This delicious Mexican sweet corn cake is a copycat of my favorite yummy side that used to be served at Chi-Chi's! Also known as pan de elote, this scoopable buttery corn cake straddles the line between a warm corn pudding and cornbread perfectly...
Chi-Chi's Mexican Sweet Corn Cake
I'm probably dating myself here, but one of the saddest days of my life was the day Chi-Chi's shut down their restaurants. I have SO many fun memories of celebrating birthdays, graduations, and even no special occasion at all while wearing one of their big sparkly and colorful sombreros and digging into a Mexican fried ice cream smothered in hot fudge sauce...
Before we had kids, it was our Friday night hotspot on the regular. My favorite meal consisted of a small dish of cheese con queso as an appetizer, followed by a beef chimichanga with extra Mexican sweet corn cake on the side (please and thank you!), all washed down with one of their amazing frozen wild berry margaritas. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
I have yet to recreate Chi-Chi's delicious wild berry margarita, and honestly the chimichangas just seem like WAY too much effort to try at home... But I did happen on a copycat Chi-Chi's corn cake recipe a couple of years ago.
Overall, it's a pretty simple and easy recipe - although it does take about an hour to bake, which makes it more of a special occasion side dish in my book.
But since today is Cinco de Mayo and we're all stuck at home, this seems like a special-enough occasion... Who's with me?!
"I am so shocked that I was able to recreate this!"
Wow!! I was craving the corn cake from the Mexican restaurant down the street to go with the street tacos I was making tonight - this recipe tasted EXACTLY LIKE what I get at the restaurant!
Masa Harina for Chi-Chi's Corn Cake
You probably have most of the ingredients for Chi-Chi's corn cake in your pantry and refrigerator already. Maybe not the heavy cream, but whole milk should work fine in a pinch. However, one you'll likely need to pick up is masa harina, i.e. instant corn flour. The goods news is Walmart carries it in the Hispanic section, so you really shouldn't have any trouble tracking it down.
If you're not familiar with masa harina, it's a corn flour that's made from ground nixtamalized corn. Yeah, that's a pretty fancy word, but it basically means it's made with corn that has been soaked and cooked in limewater, giving it a very distinctive flavor. You'll recognize the taste as being much like a corn tortilla, which makes sense because masa harina is most often used for making corn tortillas.
You only need a small amount for this recipe, so homemade corn tortillas would be an awesome way to put the rest of the bag to good use. But I'm also working on a tasty masa harina cornbread recipe, which will help use it up. So stay tuned for that... Either way, don't skip the masa harina - the flavor profile it gives is what makes this sweet corn cake so good!
Chi-Chi's Sweet Corn Cake Mix
If you're looking for a simplified method to making this recipe, pick up this Chi-Chi's Sweet Corn Cake Mix! Simply mix it with water, butter, and cream-style corn.
How To Make Mexican Corn Cake Like Chi-Chi's
Okay, so we'll never know if this is exactly how Chi-Chi's made their corn cake, but the flavor and texture are spot on. If you never had the pleasure of eating at Chi-Chi's, the easiest way for me to describe it is that it's a very tender and scoopable slightly sweet buttery corn cake, which straddles the line between a warm corn pudding casserole and cornbread perfectly... That's a mouthful, but the condensed version is IT'S DELICIOSO!
As far as actually making Chi-Chi's corn cake goes, essentially you just blend all of the ingredients together. The batter will be very thick, so just spread it out in an even layer in an 8x8" ceramic baking dish. No need to grease the dish - the butter in the recipe will keep it from sticking, as will the next step...
Water Bath for Sweet Corn Cake Recipe
The key to the tender texture is baking the corn cake batter in a water bath. Don't be intimidated - it's really super simple. As I mentioned, you just need to spread the batter in an 8x8" ceramic baking dish, and then cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Place the 8x8" dish inside a 9x13" baking dish, and pour about three cups of water around it.
This keeps the cooking environment very moist, while also baking the sweet corn cake batter slowly and evenly. When it's done baking, allow the Mexican corn cake to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
I like to use my medium cookie scoop to serve up cute little corn cake balls, a la Chi-Chi's. You'll get about 9-ish small side servings of 2-3 scoops each from this recipe!
