Sweet Baked Goods Mississippi Cake

mississippi cake
(from Godey's Ladies Magazine, edited by L.A. Godey, Sarah J. Hale, 1860)

Ingredients:

1 pint best yellow cornmeal​

1 pint buttermilk​

2 tbsp. melted butter​

2 eggs​

1 tsp. salt​

1 tsp. saleratus​

Instructions:

One pint of the best yellow cornmeal, a pint of buttermilk, two tablespoonfuls of melted butter, two eggs, a teaspoonful of salt, and a teaspoonful of saleratus.​

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Photo by RightCowLeftCoast, CC 4.0​

This cake sounds like some good cornbread, even if called a cake.

Note: Saleratus: Soda bicarbonate (baking soda). It was introduced about 1840. It required the addition of cream of tartar to work.

 

[nitrofd]

Mississippi Cake (1860)

One pint of the best yellow cornmeal, a pint of buttermilk, two tablespoonfuls of melted butter, two eggs, a teaspoonful of salt, and a teaspoonful of saleratus.

This cake sounds like some good cornbread, even if called a cake. The recipe is from "Civil War Recipes Receipts from the Pages of Godey's Lady's Book".

Note: Saleratus: Soda bicarbonate (baking soda). It was introduced about 1840. It required the addition of cream of tartar to work.

Do you know how this cornbread got its name.

 

[donna]

No I haven't seen. But it in section of cookbook with state and famous people's names for cakes. May try to find out.

 

[donna]

There are many types of cornbread or some say Johnny Cake or Hoe Cakes. From my researching this morning, there are several Mississippi style recipes. They date back to the Choctaws.

 

[donna]

A cookbook I would like to get is "The Cornbread Gospels". It has many recipes from all areas.

See:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0761119167/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

 

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

A cookbook I would like to get is "The Cornbread Gospels". It has many recipes from all areas.

See:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0761119167/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

That book looks very fascinating. Found an equally interesting volume in the suggestions right below this title - "Southern Biscuits", there's nothing I love more than a good biscuit...perhaps I should add these to my Amazon wishlist as Christmas is coming!

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

This recipe is identical to the one my Grandmother used.

My 89 year old Mom still uses the recipe. I never heard either of them call it anything other cornbread.

 

[JohnW.]

Do you know how this cornbread got its name.

How???

 

[JohnW.]

Goodness it's delicious....eatin cornbread. It should be it's own food group.

 

[Legion Para]

Whats in a name?

The duck test:

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.

If it looks cornbread, smells like cornbread and tastes like cornbread, then it probably is cornbread.

Let's eat.

 

[DixieRifles]

When I was stationed in Massachusetts, there was a chain of muffin shops---Pewter Pot. They served a muffin/cake that looked almost like cornbread but I guarantee it was more of a cake than real cornbread.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

This recipe is identical to the one my Grandmother used.

My 89 year old Mom still uses the recipe. I never heard either of them call it anything other cornbread.

Both Mom & Grandmother also used this same recipe as the base for some excellent "Mexican Cornbread".

The only changes they made:

add

One can of creamed corn
One small can of mexicorn
One small can of diced jalapeño peppers
One and one half cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Mix above ingredients into the basic cornbread recipe. Pour mixture into a larger buttered/greased cast iron skillet that has been preheated to 300 degrees. Bake at 300 degrees for about an hour.

Watch closely during the last twenty minutes as oven temps vary.

 

[nitrofd]

Both Mom & Grandmother also used this same recipe as the base for some killer "Mexican Cornbread".

The only changes they made:

add

One can of creamed corn
One small can of mexicorn
One small can of diced jalapeño peppers
One and one half cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Mix above ingredients into the basic cornbread recipe. Pour mixture into a larger buttered/greased cast iron skillet that has been preheated to 300 degrees. Bake at 300 degrees for about an hour.

Watch closely during the last twenty minutes as oven temps vary.

We make cornbread like that for a change of pace,I really like the zing from the jalapenos.

 

[Seduzal]

I would rather have cornbread (cake or muffins) with butter with any meal instead of bread!

 

[nitrofd]

Hot cornbread,fresh butter and top it all with that great Tupelo Honey.

 

[donna]

We love cornbread. It really adds to any meal. I even have it for breakfast with plenty of butter and sometimes some honey on top.

 

[E_just_E]

When I was stationed in Massachusetts, there was a chain of muffin shops---Pewter Pot. They served a muffin/cake that looked almost like cornbread but I guarantee it was more of a cake than real cornbread.

Cornbread and its derivatives like johnnycakes, like any "bread" with eggs and/or milk (not to mention sugar or sweeteners), is really a "cake". Muffins are cakes also

There are few kinds of non-cake breads from corn:

- Tortillas (corn and water)
- Corn pone (corn and water and fat; various Latin American varieties like arepas, are in this category and they have cheese etc added on occasion; ditto hushpuppies)
- "Cornmeal bread" and this comes with a lot of names (corn and flour and yeast and water; salt, fat, bit of sugar optional). Regular loaf bread that has corn in it, in addition to wheat and/or other grains. Think potato bread and sub corn for potato.

As far as cornbread goes, I keep it simple and easy. I like the good old school jiffy cartons and just add a bit of cheese and chopped green chilies. Usually bake them in small muffin pans and serve them on the side with chili. Great winter warm up

 

[DixieRifles]

You may be technically correct. But those "muffins" were much softer than the real cornbread.

As far as cornbread goes, I keep it simple and easy. I like the good old school jiffy cartons and just add a bit of cheese and chopped green chilies.

I use Jiffy and add jalapenos for my version of "Mexican cornbread".
BTW, I had fresh tortillas while in Honduras and that was a great treat when hot off the oven. But these were flour tortilla.