Molly's Corn Muffins

These corn muffins get their incredibly moist, tender crumb from a full cup of sour cream mixed with baking soda. The acid-base reaction starts working before the batter even hits the oven, giving the muffins an extra lift you won’t get from baking powder alone.

The method matters here: sour cream and baking soda get combined first and set aside to react. Then the wet ingredients (melted butter, sugar, cornmeal, eggs) get mixed separately before the flour mixture and sour cream mixture are added alternately. This back-and-forth keeps the batter from getting overworked, which is how you avoid tough, dense muffins.

These land on the sweeter side of corn muffins, closer to a cornbread-cake hybrid than a savory Southern-style pone. The butter and sour cream make the crumb rich without being greasy.

Pro Tips

• Mix the sour cream and baking soda first and let it sit while you prep everything else. You’ll see it get puffy and bubbly. That reaction is your leavening at work.
• Alternate adding the dry and wet mixtures in three rounds, starting and ending with dry. This prevents large pockets of unmixed flour or overly wet spots.
• Don’t overfill the muffin cups. Two-thirds full is right. These rise a lot thanks to the double leavening.
• Yogurt works as a swap for sour cream. Plain full-fat yogurt gives a slightly tangier result.

Variations

• Fold in fresh or frozen corn kernels for extra texture and pops of sweetness.
• Add diced jalapeños and shredded cheddar for a savory, Tex-Mex version.
• Replace half the sugar with honey for a warmer, more rounded sweetness.