These Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes are an easy copycat version of the famous Cheesecake Factory Recipe! Tender, sweet corn patties are topped with Tex-Mex flavors for the ultimate in sweet, savory and spicy flavors! This works as an appetizer or a main dish (if you don’t want to share!!!).
Why You’ll Love Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes
- EASY COPYCAT RECIPE – If you’ve ever had the Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes Appetizer at the Cheesecake Factory, then you know what I’m talking about. Just the presentation is super impressive, but the taste is out of this world! Our Copycat recipe has the same delicious taste and beautiful presentation, but is SO easy to make. We use store bought salsa verde, pico de gallo and Southwest sauce to make this recipe a cinch. But, of course, if you have your own homemade versions of these ingredients, go for it!
- AMAZING PRESENTATION – They say “you eat with your eyes first”. And oh boy does that ring true with this dish. It makes this an awesome appetizer recipe to serve to a crowd. Everyone is gonna be super impressed! And you don’t have to tell them how easy it was!
Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes
So, what are Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes? They are basically corn cakes that are baked to a gold brown and then topped with Salsa Verde, Pico de Gallo and Southwest Sauce. You’ll often find sour cream, guacamole or avocado on them as well. The tamale cakes themselves are nice and sweet. And they balance well with the slight kick of the sauces on top. Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes are very popular in Arizona, and will be featured in our 50 States/50 Recipes book coming out soon!
For step-by-step instructions, check out the printable recipe card below. But here is what you’ll need to get started:
- CORN FLOUR/MASA HARINA -These are basically the same thing and you can use either. Masa Harina does have a certain, distinctive tart flavor from being treated in calcium hydroxide.
- FLOUR – Just regular, All Purpose Flour will work.
- SUGAR – White, granulated sugar.
- SALT – Helps to balance out the sugar.
- FROZEN SWEET CORN – No need to thaw it first. You can use canned corn, just make sure you drain it really well before adding it. It’d be careful using fresh corn, as it will take a bit long to fully cook and you may end up burning your tamale cakes.
- BUTTER – Unsalted and softened.
- SALSA VERDE – We just used store bought Salsa Verde. But if you’ve got a recipe you want to use, go for it. You can also substitute with Tomatillo Salsa.
- PICO DE GALLO – Ditto with this. Feel free to make fresh pico if ya want!
- SOUTHWEST SAUCE – Southwestern Sauce can be a little harder to find in the store. But if you need to, you can substitute for a “spicy”, “zesty” or “southwestern” Ranch.
- Fresh Cilantro – Chopped Fresh as a garnish.
Storage, Leftovers and Freezing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Leftovers should be good for about 3 days.
You CAN freeze Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes, but only before you put all the toppings on them. To freeze, let them fully cool and pack them in a freezer bag separated by wax paper or parchment paper.
Can You Make Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes Ahead Of Time?
Yep! Go ahead and measure out all your sauces (or make them if you want) and store them in separate containers. Bake your Tamale Cakes and keep them in the refrigerator, covered, for up to one day. When ready to serve, just put them in the oven for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Other Topping Ideas
- Sour Cream (either a dollop of sour cream or a drizzle)
- Guacamole
- Avocados
- Green Onions
- Diced Onions
- Diced Tomatoes
We hope you enjoy this recipe for Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes! Drop us a line below to let us know how they turned out for you!
Happy Eating!
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Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup corn flour/masa harina
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups frozen sweet corn divided
- 1 stick 1/2 cup, butter, softened
- salsa verde
- pico de gallo
- southwest sauce
- chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add corn flour, all purpose flour, sugar and salt and mix well. Set aside.
- Add 1 cup corn to a food processor and process until coarsely pureed.
- Add to flour mixture with butter.
- Add remaining 1/2 cup corn.
- Using the back of a spoon or pastry blender, blend the mixture together until crumbly and combined.
- Scoop into 1/2 cup portions and form into 3" patties (about 1/2" thick) with your hands. Place onto prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes, flip over and return to oven for an additional 3-5 minutes, making sure both sides are golden brown.
- Remove from oven and serve on top of salsa verde and top with pico de gallo, southwest sauce and chopped fresh cilantro.
Nutrition
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