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This corn pound cake recipe is rich, buttery, and bursting with sweet corn flavor in every bite. With its tender crumb and golden crust, it’s pure comfort in cake form.
For more pound cake recipes, make my mascarpone pound cake, almond pound cake, and lemon cream cheese pound cake!
When I tell you this cornmeal pound cake is packed with corn flavor – it is truly next level. Imagine a cross between cornbread and a moist sour cream pound cake. It’s sweet and has tons of corn flavor, but is also moist, dense, and has that classic melt in your mouth pound cake texture.
It has creamed corn, cornmeal, roasted fresh corn kernels, AND masa harina. It’s so good that I didn’t even need to add vanilla extract, the natural flavors of the corn ring loud and clear.
Out of all of the pound cakes I’ve made, I must say, this one has to be top 3 for me. Oh and I forgot to mention – that honey buttercream topping makes it even better!!
It tastes just like my honey butter cornbread. But let me stop rambling, you simply need to try this recipe, like right now. There’s a lot of step but it is a really easy recipe to make. Serve with ice cream or fresh whipped cream for the most delicious summer dessert!
Key Ingredients
(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card)
- Fresh Corn adds juicy bursts of natural sweetness and a slightly chewy texture throughout the cake. Fresh corn on the cob is peeled and tossed in butter, then roasted in the oven until tender.
- Canned Creamed Corn brings extra moisture and a creamy consistency that makes the cake more tender. Save leftovers and make my jalapeno honey cornbread!
- All Purpose Flour gives the cake it’s structure. For most of my pound cakes, I use cake flour, however, I recommend all purpose for this recipe as this is a heavy batter and a sturdier flour is needed to balance out the weight of all of the ingredients.
- Masa Harina (Corn Flour) adds a rich, earthy corn aroma. It has a finer texture compared to cornmeal and gives the cake a subtle tortilla-like depth that makes the flavor more complex.
- Fine Ground Cornmeal intensifies the cake’s corn flavor/taste. It gives it a cornbread-like texture that’s balanced out by the corn flour and all purpose flour.
- Butter helps carry flavor and keeps the crumb soft. It also traps air when beaten with butter for a nice fluffy texture.
- Sugar sweetens the cake, balances the earthy notes from the corn, and helps create a golden brown crust when baking in the oven.
- Buttermilk adds tang to balance the sweetness while helping tenderize the crumb. Its acidity also works with leaveners (baking soda) to give a slight lift.
- Sour Cream adds richness, tang, and moisture while contributing to a denser, creamier pound cake texture.
Substitutions and Variations
- If Fresh Corn is not in season, use thawed frozen corn or canned corn. Be sure to pat them dry so that they roast nicely in the oven.
- Masa Harina can be replaced with finely ground cornmeal. However, it will give the pound cake a more rustic texture, or use all-purpose flour if you want less corn flavor.
- No Buttermilk? Make your own homemade buttermilk – Use whole milk mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice per cup.
- Greek Yogurt is a good swap for sour cream if you don’t have any in the fridge.
- Add cinnamon to the cake for a nice spiced cake vibe or even lemon zest for a pop of citrus flavor.
How To Make Corn Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 15 cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
Roast The Corn
- Step 1: Remove the corn from the cob and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Pour melted butter on top of the corn and toss together until all of the corn is coated. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until softened. Remove and set aside.
Prepare The Cake Batter
- Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine salted butter, oil, and sugar. Cream together on medium speed for 5-7 minutes, until lightened in a color and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through. Reduce mixer to low speed and begin adding eggs, one at a time, ensuring that each egg is fully incorporated prior to adding the next. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Combine sour cream, buttermilk, and creamed corn. Mix together.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, masa harina, cornmeal, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Add in the roasted corn and toss together so that the corn is coated in the flour.
Step 4: Add half of the dry ingredients to the stand mixer and mix until just combined, about 10-15 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add in all of the buttermilk/corn mixture and continue to mix until just combined, about 10-15 seconds. Finally, add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms. Scrape down the sides and bottoms of the bowl again, ensuring that all of the ingredients are fully incorporated. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Step 5: Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 65-75 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the pound cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely.
Make The Honey Butter Cream Topping
Step 6: In a large bowl, combine butter and honey. Use an electric mixer to mix together on high speed until combined, then add in powdered sugar and sour cream and mix on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
Step 7: Add cream to a piping bag or use a spoon to dollop on top of the cooled cake.
Pro Baking Tips
- Don’t add the honey buttercream on top until the cake is fully cooled to room temperature.
