Mexican Corn Cakes

Name: Mexican Corn Cakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups Yellow Cornmeal; 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour; 1 tsp Baking Powder; 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt; 1/2 cup Grated Cotija or Queso Fresco Cheese ((omit for vegan corn cakes)); 2 cups Frozen Corn; 3/4 to 1 cup Water; 3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil; Poached Eggs; Sliced Avocados; Simple Salsa ((made with chopped tomatoes, red peppers, red onions, cilantro, and lime))

Published: Apr 8, 2013 · Modified: Apr 20, 2021 · by Jess Smith · Jump to Recipe · 34 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

Top these delicious Mexican corn cakes with salsa, avocado and poached eggs for a great dinner. The cakes come out crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside.

As much as I sometimes lament that I miss the change of seasons that I grew up with (and the produce that comes with that…berries, oh how I miss berries), there are some definite perks of living in a hot climate. Some of that summertime produce has found its way to Thailand and is available all year. We eat sweet, bright red watermelon any time we want it, and fresh herbs of every sort are sold by the bundle for just a few cents. Sweet corn, too, is almost always available.

In full disclosure, sweet corn is one of those things that I believe tastes so good because of the anticipation..it’s the knowing you can only get it for a few fleeting months. Growing up in Kansas, I waited all summer for corn so sweet that I could eat it straight off the cob with nothing else. One of my favorite summer lunches has long been a spinach salad with tons of fresh raw sweet corn and avocado slices.

All of that is to say that the corn here is good, but never quite as good as in a place where you wait for it all year long. I do, however, cook with fresh corn often these days. I’m discovering that it adds so much to so dishes that I might never have explored if I didn’t have such an abundance of the stuff.

It was with this in mind that I came across these Mexican Corn Cakes for this month’s Secret Recipe Club. Kate’s blog, Kitchen Trial and Error, is full of great ideas for simple, creative dinners. These corn cakes caught my eye because I had never had anything like them. I do, however, love anything that can be topped with a poached egg and called dinner.

These were the perfect vehicle for a tasty combination of eggs, avocado, and a quick, fresh salsa. I used fresh corn, but the original recipe calls for frozen, which makes this a light, fun dinner year-round. It’s certainly one I’ll be making again.

Note on Baking: The first time I made these, I tried baking the corn cakes instead of cooking them in oil on the stove top. Not surprisingly, the version below was a clear winner. When pan-fried, the outside gets caramelized and sweet while the inside stays tender. However, the baked version were worth mentioning. I baked them at 400 degrees on a greased baking sheet for about 25 minutes, turning them over halfway through baking. Not as crisp, but still delicious.

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