Homemade fresh corn ring (Panamanian corn bread)

Have you ever wanted to try a delicious homemade corn cake? Well, you’re in luck! Let’s prepare this incredible dish that combines the smoothness of corn with the sweetness of butter.

Today, I bring you a new recipe from the province of Chiriquí, extracted from Chef Charlie Collins’ book “T’ach” about Panamanian native cuisine.

Ten years ago, I already published another recipe for making this corn ring, and I’m not sure which one I like more… I’ll leave the link here in case you want to take a look and judge for yourself.

Let’s get started!

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons of unsalted butter
12 ears of fresh corn or 4 cups of fresh ground corn
6 cups of cornmeal
2 teaspoons of sugar
6 eggs
1 cup of evaporated milk
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 cup of grated fresh white cheese

Instructions:

In a pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Let it cool a bit while we prepare the other ingredients.
In a large bowl, combine the fresh ground corn, cornmeal, salt, and sugar. Mix this thoroughly. This will give our cake its delicious texture and flavor.
Beat the eggs in another container and then mix them with the evaporated milk. Now, add this mixture to the corn mixture.
Then, add the melted butter to the mixture and stir gently to incorporate everything.
Pour the mixture into a round pan with a hole in the center. Make sure to grease it beforehand so the cake won’t stick. This will give the cake its characteristic shape.
Now, for baking, we’re going to use the bain-marie method. Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
Bake the cake in the pan for 2 hours and 20 minutes or until, when you insert a toothpick into the center, it comes out moist but without batter. This will ensure the cake is perfectly cooked.
When it’s ready, take it out of the oven and let it cool a bit. Then, unmold the cake onto a round tray.
To give it a special touch, you can serve this corn ring with a Creole sauce or chicken stew, depending on your taste!

And there you have it, a homemade corn cake that will impress your friends and family. Enjoy!