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Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

by Happy Hippie, lightly adapted
Warm buttery corn cakes, nestled on a blanket of salsa verde, dolloped in sour cream and southwest sauce, finished with diced tomato salsa, avocado, and fresh cilantro....say it with me Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes.
5 from 1 vote
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican

Ingredients
  

Salsa Verde...

  • 2 to matillos chopped (remove papery skin)
  • 1 4 oz can mild green chilies
  • 1 scallion chopped
  • 3 Tbl. fresh cilantro
  • 1 Tbl. granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  • sea salt & fresh cracked pepper

Fresh Tomato Salsa...

  • 1 medium tomato diced
  • 1-2 Tbl. onion minced
  • 1-2 Tbl. fresh cilantro minced
  • 1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice
  • ½ small fresh jalapeno minced
  • dash salt
  • dash ground black pepper
  • dash cumin

Southwest Sauce...

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp. white vinegar
  • 1 tsp. water
  • ¾ tsp. granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp. chili powder
  • ¼ tsp. paprika
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 tsp. onion powder
  • dash salt
  • dash garlic powder

Tamale Cakes...

  • cups frozen sweet corn
  • ½ cup 1 stick butter, softened
  • 3 Tbl. granulated sugar
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • ½ cup corn masa corn flour
  • 2 Tbl. all-purpose flour

Garnish...

  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ½ avocado chopped
  • 2 Tbl. fresh cilantro coarsely chopped

Instructions
 

Salsa Verde...

  • Combine all ingredients (tomatillos, green chilies, scallion, cilantro, sugar, cumin, salt, and pepper) in a food processor on high speed. Cover and chill.

Fresh Tomato Salsa...

  • Combine all ingredients (diced tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno, cumin, salt, and pepper) in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

Southwest Sauce...

  • Combine all ingredients (mayonnaise, vinegar, water, sugar, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, onion powder, salt, and garlic powder) in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

Tamale Cakes...

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Prepare the tamale cakes by chopping 1 cup frozen corn in a food processor until it's coarsely pureed. Combine pureed corn with softened butter, sugar, and salt. Blend well with electric mixer or by hand until smooth.
  • Add masa and flour and blend well.
  • Mix in the remaining ½ cup of frozen corn kernels by hand.
  • Measure ½ cup portions of the mixture and form it into 3" wide patties with your hands (it's a little tricky getting them to stay in patty form...just squeeze them together). I made 6 patties. Will definitely double the corn cake portion of the recipe next time.
  • Arrange the patties on a baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cakes are browned on the bottom.
  • Carefully flip all cakes with a spatula and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until other side is browned.

Presentation...

  • While the cakes are baking, spoon a portion of the salsa verde onto a plate or platter (you may want to heat up your plate in the oven for a bit to help warm the sauce).
  • You'll need to use enough salsa verde to coat the entire plate -- it should be about ¼" deep.
  • Arrange the tamale cakes side-by-side on the salsa verde. Spoon a dollop of sour cream onto each tamale cake.
  • Spoon some tomato salsa over the cakes, followed by the chopped avocado.
  • Drizzle the southwestern sauce over the cakes in a crisscross patter (use a squirt bottle if you've got one).
  • Finish off the plate by sprinkling the coarsely chopped cilantro leaves over the top.