charlie wrighton July 6, 2020 at 6:24 pm
Johnny cake, journey cake, cornbread. johnny cake was first “hoecake” or “hoe cake”. it was a simple mixture of corn meal, salt if available (not often) and water. the batter was poured over the inside of he hoe blade and held over an open fire to cook. this was done in the field or around a hunting campfire.
regulation cornbread does not contain sugar, butter or boiling water. it is made of course ground yellow cornmeal, egg, salt, black pepper,veg oil and buttermilk. mix the dry ingredients separately. it is not to be more than three-quarters of an inch thick when done.Reply
Samanthaon June 23, 2021 at 12:47 pm
There’s no way they had eggs or buttermilk on a wagon train to Kansas. I think this recipe holds true for a bare necessities Johnny cake.
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Lisaon February 9, 2022 at 7:21 pm
I agree
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Laraon May 19, 2022 at 11:47 am
I think you’re right ????
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Brian bellon June 9, 2020 at 8:19 pm
Johnny cakes sound delicious and can’t wait to try them. Even the rustic beans. GOD BLESS. AMEN.
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Susanne Curroon April 16, 2020 at 6:19 pm
When I was younger, I watched “Little House on The Prairie” every week that it was on. Today, the reruns are shown everyday from 4:00pm-7:00pm Eastern time on The Cozi TV channel. i love them. I remember watching ma Ingles making Johnny Cakes. I never had them, and they look delicious. i am going to make them.
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Izion March 9, 2018 at 8:07 am
My mum loves the “Little House” books so I’m planning to make some of your recipes for Mother’s Day in the UK on Sunday! I was wondering how many Johnny Cakes you think this recipe will make? I’m making them for 5 people so want to make sure there are enough!
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Dale Bakeron April 21, 2020 at 1:19 pm
Johnny cake recipe above should serve 2-3 people. Basis for this is the same as for pancakes. 1 cup dry ingredients plus 1 cup of liquid is two large servings at my house. To be sure for you and your family why not try this small recipe and see what you think. Enjoy!
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Carole M. Kanteron March 7, 2018 at 8:47 pm
I really like “Little House on the Prairie.” I watched it regularly when it first came on the air. Now, I saw the reruns the other day. I thought this was great, but I didn’t get the channel it was on. Could you please tell me this and the time it is on?
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Carole M. Kanter
cmkanter25@gmail.comReply
Erinon April 21, 2020 at 8:23 am
Hi Carole! I’m here two years later reading your question. I’ve found LH on two channels. The “Inspiration” Channel and a channel called “Up TV”. I record the episodes on my DVR and enjoy them whenever. Hopefully these stations are available to you!
-Erin
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Sarahon February 8, 2018 at 3:45 pm
Why does your batter look so smooth? Mine was super lumpy.
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Mrs. Mendozaon December 18, 2017 at 10:48 pm
We are having Colonial Days tomorrow and I’m using your recipe for a little treat along with making pretzel log cabins, quils and corn husk dolls. Really looking forward to it. And to tasing the corn cakes!
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Rose Weckbacheron October 28, 2017 at 1:08 am
My brother called and wanted the recipe for Johnny Cakes like our Mom used to make. I have no memory of them. He said he remembered her using honey in the batter not sugar. Anyone out there able to help me?
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Kayley Meredithon March 23, 2018 at 1:34 am
I have a book open in front of me saying Ma had forgotten to load their share of sugar when leaving Ma and Pa Ingalls that morning, and only realized it when she was putting the cornbread in the pans. Pa said the sugar couldn’t make it taste any sweeter than her hand print had.
In the books she’s actually making cornbread.Reply
Frantzie Couch, Lawton, Oklahomaon October 8, 2017 at 2:55 pm
I don’t have copies of the “Little House” books available, but I recall reading them to my children years ago. As I recall, Ma baked the johnnycake batter in a skillet when the family was traveling across the prairie in their wagon, and she would press her hand on the top of the batter before baking, leaving a handprint, which Pa said made it taste sweeter. Am I mis-remembering that? I thought that was so sweet. Several years after my kids had outgrown the Little House books, my husband’s aunt taught me to make what his side of the family called Tennessee cornbread. It was just white corn meal mixed with boiling water and a little salt, unleavened, and baked in a pre-heated cast iron skillet. I remember thinking that this was Ma’s johnny cake. Perfect for a long trip by wagon, as it didn’t use baking powder, which might have gone bad on the long trip.
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Kayley Meredithon March 23, 2018 at 1:35 am
It was actually cornbread she was making.
