Sweet Corn Cake (Tomalitos)

5 from 13 votes
19 Comments

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This Sweet Corn Cake, also known as tomalitos, is a sweet yet savory side to any Mexican feast. Creamy, bursting with flavor, and easy to make!

Bowl of Sweet Corn Cakes Tomalitos rounded in balls. Garnished with cilantro.
Featured with this recipe
  1. Ingredients for Sweet Corn Cake
  2. Simple Steps to Sweet Corn Cake
  3. What to Serve with Sweet Corn Cake
  4. Frequently Asked Questions
  5. More Corn Sides
  6. How to Make Sweet Corn Cake
  7. Sweet Corn Tomalitos (Corn Cake) Recipe

This sweet corn cake tastes just like the popular dish at the Mexican restaurant, Chevy’s. It is a popular restaurant that has the best tomalitos. This Mexican sweet corn cake is a MUST make when creating a Mexican dinner. Corn, butter, and heavy cream make up the simple side dish. To help give this a creamy, flavorful, and delicious dish! It is very similar to cornbread with real whole kernels.

Ingredients for Sweet Corn Cake

Take your corn flour to the next level by baking it with these special ingredients. The blend of corn, cornmeal, a little sweetness, and whipping cream gives this tomalito side dish a great combination. Complete your dinner with this special corn cake recipe!

  • Butter – Soften the butter to help blend it with the hand mixer.
  • Cornmeal or Corn flour – Used for texture and sweetness in these corn cakes.
  • Frozen whole-kernel corn – Make this even easier with thawed corn.
  • White sugar – Added for just enough sweetness and balance out the flavors.
  • Heavy whipping cream – Gives a creamy taste to the corn mixture. You can substitute this with Greek yogurt or whole-milk yogurt for a thicker texture.
  • Salt – Just enough to help build the corn cake as it is baking in the oven.
  • Baking powder – This helps the corn cakes rise in the oven. The fluffiness and texture will increase in the pan growing it taller.
Ingredients to make Sweet Corn Cakes (Tomalitos) including frozen corn, butter, corn meal, water, baking powder, salt, sugar and cream.



Simple Steps to Sweet Corn Cake

Sweet corn cake is the perfect addition to any Mexican meal. Combine the ingredients, choose how you would like to serve the corn cakes, and then bake the dish or dishes. It is perfect for feeding a crowd or small ramekins for individual servings.

  1. Beat – In a medium bowl beat butter with a hand mixer until it is creamy, then add cornmeal and water until well blended. Using a food processor, process thawed corn, but leave it chunky. Stir into the butter mixture.
  2. Combine – In a small bowl, mix cornmeal, sugar, cream, salt, and baking powder. Add to the cornmeal mixture and stir to combine.
  3. Prepare – Pour batter into an ungreased 8×8 inch baking pan or casserole dish. If you want individual servings, you can use an ice cream scoop to measure out into six custard cups. Smooth the batter and cover it tightly with aluminum foil.
  4. Put the pan filled with water into a baking dish. Bake the corn cake in a water bath to preserve moisture.
  5. Bake – Preheat the oven to 350-degree oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Allow cooling for 10 minutes. Insert a knife in the center and if it comes out clean, the corn cake is done.
Spoon of Sweet Corn Cakes (Tomalitos) resting next to casserole dish of baked Sweet Corn Cakes (Tomalitos).

What to Serve with Sweet Corn Cake

This creamy corn side dish would pair perfectly with any of these delicious Mexican dishes. Make a complete meal with these Johnny cakes. They are the best with any of these main dinners.

“Simple and easy to make using a food processor. This is my second day making this in a row the family and I love it. I melted some cheese on top and added canned diced jalapenos to the mix. Super moist and I love that I can save on using eggs because this recipe doesn’t use eggs.”

-Kelly
Spoon resting in a casserole dish of baked Sweet Corn Cakes (Tomalitos).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a tomalito?

Tomalitos are mini corn cakes that can be used to replace tortillas. It is a side dish and made similar to a casserole. It is a popular dish in Central America. Tomalitos are mini corn cakes that can replace tortillas. This recipe, is used as a side dish, much like a casserole. It’s a popular dish in Central America.

Is corn cake the same as corn bread?

Corn cake has a sweeter color and flavor than corn bread. The cake isn’t as grainy as the bread. Sweet corn cake has lots of heavy cream, corn kernels and butter. So good!

How do you eat sweet corn cake?

This side dish is perfectly baked in a casserole dish. It is simple to make! Simply spoon the casserole onto a plate. Enjoy eating with a fork or spoon.

Are corn cakes healthy?

Corn is always a healthy and delicious vegetable. For this recipe, corn cakes are a great nutritious choice but are good to enjoy with a balanced diet.

