Classic Soul Food Cornbread (Print View)

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

# What You'll Need:

→ 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 and cooled
10 - 1/4 cup vegetable oil

→ For Skillet Preparation

11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Honey Butter

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

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat 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 thoroughly combined.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix to maintain texture.
05 - Carefully remove the preheated skillet from the oven. Add 2 tablespoons butter and swirl to coat the bottom and sides evenly.
06 - Pour the batter into the hot, buttered skillet and smooth the top 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 on the side.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • The skillet gives you edges that crisp up golden while the inside stays impossibly tender and moist.
  • Honey butter melts into warm cornbread like it was meant to find each other.
  • Takes less time than scrolling through your phone, but tastes like you spent all afternoon cooking.
02 -
  • Don't skip preheating that skillet—cold iron gives you soggy bottoms instead of the crispy, golden crust that makes cornbread worth making.
  • Overmixing the batter is the fastest way to end up with dense, tough cornbread; just combine until you don't see dry flour anymore.
03 -
  • Let your butter for the honey butter sit at room temperature—it beats way faster and incorporates air that makes it light and fluffy.
  • A cast-iron skillet preheated in the oven creates a crispy, buttery crust that regular pans simply can't match, making this the signature feature of the recipe.
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