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ERNEST KENT WHEELESon August 30, 2017 at 10:38 am
Howdy, Being a True southern gentleman , of advanced age, the johnny cake was used as a bread for lunch and dinner type meals, whereas the hoecake was used as a breakfast meal with the exclusion of fried chicken. Kinda like choosing the proper wine for certain dishes.White dishes, white bread. dark dishes darker bread. Johnny cakes were named from the soldiers aka johnny rebs whom came back home from the war and showed the home folk how to make bread without all the fuss of building a fire in the wood burning oven, instead just cook it in a pan on top. Biscuits were time consuming so again this was a labor saving way to make biscuits in a hurry called later hoe cakes. the plantation workers went into the field with a bag of dry ingredients and a canteen of water and at lunch time scraped clean the back side of a hoe used for farming, built a small fire between a circle of rocks and cooked “Hoecakes”, Some made with flour some with cornmeal.
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Carla Gowenon January 29, 2018 at 1:09 pm
Thank you. My grandmama made hoecakes and told me her granny made them by the fire on a hoe. Glad to know I am not the only person with this story. We also use a thinner batter, so that it makes a lace edge. This lace was called the rat, because my grandmama would say, “Who ate my hoecake?” My granddaddy, who had given it to me, would say, ” Must have been a rat.” We all laughed, cause she knew he was playing. My grandchildren continue the tradition.
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Ginaon April 3, 2017 at 6:42 pm
My batter was very watery–maybe I measured wrong. When I put it in the pan with bacon grease of course the water sizzled and popped everywhere. I tried to remove as much as I could and it helped. I preferred them just with butter.
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Tracion February 27, 2017 at 1:00 pm
I tried to make these and was not successful. I used a cast iron pan first, and they stuck like crazy. It was a mess. I then tried a stainless steel pan and it was a little better, but not by much. The good thing was that they taste amazing. But I need to find a pan they will not stick to, otherwise it’ll always just be a cornmeal mess!
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Daleon January 22, 2017 at 6:24 pm
Hi.
Not to be too critical but, if you use 1 1/2 cups of water you get totat soup. All other recipes call for 1 1/2 TBS of hot water.Reply
Annette Whippleon January 23, 2017 at 8:34 am
Hello there,
The recipe above calls for 1 1/4 cups (not 1 1/2 cups) of water. This makes a thin batter. The extra 1/4 cup you mentioned would certainly make a soup-like batter. The liquid should be measured in cups and not tablespoons. I have not seen any recipes that call for significantly less liquid, however here are two johnny cake recipes that do call for a cup or more of liquid.
http://www.marthastewart.com/318356/johnny-cakes
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/johnnycakes-recipe.html#!Best of luck with your pioneer cooking!
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norma bartletton November 11, 2017 at 10:15 pm
The amount of liquid required depends on how old/dry your cornmeal is!
Ma Ingalls probably had freshly ground cornmeal. The stuff i am using was
most likely sitting in a warehouse for several months prior to sitting in my
cupboard.
Thanks for the recipe. I am using it for a class on Western pioneers.
I can see why It was so popular: very easy to prepare while on the trail.Reply
Lisa G.on December 11, 2016 at 4:27 pm
My granny used to make these a littlebon the sweet side and served them with brown beans and fried greens … Mmmm the good old yummy days 🙂
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Rubyon July 16, 2016 at 7:21 pm
Thanks for the recipe. My mom used to make these for breakfast for us in the 60’s. Cornmeal was cheap. And we loved them. She melted brown sugar with water, and poured it over the top. 🙂
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Billon July 14, 2016 at 8:40 am
I had to add another 1/2 cup of boiling water to the recipe to get the mix close to where it could be poured. As it is stated above, with 1 1/4 cups of water, it formed a thick paste.
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Bella Luccion June 17, 2017 at 5:07 am
A person just below you wrote that she had the amount of water stated and hers was like soup. She said only add a few tablespoons. Who knows.. maybe somebody is not following the recipe correctly or it’s the altitude you live in.
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Sandyon September 13, 2017 at 12:58 pm
I had the same problem using 1 1/4 cups of boiling water. I expected it to be like corn muffin mix, but this was so dry that not all of the cornmeal mixed in. It was more of a paste, but I used it anyway. I fried them in lard in my non-stick skillet and I thought that they turned out great, not pretty, but they were crispy and tasted great with maple syrup. I may increase the water just a little next time.
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Hilda Rodgerson December 1, 2015 at 11:40 pm
Those look really good! My daughter has been reading the little house books and would probably love to try these out! Maybe I’ll make them with her during the Christmas holidays. Thanks for sharing!
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Annette Whippleon December 2, 2015 at 1:38 pm
Christmas vacation is the perfect time to enjoy some Little House activities. It’s even when I taught my then-6-year-old to sew by hand.
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Lynnon December 1, 2015 at 9:45 pm
Yummy. My grandma made johnny cakes when I was a kid.
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Annette Whippleon December 2, 2015 at 1:37 pm
What did she serve with them? Did you like them?
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Marge Davis (@Marjee123)on February 11, 2017 at 9:33 pm
I like the Johnny Cakes with pinto beans I scoop the beans up in the johnny cake and dip it in the pot liquor delicious.
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Ally | The Speckled Goaton December 1, 2015 at 4:00 pm
AH! I love it! Pinning this for later- so much fun!
