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Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

My version of Tijuana Taxi Cab Company's Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes. This copycat recipe is close to perfect and strikes the right balance of flavors - a little sweet, a little tangy and spicy with a bright pop of freshness. The perfect appetizer for your next Taco Tuesday or Cinco de Mayo party.

Course Appetizer
Cuisine American, Mexican, Tex-Mex
Keyword cinco de mayo, Corn Patties, Spicy Mayo, Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Author The Tiny Fairy

Ingredients

Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

  • 1 ½ cups sweet corn kernels, fresh or frozen (thawed), divided
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup butter, unsalted and room temperature
  • ¾ cup yellow corn flour
  • ½ cup maseca
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt (prefer Diamond brand)
  • 2 Tablespoons water

Spicy Mayo

  • 1 cup mayonnaise (prefer Duke's)
  • 3 Tablespoons Sriracha
  • juice from half a lime

Other Ingredients for Assembly

  • canola oil for pan frying
  • store bought Salsa Verde
  • Pico de Gallo
  • Guacamole
  • fresh cilantro

Instructions

Making the Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

  1. Pulse 1 cup of sweet corn in a food processor to break up the kernels. Add the heavy cream, butter and water and pulse to combine.

  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk to combine the yellow corn flour, maseca, sugar, baking powder and salt.

  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and the remaining 1/2 cup of corn. Fold just until combined. Allow the mixture to rest 10-15 minutes.

  4. Use a 1/4 cup measurement to evenly scoop mixture and hand form patties.

  5. Heat a wide skillet over medium heat and add a few tablespoons of canola oil to the skillet. Pan fry each patty for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook for 3 minutes on the other side until golden brown. Repeat steps until all tamale cakes are cooked.

    Note: Tamale cakes can fall apart if you flip them or move them before they develop a crust on the bottom. Gently flip with a wide pancake spatula to support the tamale cake.

  6. Loosely cover with foil and keep warm in a 180°F oven until ready to assemble.

Making the Spicy Mayo

  1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mason jar or Pyrex measuring cup.

    Note: To obtain thin drizzle lines over the tamale cake, add the prepared mayo to a Ziploc bag, seal. Snip the corner just before plating and drizzle a thin line over the cakes.

Assembling the Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

  1. Drizzle a little Salsa Verde sauce on the bottom. Store bought works perfectly.

  2. Place the Sweet Corn Tamale Cake on top. Drizzle with the Spicy Mayo sauce.

  3. Top with Pico de Gallo, Guacamole and sour cream. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

    Makes about 6 corn cakes, depending on size.

Recipe Notes

Cilantro Lime Sauce would also be a great topping.