By the way, if you LOVE corn casseroles, you'll also want to try my Corn Casserole WITH Jiffy Mix and my Corn Casserole WITHOUT Jiffy Mix... Both versions are delicious!
Printable Recipe ↓
Mexican Sweet Corn Cake (Chi-Chi's Copycat Recipe)
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter - softened
- ⅓ cup masa harina
- ¼ cup cold water
- 2 cups frozen corn - thawed
- ¼ cup yellow corn meal
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375℉.
- Whip the butter with a hand mixer until creamy. Add masa harina and water; blend well until thoroughly combined.
- Place the thawed corn in a blender or food processor and pulse a few times. Do not over process. There should be some remaining whole chunks of corn. Add the chopped corn and corn meal to the masa harina mixture. Mix together well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, cream, salt and baking powder. Pour this mixture into the corn mixture and blend thoroughly.
- Spread the mixture evenly in a square ceramic baking dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and set this dish inside a 9x13-inch ceramic baking dish.
- Create a water bath by pouring water into the larger baking dish until it's halfway up the side of the smaller baking dish, about three cups.
- Bake at 375℉ for 50-55 minutes, until the corn cake is cooked through. Remove from the oven and remove the smaller dish from the larger one. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Featured Products
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes
If you like this Mexican corn cake recipe, you might also enjoy these other delicious Mexican-style recipes:
- 4-Ingredient Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
- Instant Pot Mexican Restaurant Rice
- Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Coconut Rice In Rice Cooker
- Sweet & Spicy Fresh Pineapple Salsa
- Tequila and Squirt Palomas Drink
Did you make this recipe?
I'd love to see how your sweet corn cake turns out... Tag me @Unsophisticook on Instagram or use the hashtag #Unsophisticook so I can check it out. Enjoy!
Amy says
I used creamed corn instead of whole corn. I also uncovered it the last 10 minutes to lightly brown top. This has become our all time favorite recipes on repeat.
Tara Kuczykowski says
So happy you love it so much! I'll have to try the creamed corn swap next time I make it.
Dani says
I like this recipe but I cannot ber get the consistency right. Yours seems to hold in a ball form, mine just flattens... I live in a higher altitude do you think I should cut some butter out?
Jeremiah says
I made this just last night, followed recipe exactly and baked in water bath for 55 minutes. I think perhaps either I didn't chop the corn well enough (did 2 - 2 second pulses on the processor) or I cooked too long; the result crumbled apart like one other poster mentioned.
Tammi says
If I cook this in the morning what temperature and how long would I need to reheat the dish to have for a potluck in the evening?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Tammi! I would keep it covered with the aluminum foil and reheat it at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
LH says
Is this still good if made day before and reheated day of brunch?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Yes, it's still very good reheated!
J P says
Just made this and yum! Never had chi chi’s but this is definitely going to be a hit with my family!
Tara Kuczykowski says
So happy you loved it!
Raquel says
Can brown sugar be A replacement if you don’t have white sugar?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Raquel! I haven't tried this substitution, but I don't think I'd recommend it. Though it would provide the same sweetness, brown sugar contains molasses, which would affect the flavor. The additional moisture content could affect the texture, as well.
Tina says
Hello! I just made this corn cake and I left it in the oven for about 54 minutes but it didn't set. When I started scooping it out, it just crumbled and didn't hold its shape. Any recommendations?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Tina - I have not encountered this issue. Did you use a water bath when baking it? Or did you make any changes to the ingredients?
Tina says
@Tara Kuczykowski, hi tara! Nope I didn’t change anything and I definitely used the water bath :(
Tina says
Hello! I just made this corn cake and I left it in the oven for about 54 minutes but it didn't set. When I started scooping it out, it just crumbled and didn't hold its shape. Any recommendations?
Gia says
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Gia! I've never tried it, but it seems like it should work. However, the water bath is important to the final texture. So you'll need to have a shallow ceramic dish that fits inside the slow cooker insert and allows you to pour water in around it.
