Brown-Butter Sweet Corn Skillet Cake with Hot Honey

Late-summer sweet corn finds a natural home in American skillet baking, where cast iron keeps the crumb tender and golden. Nutty brown butter deepens the corn’s sweetness, and a finish of hot honey with flaky salt adds gentle heat and sparkle.

Serves 6 · 15 min prep · 35 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 342 cal
• 6g protein
• 48g carbs
• 15g fat

Every recipe here is free to read.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups fresh sweet corn kernels
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 cup hot honey
• 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet inside to warm while you prep. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it foams, turns golden, and smells nutty, about 4 to 5 minutes, then immediately pour it into a large mixing bowl to stop the cooking.
2. 2Stir the fresh sweet corn kernels into the warm brown butter so they soften slightly and pick up the toasty flavor. Whisk in the sugar until the mixture looks glossy, then beat in the eggs one at a time followed by the buttermilk and vanilla until smooth.
3. 3In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and kosher salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until no flour streaks remain; the batter will be thick and studded with corn.
4. 4Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and swirl a thin film of residual butter the bottom and sides. Scrape the batter into the skillet and smooth the top with a spatula.
5. 5Bake until the edges are deeply golden, the center springs back when lightly pressed, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs, 28 to 32 minutes.
6. 6Let the cake cool in the skillet for 10 minutes so it sets. Warm the hot honey briefly in the microwave or a tiny saucepan until pourable.
7. 7Drizzle the hot honey generously over the warm cake and finish with flaky sea salt. Slice into wedges right in the pan and serve warm, optionally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.