Where do corn cakes come from?

Corn cakes are known to be originated in Rhode Island. They are called Johnny Cakes in Rhode Island and other places in Central America.

READ NEXT:75+ Cinco de Mayo Recipes


More Corn Sides

Corn is one of those sweet sides that can taste more like dessert than a “veggie” and makes a delicious side to any meal. Try some of these sweet corn recipes for your next family dinner and see for yourself how easy they can be.

How to Make Sweet Corn Cake

Sweet Corn Cakes (Tomalitos) balls in a bowl.

Sweet Corn Tomalitos (Corn Cake)

5 from 13 votes
Sweet Corn Cakes, aka Tomalitos, are a sweet yet savory side to any Mexican feast. Creamy, bursting with flavor and easy to make!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican/Spanish
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Hand Mixer
  • 9×13 inch pan for water bath
  • 8×8 inch pan

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a water bath by filling a 9×13-inch baking dish one-third of the way with water. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, beat butter with a hand mixer until creamy. Add water and ⅓ cup cornmeal until well blended.
    Bowl of blended corn meal and butter. Whisks on the side.
  • Using a food processor, process thawed corn, but leave it chunky. Stir into the butter mixture. Set aside.
    Blender with blended corn.
  • In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ¼ cup cornmeal, sugar, cream, salt, and baking powder. Add to the cornmeal mixture and stir to combine.
    Bowl with corn meal mixture and blended corn.
  • Pour batter into an ungreased 8×8-inch baking dish, casserole dish, or 6 custard cups if you want individual servings.
    Casserole dish with Sweet Corn Cakes Tomalitos batter.
  • Smooth the batter and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Place pan in prepared water bath.
    Casserole dish covered in foil in a baking pan of water.
  • Bake for 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
    Baked Sweet Corn Cakes (Tomalitos) in a casserole dish.

Notes

  • You can bake the tomalitos in 6 (10-ounce) custard cups instead of a baking dish if you want to create cute individual servings. 
  • The water bath helps the corn cake maintain moisture. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 244kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 4gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 168mgPotassium: 167mgFiber: 3gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 410IUVitamin C: 2.1mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 0.9mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Simple and easy to make using a food processor. This is my second day making this in a row the family and I love it. I melted some cheese on top and added canned diced jalapenos to the mix. Super moist and I love that I can save on using eggs because this recipe doesn’t use eggs

  2. 5 stars
    Looks good, have you tried making this in a steam convection combi oven, wondering if it will work the same but without the water bath?

  3. 5 stars
    My family and I loved this recipe! I just substituted the heavy whipping cream with coconut cream and it was soooooo delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

  4. I have a question, you listed a third cup of cornmeal and then again a Fourth cup of cornmeal correct?.. One goes to the first set of instructions and the other goes to the second, same thing (Cornmeal) just divided correct? I am trying to make this recipe, sound delicious just want to make sure I have the right amounts and that I am reading instructions correctly.
    Thank you for sharing the recipe.

    1. Yes, that’s right. You use 1/3 cup cornmeal the first time cornmeal is mentioned, and then 1/4 cup the second time.

      1. The recipe started 1/3c then 1/3c… the instructions state 1/3c then 1/4c. Can you confirm which measurement is accurate? Thanks.

        1. You mix 1/3 cup cornmeal in with the butter mixture and then another 1/4 cup cornmeal into the whipping cream mixture. So it is both!

  5. 5 stars
    I know that this was a while ago and it seems that no one caught the mistake but here it goes. You statement “Add to corn flour mixture” is strange as you don’t list a “corn flour”. I think the correct terminology would be to say “Add to items from Instruction #1.
    Other than that, this sounds like a great food item that I am going to have to make.
    Cheers!

  6. 5 stars
    I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! It’s been way too long since I’ve eaten at Chevys, and I’m pretty sure I’ve dreamt of their corn cake– I miss it that badly. This dish brought back all the good memories! The flavor was spot on. Mine came out a bit more crumbly than I remember; I may have overcooked it, or it may be because I substituted the heavy cream for whole milk. I also could not find the masa harina at my grocery store, but extra corn meal fit the bill. I feel like this dish is going to be essential everytime I make Mexican food from here on out! Thank you!

    1. So glad you liked it so much! The heavy cream definitely makes it more rich and creamy but whole milk works great if that’s what you have on hand. Thanks for the 5-stars!

    2. masa harina was not mentioned in the recipe.
      I thought masa harina was corn meal, possibly the
      grind would be different.

  7. THANK YOU so much for posting this recipe. Like you, I ate at Chevy’s only once. And, like you, the sweet corn tamalitos was the best thing on my plate. Dinner is done for tonight, but you bet yer boots I’m making this tomorrow! And your cheese enchiladas on homemade tortillas.