Pan de Elote is a sweet Mexican corn cake that’s soft, moist, and full of fresh corn flavor.
This traditional dessert is popular throughout Mexico and is often enjoyed with cafe de olla or as an afternoon treat.
The texture is somewhere between cornbread and cake, making it comforting, rich, and completely delicious.
🌽 Ingredients
- Butter
- All purpose flour
- Eggs
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Evaporated milk
- Vanilla extract
- 6 cups of corn kernels – either fresh or frozen
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Cinnamon
✏️ Notes
- Many people refer to it as “pastel,” or “cake.” You will also hear it referred to as “Pastel de Elote.”
- I used only 1 tablespoon of baking powder in the pictures. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons since most people like it thicker.
- The beauty of this recipe is that it uses pantry ingredients. However, if you don’t have any evaporated milk, substitute for regular milk. Half and half is ok, but I would not recommend using heavy whipping cream.
👩🏼🍳 Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prepare the baking pan by greasing it with butter and lightly coating it with flour. Or use parchment paper.
- Add butter, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, and half of the corn to a blender or food processor.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Add the remaining corn and blend again until you reach your desired texture. Blend less for a chunkier texture or longer for a smoother cake.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Stir the dry ingredients together until evenly mixed.
- Pour the corn mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Fold until everything is fully combined and no dry flour remains.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool slightly before slicing and serving.
🫙 Storing Instructions
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days in an airtight container. To freeze, place slices in a freezer-safe bag and remove as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
🙋🏻♀️ FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
No. Pan de Elote is sweeter, softer, and more cake-like than traditional cornbread.
Yes. Frozen or canned corn can work if fresh corn is unavailable.
Overmixing the batter or blending the corn too much can create a denser texture.
Reduce the baking powder to 1 tablespoon and follow the rest of the instructions and ingredients.
🍰 More Mexican Desserts
The sweet corn flavor and soft texture make it perfect for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon snack. Serve pan de elote warm with coffee or champurrado. You can enjoy it chilled straight from the fridge for an easy homemade treat.
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Did you make this recipe? Please rate the recipe below!
Pan de Elote (Mexican Sweet Corn Cake)
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter divided
- 1¾ cups of flour + 2 tablespoons flour divided
- 5 eggs
- 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 6 cups corn (or 8 ears of corn, kernels removed)
- 2 tablespoon baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Butter the pan.
- Flour the pan using 2 tablespoons flour.
- Add remaining butter, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, and half the corn to a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Add the remaining corn and blend.
- For more corn texture, blend slightly.
- For less corn texture, blend until smooth.
- In a bowl, add 1¾ cups of flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Stir to combine.
- Mix the corn mixture with the dry ingredients.
- Stir until well combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Notes
- For a 9 x 13 pan, bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 to 35 minutes.
- For a 8 x 8 pan, bake 350°F (175°C) for 25 to 35 minutes.
Nutrition
I’ve never heard of sweet corn cake – this is something I must try!
Please do! You will love it.
Hi Maggie:
The picture of ingredients has vanilla in it but you don’t list it as an ingredient in the recipe. If I add vanilla, how much do you suggest I add to it?
Thank you, this recipe looks great!
You’re the first to point it out to me. I went back and checked my recipe notebook. You only need 1 tablespoon vanilla. I’ll adjust the recipe. THANK YOU!
Thank you so much! I am making it for my mom tonight! I can’t wait to try your recipe!
Hope you and your mom like it!
I found some Pan De Elote in a small supermarket the other day and thought it was regular cornbread. Only when I got home and cut into it did I realize, this is something different. Warmed it up in the micro, the added a dab of butter, and drizzled it with honey. OMG, I fell in love with it!
Going to try your recipe out soon. From the pics, yours looks like it’ll be fantastic as well. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
It’s delicious . Hope you try this recipe I think you will love it!
Hi Maggie, so I plan on making this pan de elote with frozen corn. Do I thaw and rinse or straight out of the freezer ??
Hi Lourdes. I’m sorry. Just saw this now. I made it with frozen corn. I didn’t thaw. I didn’t rinse. What did you end up using? How did it turn out?
So I just made right now and it turned out delicious. I ended up just using frozen corn straight out of the freezer. I was afraid it was too much baking powder and I thought maybe it was a typo, but decided to just follow directions ? glad I did, it was just right ?. I definitely will make it again. You are 2-0. I first made your birria de res and continue to make it, turns out delicious and now this is another one I will continue to make. Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes ?.
I’ve never had cornbread like this but this looks absolutely delicious and sounds so good!
Humm this looks yummy and tasty. I never tasted any Mexican meal, would love to try this
That looks like a really tasty cake – would love to try it
This sounds sooooo good! I’ve never seen anyone make elote cake before but this has me interested!
Yum this recipe looks so good. We love Mexican food.
Wow, I have never tried to this recipe looks really delicious and easy. I will try to make this for my kids, thanks for sharing!
I’ve made corn bread, but not this version! Looks amazing; I’m going to give it a try!
This one looks so new to me, but one that I can make over the weekend. Thanks for sharing with us.
I have recently made a Mexican cake which was called tres leches, and it turned out so delicious! So now I’m hooked on Mexican desserts. This sweet corn cake sounds so good, I might make it next.
Ohhh YUM! Mexican Sweet Corn Cake sounds so good! Can’t wait to try it!
I’ve never tried this before but it looks and sounds so good! I’ll definitely have to give it a go, just to try it for myself.
One of my ex boyfriends was Mexican and his mom made the best pan de elote! I miss it so much!
This recipe sounds amazing – and really easy to follow too! I will have to give it a whirl x
This cake killed me!!! OMG sooooo delicious! I am definitely trying it this weekend. Thank you so so much.
Chad
http://www.mosaicslab.com
Lol. Glad you like it. Pan de Elote is SOOOO good! Enjoy.
Oh wow. I’ve never heard of this before. It’s almost like a sweet bread!
Pan de Elote is very sweet. In the morning with some coffee, it’s perfect for breakfast.
Hhhmmm I’ve never had a mexican dessert before. Maybe I’ll try this one cause it does look good.
Really?! Well, then you should definitely try this recipe for Pan de Elote.