Pan De Elote Recipe

Preheat and prepare pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan or a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal. Lightly dust with a little flour or cornmeal and tap out excess.

Process corn and wet mixture

Place 3 cups of corn kernels in a food processor or high-speed blender. Pulse until coarsely ground but not completely puréed — you want some texture. Add the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Blend until fairly smooth and homogeneous (about 30–45 seconds). Scrape down the sides as needed.

Combine dry ingredients

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal or masa harina (if using), baking powder, salt, sugar, and ground cinnamon (if using) until evenly distributed.

Fold wet and dry together

Pour the blended corn mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula until combined and no large pockets of flour remain. Do not overmix — the batter will be fairly thick and slightly grainy from the corn. If the batter seems excessively thick, you can add up to 2 tablespoons more evaporated milk to loosen slightly.

Transfer to pan and bake

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Tap the pan gently on the counter to settle the batter and release any large air bubbles. Bake on the middle rack for 40–55 minutes (depending on pan size): a 9-inch round will take closer to 40–45 minutes, a loaf pan may take 50–55 minutes. The pan de elote is done when the top is golden, edges pull slightly away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs (not wet batter).

Cool

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 20–30 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, invert onto the rack, remove the parchment, then invert again onto a serving plate so the top is up. Let cool another 15 minutes; the cake is best slightly warm or at room temperature.

Slice the pan de elote into 8 equal slices (or 10–12 smaller pieces for a loaf). Place a warm slice on a dessert plate and top with a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Sprinkle with toasted corn kernels or chopped toasted pecans and dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired.

Serve immediately so the contrast between the warm, custardy corn cake and cold ice cream is preserved. Leftover pan de elote keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 8–10 minutes or microwave briefly before serving.