Skillet Sweet Corn Cake with Hot Honey Glaze

Serves 6 · 15 min prep · 30 min cook

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups fresh sweet corn kernels
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 to 2 tsp hot sauce or chili crisp oil
• 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt
• for serving vanilla ice cream

Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Melt the butter in the skillet until it foams and smells nutty, about 2 to 3 minutes, swirling so the bottom and sides get coated.
2. 2Add the fresh sweet corn kernels to the browned butter and cook, stirring often, until the kernels turn bright and lightly charred in spots and smell toasty, about 4 to 5 minutes. Scoop out half the corn into a small bowl and set aside for the top; leave the rest in the skillet off the heat.
3. 3In a large mixing bowl whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until the mixture looks pale and slightly thickened, about 1 minute of vigorous whisking. Stream in the milk and whisk until smooth.
4. 4In a separate bowl stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sea salt, and cinnamon until evenly combined with no streaks of baking powder.
5. 5Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture with a spatula just until no dry pockets remain; the batter will be thick but pourable. Gently fold the reserved skillet corn (still in the pan juices) into the batter so the kernels are distributed.
6. 6Scrape the batter into the still-warm buttered skillet and smooth the top. Scatter the reserved charred corn kernels evenly over the surface and press them in lightly so they stick.
7. 7Bake on the center rack until the edges are deep golden, the center springs back when lightly touched, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with only a few moist crumbs, 22 to 26 minutes.
8. 8While the cake bakes, warm the honey in a small saucepan or microwave-safe cup until fluid. Stir in the hot sauce or chili crisp oil to taste so the glaze is sweet-heat balanced and glossy.
9. 9Remove the skillet from the oven and immediately drizzle the hot honey glaze all over the hot cake so it soaks into the cracks and pools the corn. Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top.
10. 10Let the cake rest in the skillet 10 minutes so the crumb sets and the glaze thickens slightly. Slice into wedges right in the pan.
11. 11Serve each warm wedge with a scoop of vanilla ice cream so it melts into the chili-honey glaze. Spoon any extra glaze from the skillet over the ice cream.