Elaine says
We were just talking about this tasty Chi Chi’s dish last week. I actually got engaged there back in the day. Looking forward to trying your recipe!
Tara Kuczykowski says
Aww, love this, Elaine! Hope it turns out just like you remember it.
Dhara says
I love this recipe!!! I have made it a couple of times and it has been a hit! Thank you sooo much... takes me back to chi-chis! I wanted to make this for a party of 50 people... any tips on if I should make it in batches or if I should just multiply the battery and just make a thicker layer? Also how about making it ahead the day before and reheating?
Tara Kuczykowski says
So happy you love it, Dhara! I've never done more than double it, but I'm sure it can be done. Just keep in mind that if you make the layer thicker, you'll probably have to bake it longer. It reheats well, so you could make it ahead if you'd like!
Patti says
Excellent! So tasty and easy to put together. My husband absolutely couldn't stop saying how good it was. Only thing I didn't do was put the corn in the blender; just added it whole and it worked fine. Thanks for the recipe.
Tara Kuczykowski says
So glad you enjoyed it, Patti! Smart thinking with the corn — putting it in the blender is definitely optional and a timesaver. The Chi-Chi's version used corn that was slightly processed, but using whole kernels won't change the flavor!
Adele K says
Wow!! I was craving the corn cake from the Mexican restaurant down the street to go with the street tacos I was making tonight— this recipe tasted EXACTLY LIKE what I get at the restaurant! I am so shocked that I was able to recreate that! Yes, it was a fair bit of work, but I’m so excited to have found this recipe. My five sons and husband loved it also. And keep in mind that I only had regular white flour, not masa harina in my house. It was still incredible. Thank you thank you thank you!
Tara Kuczykowski says
That's great to know that you can substitute regular flour for the masa harina in a pinch — thanks for sharing. So happy you all loved it!!
Karen says
Just a note, NASA marina is plain white flour. They want masa de maiz (corn flour)! I loved Chi Chi's too, and am thrilled to find this recipe! Thank you!
Tara Kuczykowski says
So glad you found it, Karen! Masa harina is ground corn that's been treated with an alkali (nixtamalized), which gives it a very distinct flavor. Harina de maiz is a super finely ground cornmeal/cornflour. You will definitely want to use masa harina in this recipe. Hope you enjoy it!
Cindy Craner says
Can you use canned corn instead of frozen in this recipe?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Cindy! You sure can — just be sure to drain it well.
Verna says
I just made this and its awesome. Miss Chi Chis so much we was there about every week so it really was a shocker when they closed down. Question for you can this be frozen?
Tara Kuczykowski says
So happy you loved it, Verna! I miss Chi-Chi's SO much, too... Yes, this should freeze well once it's cooled down.
Verna says
Awesome. Thank you so much!
Jeannie Isaacs says
I'm making this to take to a family along with a full Mexican meal. If I bake this right before I take it, would this still be ok to serve if it has been out of the oven 20-30 minutes or will that affect the consistency? Thanks so much!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Hi Jeannie! Just wrap it up tightly in aluminum foil, and it should still be hot and delicious 30 minutes later. If you want it to stay hot even longer, add a thick layer of newspaper on top of the foil.
Jeannie Isaacs says
Thank you so much for your help with this! I will definitely do that! I can't wait to make this for them!
Kathi brill says
For awhile up until last year I could buy the Chi chi mix add corn and bake bam easy.. now I can't find the mix.. so thank you for this recipe.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Wow, I didn't even know they made a mix! Must not have been available around here. So glad I can help out! This version is surely more of a process to make than with a boxed mix, but it's so, SO good.
TeaJae says
I was a Chi Chi fan too. I loved that place. If someone could make a copy cat recipes for their seafood chimichangas (my favorite) Id be so happy.
LB says
There is a copycat Cancun recipe out there. I make it all the time.
elo says
This is the second time I've made it and after cooking like it said for an hour it was not cooked. I took the foil off and cranked it to 450 for another 30 minutes. It is good
monica says
Thank you for the recipe. My husband and I loved Chi-Chi's and especially the corn cake. I will definitely try to make this for an upcoming meal.