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Annette Whippleon December 2, 2015 at 1:36 pm
I hope you enjoy!
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Jeannie @ For what it's worthon December 1, 2015 at 2:46 pm
I’ve heard of Johnny cakes but did not realize they were a pancake thingy.
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Annette Whippleon December 2, 2015 at 1:36 pm
They at least look like pancakes! Johnny-cakes definitely need something wet to moisten them though. 🙂
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FAQs
What is the difference between cornbread and johnny cake? ›
A Johnny cake recipe makes a thinner batter that is fried into rounds, essentially making cornmeal pancakes. Cornbread is made with baking soda or baking powder to give it a bread-like lift and texture and is oven-baked in a baking dish and cut into squares for serving.
What's the difference between a pancake and a Johnny Cake? ›In terms of ingredients, pancakes typically contain flour and sugar, resulting in a light and fluffy texture with a slightly sweet flavor. Johnny cakes, on the other hand, are made from cornmeal and water, giving them a hearty texture and a distinct corn flavor.
What is Johnny Cake made of? ›A modern johnnycake is fried cornmeal gruel, which is made from yellow or white cornmeal mixed with salt and hot water or milk, and sometimes sweetened. In the Southern United States, the term used is hoecake, although this can also refer to cornbread fried in a pan.
Why is it called a Johnny cake? ›The settlers took it all over the islands of the Caribbean, and after several linguistic and cultural modifications, it became also just as well-known under the name of Johnny cake. Historians also believe that “janiken”, a Native American word meaning “corn bread” could also be at the root of this cake.
Why are my Johnny Cakes hard? ›Flour can toughen the Johnny Cake. Your goal is to get the dough to completely come together without adding too much flour to make the Johnny Cakes tough. You want a light and fluffy outcome.
What is another name for johnnycake? ›Whether you know them as Johnny Cakes or Hoe Cakes, it seems as if everyone had a favorite recipe for these pan-fried corn cakes – General Washington even served them at Mount Vernon.
What is Elvis Presley cake? ›An Elvis Presley cake is a single-layer classic yellow cake that's topped with a pineapple glaze. Much like a poke cake, the syrup and juices of the pineapple will seep into the cake through fork holes, resulting in a decadent, ultra-moist cake.
What is a Tom Selleck cake? ›Tom Selleck – Sometimes Better Than Sex Cake or Robert Redford is a Midwest dessert that is a shortbread crust, chocolate pudding layer, and cream top.
What is the difference between ho cake and johnny cake? ›In the south, johnny cakes are also called hoe cakes. These flat, crispy-edged cornbread pancakes are super flavorful, and not too sweet. They go wonderfully with a generous drizzle of maple syrup, or you can serve them with something savory like a pot of greens or beans.
What is a Canadian style Johnny cake? ›Canadian style Johnny Cake is a cornmeal cake, typically served hot topped with maple syrup and butter. As this is a very lightly sweet cake, it is suitable plain as a side for chili, too!
What is a godfather cake? ›
A two-tier Godfather themed cake featuring all hand-modeled and edible elements from the classic movie. The cake is lemon chiffon with a delicious raspberry butter-cream filling, covered in dark chocolate ganache and LMM fondant.
Why are Johnny cakes popular in Rhode Island? ›"They were used for survival, but they have maintained their place in Rhode Island because they are delicious," says Ben Drumm, co-owner of Kenyon's Grist Mill in Usquepaug, Rhode Island.
How did the fox eat Johnny cake? ›How did the fox eat Johnny-cake? The fox asked him to come closer and then he snapped up the Johnny-cake in his sharp teeth.
What are some facts about Johnny cakes in the Bahamas? ›It's believed that Johnny Cake likely originated with native inhabitants of North America and found its way to The Bahamas during the era of the mid-Atlantic slave trade in the southern US. It was formerly known as “journey cake” since it traveled well over long distances and could be easily made on the road.
What is the difference between Johnny cake and festival? ›Festival (always in the singular) are defined by their long oval shape and crisp golden crust, while Johnny cakes are round and do not have the sweetness and crumbly texture of a festival.
What did cornbread used to be called? ›The name came from the Algonquin word apan, meaning "baked." The Narragansett word for cornbread, nokechick, became no-cake and then hoe-cake. Because cornbread traveled well, some began calling it journey cake, which evolved into the name Johnny cake. But whatever it was called, it was all cornbread.
Is corn cake the same as corn bread? ›Corn cake is way different in color and taste because I use very little corn meal so it is a not as grainy as the bread. I use both shortening and butter, heavy cream, lots of corn kernels and I bake it in a pan covered with aluminum foil on a bain marie.
What is the difference between New York cornbread and southern cornbread? ›While both styles generally use the same ingredients -- cornmeal, flour, eggs, and baking powder -- the variance lies in the flavor and texture. Northern-style cornbread tends to be sweeter, moister, and cake-like compared to its Southern counterpart.