Sweet Corn Bread

This is the easy, sweeter style of cornbread, the kind that’s almost like cake and goes with everything from chili to barbecue. It’s a true one-bowl job: whisk the dry ingredients, stir in egg, milk, and oil, and pour it into the pan.

Using oil rather than butter keeps the crumb moist and tender, and the extra sugar gives it that crowd-pleasing, slightly sweet flavor. There’s no creaming or fuss, just stir until combined and bake.

The trick is to stop mixing the moment the batter comes together. Overmixing develops the flour’s gluten and turns cornbread tough and tunnel-y instead of soft. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and serve warm.

Kitchen Tips

• Stir just until the batter combines; a few lumps are fine, and overmixing makes it dense.
• Check with a toothpick and pull it as soon as it’s clean so it doesn’t dry out.
• Serve it warm, ideally with butter and a drizzle of honey.

Variations

• Bake it in a hot cast iron skillet for crisp, golden edges.
• Fold in corn kernels, blueberries, or diced jalapeno.
• Reduce the sugar for a more savory, Southern-style cornbread.