Johnny Cakes are delicious, easy, and quick-to-make fried cornbread cakes made with pantry staples. Cornbread lovers, consider yourself warned because these little nuggets are so tasty.
I love to serve them warm out of the pan with all kinds of goodies. They go great with many dishes, such as scrambled or fried eggs, turkey chili, creamy ham and potato soup, and corn chowder.
What is a Johnny Cake?
A Johnny Cake, hoecake, ashcake, journey cake, Shawnee cake, or corn cake is a cross between cornmeal flatbread and cornmeal pancakes. They are slightly more fluffy than a true flatbread but not as fluffy as a pancake.
The little hand-sized pieces have tons of sweet flavor from the cornmeal and delectable crispy edges. My husband loves his dipped in syrup, while I prefer mine with a little pat of butter. As with almost anything fried, they are best served straight out of the pan.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Cornmeal: white or yellow cornmeal
- Eggs: large ones, please
- Buttermilk: You can make your buttermilk by mixing 3/4 cup of milk (maybe a scant less) with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar and letting it sit for 5 minutes before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
- Butter: unsalted; if using salted, cut the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
- Vegetable oil: You can substitute butter for frying or use a mixture of both.
How to Make Johnny Cakes
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
First, mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the eggs, water, and buttermilk in a separate large bowl. Add the melted butter, whisking just until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined.
Heat a little vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add about 1/4 cup of batter for each cake to the pan. I use a gravy ladle, and it works perfectly. Cook until bubbles form on the top and the edges are a deep golden brown. Then flip with a spatula and cook until the other side is golden brown. Move to paper towels. For best results, serve promptly.
Preparation Tips
- These are best served hot from the pan while the edges are crispy. To keep the hoe cakes warm and crispy while you fry them, place them on a rimmed baking sheet in a 250-degree oven.
- It is best to reheat the cakes by wrapping them in foil and placing them on a baking sheet. Heat in the oven at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes.
- To elevate this recipe to a new level, fry the cakes in bacon fat. This gives them a slightly smoky flavor and extra crispy edges.
Serving Suggestions
The possibilities are endless on what to serve with Johnny Cakes (also called Hoe Cakes in the South); however, you should time whatever you serve to be done simultaneously. Hoe cakes are best served hot off the grill with warm maple syrup or honey.
They are delicious for breakfast with scrambled eggs and sausage links or patties. Or enjoy them for dinner with slow cooker pot roast, ham and bean soup, and white chicken chili.
More Cornmeal Recipes
Johnny Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup melted butter slightly cooled
- vegetable oil or butter for frying
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, and buttermilk. Add the melted butter, whisking just until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add about 1/4 cup of batter for each cake to the pan.
- Cook until bubbles form on the top and the edges are a deep golden brown. Then flip with a spatula and cook until the other side is golden brown. Move to paper towels. For best results, serve promptly.
Notes
- These are best served hot from the pan while the edges are crispy. To keep the hoe cakes warm and crispy while you fry them, place them on a rimmed baking sheet in a 250-degree oven.
- You can make your own buttermilk by mixing 3/4 cup of milk (maybe a scant less) with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar and letting it sit for 5 minutes before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
- It is best to reheat the cakes by wrapping them in foil and placing them on a baking sheet. Heat in the oven at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes.
- To elevate this recipe to a new level, fry the cakes in bacon fat. This gives them a slightly smoky flavor and extra crispy edges.
Nutrition
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Dalene
Great recipe! I made a half batch for 2 people, they turned out awesome, made 5 five inch cakes. Moist, crispy on the edges, and so delicious! I absolutely will be making again as we both decided these were much better than cornbread! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe, it reminded me of my grandma’s cornbread that I have tried to replicate for years!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome. I am so glad tht you liked them and that they reminded you of your grandma’s cornbread.
Phil Compromise
These are delicious and also Vito’s favorite! He ate them every day until his high blood pressure medication led to the pool stick incident. Anyhoo great recipe
Beth Pierce
I am not sure how to respond to that!
Emily
These were so good and easy to make! We loved them topped with butter and maple syrup. Delicious for breakfast or dinner with a black-eyed pea stew. I look forward to making these again soon!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Emily! We love them too!
Paula
These were so crispy and delish! Topped them with honey and they were incredible.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Paula! We love them too!
Justine
I always called these hoecakes, and they’re freaking delicious!
kerri
These cakes are marvelous. They taste delicious and they are easy to make! Thanks a lot for sharing the recipe.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Kerri!
Elisa
Love these Johnny Cakes! They are super delicious and easy to make! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Elisa!
Rita
I have made these all my life but never use sugar – they’re great without it! My grandmother Ellie taught me to cook when I was eleven, on a wood stove. She would be thrilled with my huge electric skillet! 💕
Katie
I absolutely love pairing these with a warm, hearty bowl of chili! So good.
Lily
I served these johnny cakes with oxtail stew and these disappeared so fast!! They are the best bready side for any comfort food recipe!!
Betsy
Whenever I go to Cracker Barrel I always order corn bread instead of pancakes and then enjoy them with a nice pour of maple syrup. So delicious! Love this recipe; so much better than a pancake OR cornbread! It’s like the best of both worlds! And now my cornbread actually looks like breakfast food! 😀
Biana
These Johnny cakes look so good! Perfect to make for brunch, will be trying them soon.
Lima Ekram
Ive never made these before – Clearly missing out! Cant wait to try these with eggs!
Julie Menghini
These Johnny cakes look marvelous! I like how easy they are to make and how they go with so many different breakfast items.