Last Updated on January 1, 2024
This Navajo cake recipe is packed with uber-crispy, juicy, and fluffy textures. It is truly one of our favorite sides to make that takes 30 minutes!
You can serve these with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh cilantro. Or serve them as an accompaniment with your mains. Either way, they are easily paired with a wide variety of flavors and dishes.
Give them a try and let us know what you think!
What Is This Navajo Cake Recipe About?
Navajo cakes go by many other names. Arguably the most well-known is simply “corn fritters.” These Native American corn cakes are made with a very simple batter with added corn kernels.
Once the batter has been made, it is fried in some hot oil to create an uber-crisp, yet soft and juicy corn cake.
This is one of our favorite traditional Navaja sweet and savory snacks. It is extremely versatile in the way you make them, and how you can serve them.
What can you serve with our Navajo corn cake recipe
Corn fritters are extremely popular side dishes that are often paired with meatier mains. However, this Navajo cake recipe is so good, that many people love serving it with its own accompaniments! And trust us, there is no shortage of snacks and sauces that goes well with these!
If you’re looking for simpler garnishes, something like whipped cream, sour cream, raita, or fresh herbs are the easiest options. And, you can really play around with their flavors too.
Now, let’s look at some sauces. If at all possible, first try making a fresh dipping sauce. This can be something like a fresh coriander chutney, or mint yogurt dip. Even a plain chilled mayo and dill dip will work perfectly!
Then, if you have time or feel like experimenting with different flavors, you can make a BBQ sauce, homemade ketchup, or meaty jus.
Then, for side dishes, you can try anything from mashed potatoes, baked beans, a fresh tangy coleslaw, and roasted asparagus.
You can also make some unorthodox side dishes like mac and cheese. You can even serve some chicken skewers as a side for corn fritters!
There is no shortage of options for this Navajo cake recipe. And, if you need some more inspiration, go have a look at our site.
What You Will Need For This Navajo Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2-1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup cream, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups corn kernels
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Sieve, optional
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Frying pan
- Spatula
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients
To start this Navajo cake recipe, place the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. You don’t have to sift it unless there are large lumps.
Make sure the dry ingredients are uniformly mixed and again, free of any clumped ingredients. Set them aside.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, cream, lemon juice, and honey. Make sure that you whisk the wet ingredients together very well.
Step 3: Make the corn fritter batter
Next, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredient mix. Mix the two mixtures together gently using a wooden spoon or spatula.
Keep mixing until they are all just combined. Then, mix in the corn kernels.
Step 4: Cook your corn fritters
Add about 1/4-inch of oil into your frying pan and heat it over medium-high heat.
Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of fritter batter into the hot oil. Fry the Navajo corn cakes for about 2-3 minutes per side. Alternatively, you should turn them over when they are beautifully browned and crisp.
Remove the fritters from the oil and drain them on pieces of kitchen towel. Repeat until all of your cake batter is used.
This Navajo cake recipe should be served immediately for the best flavor and texture results.
Expert Tips And Tricks
- You can use freshly cooked corn kernels or canned corn kernels for this recipe. If you use canned kernels, just make sure that they aren’t creamed corn or flavored corn kernels.
- If your honey is very thick, you can always heat it a little to thin it down. When adding it to the wet ingredients, just do so in a thin stream while whisking constantly. This will help prevent the egg from cooking while avoiding clumpy honey in the mixture.
- To make this a vegan recipe, you can substitute the milk with plant-based milk. The egg can be replaced with faux eggs. Have a look at this tutorial on making flax eggs.
- This Navajo cake recipe cannot stand for too long. If it does, the baking powder with become inactive. The fritters won’t get the airy fluffy texture that they should when fried. So, at the very most you can make the batter 30 minutes in advance. But for the best results, no longer than that.
- When frying your corn cakes, work in batches of 2-4, depending on the size of your pan. Don’t overload the frying pan. Otherwise, the cakes won’t cook evenly or become nice and crisp.
- You can store any leftover corn fritters, if you’re lucky enough to have any, inside an airtight container. Place them in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you reheat them, we recommend doing so inside frying oil, an oven, or an air-frying.
Preparations Times And Servings
| Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Servings |
| 10 minutes | 15 minutes | 12-14 |
Final Thoughts – Flavorful, Crisp, And Juicy Navajo Cake Recipe
As you can see, this Navajo cake recipe is extremely easy and very quick to make. It is loaded with a variety of textures and flavors and makes the perfect accompaniment to any meal.
Let us know what you think about them in the comments below. And, if there is any other dish you are dying to make, don’t hesitate to give your suggestions too.