Classic Soul Food Cornbread (Printable Version)

Golden Southern-style cornbread baked in cast-iron skillet, served warm with sweet honey butter.

# Needed Ingredients:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup yellow cornmeal
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 3/4 teaspoon fine salt

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 1 cup whole milk
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
10 - 1/4 cup vegetable oil

→ For Greasing

11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Honey Butter

12 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
13 - 2 tablespoons honey
14 - Pinch of salt

# Preparation Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet inside to heat thoroughly while preparing the batter.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, melted butter, and vegetable oil until fully combined.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix to maintain a tender crumb structure.
05 - Carefully remove the preheated skillet from the oven. Add 2 tablespoons butter and swirl to coat the bottom and sides evenly.
06 - Transfer batter into the hot buttered skillet and smooth the top surface with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - While cornbread bakes, beat softened butter with honey and a pinch of salt in a small bowl until smooth and fluffy.
09 - Allow cornbread to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with honey butter.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The crust gets impossibly crispy and golden in a cast-iron skillet, while the inside stays tender and moist.
  • Honey butter melting into warm cornbread is the kind of simple luxury that makes ordinary meals feel special.
  • It comes together in under an hour with ingredients you probably already have.
02 -
  • The skillet must be truly hot before the batter goes in, or you'll lose that beautiful crust that makes this special.
  • Overmixing the batter is the number one way to end up with dense, tough cornbread instead of the tender crumb you're after.
03 -
  • Use buttermilk instead of whole milk if you want a slightly tangier flavor and an even more tender crumb.
  • Room temperature eggs and melted butter mix in more smoothly and create a better texture than cold ingredients.
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