Upside-Down Cornbread
Imagine biting into warm cornbread infused with the sweetness of caramel and the wholesome goodness of corn kernels. The tender crumb of cornbread, here punctuated by sweet bursts of corn kernels, is truly special. Cornbread is beloved, so I wanted to remain true to its roots while developing this recipe—and reimagine it with a little twist, for anyone in the mood for something different. The addition of cheddar cheese to the batter imparts a salty richness and lends a savory end to every bite. Anything upside-down feels like an adventure because you don’t know what the final result will look like until you lift the pan off. The hot honey butter is the icing on the cake—literally, so don’t skip it. This cornbread is a true showstopper, so be prepared to hear all the oohs and aahs at the table.
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What you’ll need
9" Round Cake Pan
$16 $13 At Amazon
French Wire Whisk
$18 $16 At Amazon
Box Grater
$19 At Amazon
Offset Spatula
$12 $11 At Amazon
Glass Measuring Cup
$26 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$8 $7 At Amazon
Small Saucepan
$160 $150 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes (plus cooling)
Yield
6–8 servings
Ingredients
Batter
Honey Butter and Assembly
Preparation
Batter
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Lightly butter a 9"-diameter cake pan and dust with flour; tap out excess. Line bottom of pan with a parchment paper round. Add one 15.25-oz. can whole kernel corn, rinsed, patted dry, to prepared pan and spread out in an even layer to edges of pan.
Step 2
Whisk 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (141 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (180 g) medium-grind yellow cornmeal, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 tsp. baking powder, and ½ tsp. baking soda in a large bowl to combine. Whisk 2 large eggs, ¾ cup (packed) plus 2 Tbsp. (175 g) light brown sugar, ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, and ½ cup sour cream in a medium bowl until homogeneous. Add 8 oz. sharp yellow cheddar, coarsely grated, and stir to combine. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and pour in egg mixture; stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add ½ cup whole milk and stir until incorporated and no dry streaks remain. Set batter aside.
Honey Butter and Assembly
Step 3
Vigorously whisk ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature, 3 Tbsp. hot sauce, 2 Tbsp. honey, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a small bowl until smooth.
Step 4
Bring ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar and 2 Tbsp. water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, without stirring, until mixture is thickened and beginning to turn deep amber in color, 5–7 minutes. Gently stir with a heatproof rubber spatula, remove from heat, and immediately pour caramel evenly over corn kernels in pan. Scrape reserved batter over; smooth surface if needed.
Step 5
Bake cornbread until golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40–45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cornbread cool in pan.
Step 6
Run an offset spatula along edges of cornbread to loosen. Set a platter upside down over pan and flip over to release cornbread. Carefully remove pan and peel away parchment paper. Serve cornbread warm or room temperature, topped with hot honey butter.
