Southern Skillet Cornbread

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 - 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 - 45 minutes
Type: Vegetarian
Spice Level: N/A
Servings: 4 - 6
Estimated Cost: $7

Ingredients

For the Dry Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal

• 3/4 cup cake flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Wet Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 3/4 cup buttermilk

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (for browning)

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (for the skillet)

Substitutions

• Cake flour: All-purpose flour works and produces a slightly denser crumb with more chew

• Buttermilk: Combine 3/4 cup whole milk with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, let sit 5 minutes

• Applesauce: Unsweetened apple juice at 3 tablespoons provides the apple note with a looser batter

Instructions

1. Brown the butter. Melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously as it foams, then watch for golden bits forming at the bottom and a nutty aroma rising. Pull it off the heat immediately and pour into a heat-safe bowl to cool slightly.

2. Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 425°F and place your cast iron skillet inside while it heats. A hot skillet builds that crust.

3. Whisk together cornmeal, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until fully combined.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until smooth. Add buttermilk, sour cream, applesauce, and honey. Pour in the cooled brown butter last and whisk until everything comes together.

5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold gently until just combined. Stop when the flour disappears - a few lumps belong there.

6. Pull the hot skillet from the oven using oven mitts. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and swirl it to coat the bottom and sides completely. It will sizzle - that sound means the crust is already forming.

7. Pour the batter into the sizzling skillet and return it to the oven immediately. Bake 25-30 minutes until the top turns deep golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8. Let the cornbread rest in the skillet for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm, directly from the cast iron.

Love at First Bite

Golden on the outside, impossibly moist on the inside - this cornbread pulls apart warm and fluffy with a crumb so tender it reads closer to cake. The crust holds its structure just enough to give you something to bite into before the center gives way. Warm, rich, and deeply satisfying from the first piece to the last.

Origin Story

Cornbread traces its roots to Indigenous peoples across the Southeast, who ground dried corn into meal and cooked it over open fire long before it became a Southern table staple. The cast iron skillet method emerged as cooking tools evolved and spread widely because of the results it produced - a crackling, deeply set crust that no baking pan has ever replicated. This version carries that foundation forward with a crumb built for the modern table.

Remix Notes

Halve the recipe and bake in a 6-inch cast iron skillet for 18-22 minutes. The batter scales down cleanly - same browning process, same hot skillet technique, same golden crust. Pull it when the top sets and a toothpick comes out clean. A single skillet of cornbread reheats well the next morning in a dry pan over low heat, crust and all.

Soul Notes

Cast iron cornbread carries a presence that arrives before the plate does - the smell of brown butter in a hot skillet travels. This version earns its place at any table, any season, any occasion that calls for something warm, intentional, and made from scratch.

Pairs Well With

This frittata carries warm, earthy spice that pairs best with something bright and fresh or something cooling that balances the heat.

• Fire-Roasted Mac & Cheese

• Creole Vegetable Soup

• Sweet Corn & Coconut Bisque

Storage & Reheating

Store leftover cornbread wrapped tightly or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. To reheat, place slices in a cast iron or skillet over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes per side - this revives the crust in a way a microwave never will. A quick 10 minutes in a 350°F oven works well for multiple slices.

FAQ

Why cake flour instead of all-purpose?
Cake flour carries less protein, which means less gluten development. Less gluten produces a softer, more tender crumb - exactly what separates this cornbread from the dense, crumbly versions most people grew up eating.

Does the applesauce make it taste like apples?
The applesauce works in the background - it adds moisture and a quiet natural sweetness without announcing itself as an ingredient. Most people won't identify it, they'll just notice the cornbread tastes unusually good.

My did my cornbread come out so dense?
Overmixing the batter develops gluten and tightens the crumb. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together just until the flour disappears and stop there. A few lumps in the batter produce a lighter, more tender result every time.

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