Savory Spiced Corn Pudding

Why This Savory Spiced Corn Pudding Works

In the oven, the cornmeal, flour, and baking powder slowly set the whole dish into a soft, sliceable pudding. As the eggs warm up, they firm and grab onto the cornmeal and flour, so the corn and jalapeño stay suspended instead of sinking. The batter starts out loose from the milk and cream, but as it bakes, the starch in the cornmeal swells and thickens, so the center goes from runny to custardy.

During baking, the butter and cream keep everything tender so it doesn’t dry out, even though it bakes for a good while. The corn kernels heat up and soften, but they still keep a little bite, so the texture isn’t mushy. Around the edges and on top, the batter browns and the sugar and corn start to taste a bit sweeter and toasty. By the time it comes out and rests for a few minutes, the pudding has finished setting, so it cuts cleanly but still feels moist and soft inside.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the pudding bake too long dries it out and makes the edges tough. The custard part in the center keeps setting as it bakes, so extra time in the oven turns what should be soft and spoonable into something closer to dry cornbread with a hard top.

Pouring the batter into a cold or ungreased dish often leads to sticking and uneven cooking. The edges can weld themselves to the pan while the center puffs and sets later, so pieces tear apart and the bottom may stay pale and a bit soggy.

Overmixing the batter after the wet and dry ingredients are combined makes the pudding dense. The flour and cornmeal soak up more liquid and tighten, so instead of a light, custardy texture, the finished dish can feel heavy and slightly rubbery.

Adding the melted butter while it is still very hot can scramble parts of the egg mixture. Little cooked egg bits end up scattered through the batter, and the pudding bakes with a slightly lumpy, uneven texture instead of a smooth, uniform custard.