- Room-temperature ingredients are key! With a heavy batter like this, you’ll want to be sure that everything comes together smoothly. Room temperature ingredients ensure that there’s no curdling of the batter. Don’t skip this!
- Cream your butter and sugar for the full 5 minutes. This traps in air and helps the cake rise in the oven for a nice fluffy crumb!
- Test for doneness early. Corn-based cakes can go from perfect to dry quickly. Start checking with a toothpick about 5–10 minutes before the suggested bake time.
- Use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients. This allows for the most precise measurements, ensuring that the cake turns out perfectly!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Just thaw it completely and pat it dry before adding so it doesn’t water down the batter. Frozen corn works especially well when fresh corn is out of season. You can also use canned corn, just be sure to drain and pat it dry before using.
You can blend corn kernels in a food processor with a splash of cream or milk to create a quick corn puree. This keeps the same creamy texture while letting you control sweetness and seasoning.
Yes, this recipe was developed to ensure that both are included for both flavor and texture. However, you can substitute masa harina for all purpose flour or fine ground cornmeal in the same amounts.
What’s the best way to store corn cake, and how long does it last?
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
You can split the batter and bake in 2 loaf pans OR bake in a 9×13 baking pan. Just adjust the baking times accordingly (they will bake much faster).
Measure your flour correctly, avoid overbaking, and don’t skimp on the moisture-rich ingredients like buttermilk or sour cream. You can also brush the warm cake with a little melted butter to lock in moisture.
Yes! Corn pound cake tastes great the next day as the flavors have time to meld. Just wrap it well once cooled and store at room temperature in an airtight container.
More Pound Cake Recipes
Desserts
Sour Cream Pound Cake
Desserts
Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Desserts
Blueberry Pound Cake
Desserts
Vanilla Pound Cake
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If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below! You can also tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can celebrate your beautiful creations!
Corn Pound Cake
Equipment
- 15-cup Bundt Pan
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 2 ears Fresh Corn
- 2 tbsp Salted Butter
Corn Pound Cake
- 1 1/2 cups (340 g) Salted Butter, (room temperature)
- 2 1/4 cups (450 g) Granulated Sugar
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 5 large Eggs, (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup (120 g) Buttermilk, (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup (120 g) Sour Cream, (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (156 g) Creamed Corn, (canned)
- 1 1/2 cups (188 g) All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/4 cup (150 g) Masa Harina
- 1 cup (150 g) Finely Ground Cornmeal
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
Honey Butter Cream Topping
- 1/2 cup (113 g) Salted butter
- 2 cups (473.18 ml) Powdered Sugar
- 4 tbsp Honey
- 2 tbsp Sour Cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 15 cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
- Remove the corn from the cob and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Pour melted butter on top of the corn and toss together until all of the corn is coated. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until softened. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine salted butter, oil, and sugar. Cream together on medium speed for 5-7 minutes, until lightened in a color and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
- Reduce mixer to low speed and begin adding eggs, one at a time, ensuring that each egg is fully incorporated prior to adding the next.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Combine sour cream, buttermilk, and creamed corn. Mix together.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, masa harina, cornmeal, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Add in the roasted corn and toss together so that the corn is coated in the flour.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the stand mixer and mix until just combined, about 10-15 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add in all of the buttermilk/corn mixture and continue to mix until just combined, about 10-15 seconds. Finally, add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms.
- Scrape down the sides and bottoms of the bowl again, ensuring that all of the ingredients are fully incorporated. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 65-75 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the pound cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely.
- In a large bowl, combine butter and honey. Use an electric mixer to mix together until combined, then add in powdered sugar and sour cream and mix until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add cream to a piping bag or use a spoon to dollop on top of the cooled cake.
Notes
- Room-temperature ingredients are key! With a heavy batter like this, you’ll want to be sure that everything comes together smoothly. Room temperature ingredients ensure that there’s no curdling of the batter. Don’t skip this!
- Cream your butter and sugar for the full 5 minutes. This traps in air and helps the cake rise in the oven for a nice fluffy crumb!
- Test for doneness early. Corn-based cakes can go from perfect to dry quickly. Start checking with a toothpick about 5–10 minutes before the suggested bake time.
- Use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients. This allows for the most precise measurements, ensuring that the cake turns out perfectly!
- Don’t add the honey buttercream on top until the cake is fully cooled to room temperature.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My family ate this corn cake with your chicken and sausage gumbo. Everyone loved this cake! It’s even better than cornbread. I didn’t even have time to add the butter topping to it. The cake was delicious alone. Later, I added the butter topping. It was unbelievable! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much!!