any other variety. But, if corn is not in season, you can use a drained can of corn to create a similar result (make sure the corn has no additives other than salt and water, and be sure to dry the corn kernels thoroughly before using).
Frozen corn is picked, shucked, and frozen in season, making it an excellent nutritional option when fresh corn is not readily available. The problem with frozen corn is the extra water that occurs as a result of freezing the vegetable. When you add water to a cake, the result is a chewy texture, and that's not what you want to achieve when making Mexican sweet corn cake.
This is not cornbread
Cornbread and Mexican sweet corn cake look a lot alike at first glance. Both cakes are yellow and on the low-rise side (this is not a tall cake!). But that's where the similarities between the two recipes end. Mexican sweet corn cake is often eaten for breakfast and can also be an after-dinner treat (especially if topped with powdered sugar or chocolate). Some people even refer to this 'cake' as bread because it is on the dense side.
The flavors of this cake are nicely complex, making the cake itself is as easy as putting all the ingredients into a blender and then pouring the mixture into a pan to bake. Some chefs bake this cake in a cast iron pan the way you might bake cornbread, and both methods produce a light cake.
Mexican corn cake is known as 'pan de elote' in Mexico and is a popular dish in most parts of the country. Mexican sweet cake is a great way to use it if you have some fresh corn.