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    Home » Dinner

    Copycat Chi-Chi’s Sweet Corn Cake

    Published: Apr 13, 2016 · Modified: Apr 18, 2020 by heather · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Copycat Chi-Chi’s Sweet Corn Cake tastes just like the restaurant. A wonderful side dish that will have you coming back for seconds. 

    Copycat Chi-Chi's Sweet Corn Cake in a yellow and white bowl

    Copycat Chi-Chi’s Sweet Corn Cake tastes just like the long gone restaurant.

    Growing up my mom’s favorite restaurant was Chi-Chi’s. The problem though was that the closest one was over an hour from our small town. Going there was always a big treat, I still remember my sister and I eating so many chips and salsa before our meal that we wouldn’t even be hungry by the time they brought our food. 

    The one thing I always made room for was Chi-Chi’s sweet corn cake. In my humble opinion they never put enough on the plate, always just one tiny scoop. My whole family was sad when we heard the news of Chi-Chi’s closing and I kind of just forgot about the restaurant. One day in college my mom called with an excitement in her voice.  She had found and made this sweet corn cake recipe that tasted just like Chi-Chi’s! I still have the email she sent me many years ago with the recipe attached. I ended up making it for my room mates one taco Tuesday and we all loved it! I still make it today when we have a Mexican fiesta night or Cinco de Mayo celebration.

    Jump to:
    • What are they made of?
    • Can I use canned corn?
    • How to make from scratch
    • How to store
    • Tips
    • More side dishes
    • Copycat Chi-Chi's Sweet Corn Cake

    Copycat Chi-Chi's Sweet Corn Cake in a baking dish

    What are they made of?

    The ingredients used in this corn cake are masa harina, butter, corn, cornmeal, cream, sugar, baking powder and salt.

    Can I use canned corn?

    If possible I love using fresh corn off the cob. Thawed, frozen corn also works well and I have also made this with canned corn. Be sure to drain the canned corn well before mixing in the batter. 

    How to make from scratch

    Scroll to the bottom for full printable recipe and ingredient list. 

    This recipe calls for masa harina, a Mexican corn flour. You can usually find it in the international section or even the flour aisle of the grocery store.

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
    • Mix butter until creamy. Add masa harina and water. 
    • Pulse corn in a food processor. Stir into butter mixture. 
    • Mix in cornmeal. 
    • In separate bowl mix sugar, salt, baking powder and cream.
    • Stir sugar mixture into corn mixture and pour into 8 x 8 baking dish. Cover with foil.
    • Place baking dish into a larger baking dish with hot water. This method is called a water bath and helps to cook but also keeps very moist. 

    Now that I can make my own copycat Chi-Chi’s sweet corn cake, I can dish myself out as much as I want. No more little teeny tiny scoops 🙂Corn Cake in a bowl

    How to store

    This dish can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up  to 4 days. 

    Tips

    • If you don’t have a food processor or blender, you can chop the corn in small pieces with a knife. 
    • Use ice cream scoop to scoop out rounded portions.
    • Make sure to let it sit for 10 minutes before serving to complete the cooking process.

    More side dishes

    • Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes are a super easy side dish that pair well with just about anything. 
    • Fried Corn is a southern classic. Corn sauteed with bacon and onion. 
    • Fresh corn salad is one of my favorite summer dishes. 
    Corn cake in a bowl.
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    4.70 from 10 votes

    Copycat Chi-Chi's Sweet Corn Cake

    Copycat Chi-Chi's Sweet Corn Cake tastes just like the restaurant. A wonderful side dish that will have you coming back for seconds.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time1 hr
    Total Time1 hr 10 mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Keyword: corn cake, sweet corn cake, chi's-chi's
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 285kcal
    Author: Heather

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup butter, softened
    • 1/3 cup masa harina (Mexican corn flour)
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
    • 1/4 cup cornmeal
    • 1/3 cup sugar
    • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
    • In a medium bowl, beat butter with a mixer until creamy. Add masa harina and water. Mix until well combined.
    • Place corn in a blender or food processor and coarsely chop on low speed. You should still see pieces of corn.
    • Stir chopped corn in the butter mixture. Add cornmeal and stir.
    • In a separate bowl, mix sugar, cream, salt and baking powder.
    • Pour sugar mixture in the butter mixture and stir.
    • Pour mixture into an ungreased 8x8 baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil. 
    • Place the baking dish into a 13x9 glass baking dish filled 1/3 of the way up with hot water.
    • Bake for 50-60 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and take the 8x8 dish out of hot water bath and let sit for 10 minutes. 
    • Scoop out to serve.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 237mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 560IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Follow me @foodlovinfamily or tag #foodlovinfamily!

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    Comments

    1. Jessica

      July 25, 2020 at 12:39 am

      Mmmmm…..I can’t wait to make this. I would always order chicken chimichanga with no beans and extra corn cake. It has probably been 20 years since I ate there. I miss it too.

      Reply
    2. Laura

      April 25, 2020 at 11:50 pm

      They had the best fajita salad! Loved it! Sadly I don’t see it on sooo many menus.

      Reply
    3. Kirsten

      April 15, 2016 at 11:27 pm

      This looks like the same recipe I use! Garsh, I miss Chi-Chi’s. My mom and I used to go and, totally straight-faced and without shame, order a SIDE-PLATE of the corn cake. We’d also always order the enchiladas cancun, which were a creamy, seafood-y enchilada. I have a recipe for those, too! Chi-Chi’s 4 Life!!

      Reply
      • heather

        April 16, 2016 at 12:05 pm

        I miss Chi-Chi’s too! The jarred salsa just isn’t the same. I don’t think I ever tried the enchiladas cancun. Is the recipe on your site? I would love to try and make them.

        Reply
    4. Yuri

      April 14, 2016 at 11:56 am

      5 stars
      cake :3 I love to eat cake. >..< cravings! 🙂

      Reply

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