Savannah Hoe Cakes Recipes

HOECAKES (FRIED CORNBREAD)

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. Add the buttermilk slowly. Mix in the egg, cutting into the yolk with the spoon's edge to help it mix in better. Add the water and fat or oil and stir well. The texture should be like thick soup, so you may need to add more water.
• I like to fry the cornbread cakes in my grandmother's castiron skillet or on a flat iron griddle, but any skillet or griddle will be fine. Heat the skillet or griddle over medium heat and grease it well with the fat of your choice (butter is delicious, but it tends to burn unless you mix it with a little oil). Once the skillet is hot and the fat is sizzling, drop the batter from a 1⁄8-cup (2-tablespoon) measure into the skillet, in batches if necessary.
• Fry the cakes until the edges are bubbling and the centers are set, then flip with a spatula to fry them on the other side until they're done. Like with pancakes, you can't say how long it will take, but the second side always cooks faster than the first. If the cakes seem greasy, drain them on paper towels before serving hot.

HOE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a well-seasoned cast iron skillet with the shortening, and place it in the oven as it heats.
• Whisk together the flour and milk in a bowl, to make a thick but still runny batter.
• Remove the hot greased skillet from the preheated oven, and quickly sprinkle a pinch of garlic salt over the bottom of the skillet. Immediately pour in the batter, and sprinkle the top with a pinch of garlic salt.
• Return the skillet to the oven, and bake in the preheated oven until the cake has risen and the top is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

SAVANNAH'S PERFECTLY RAVISHING RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 9-inch cake pans.
• Pour red food coloring into a small bowl, and mix with cocoa powder to make a paste. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup of butter, sugar, and eggs with an electric mixer until smooth and thoroughly combined; mix in the red color mixture, salt and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Gradually mix in the buttermilk, alternating with flour, until the batter is smooth. Mix the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl, and stir into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing cakes to finish cooling on racks.
• In a bowl, mash cream cheese with 1/2 cup softened butter and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract until smooth and creamy; stir in the confectioners' sugar, about half a cup at a time, until the frosting is thick and spreadable. Frost fully-cooled layers.

HOECAKES

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together except for the frying oil in a bowl until well combined. Heat the frying oil or butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop the batter into the hot skillet. Use about 2 tablespoons of batter per hoecake. Fry each hoecake until brown and crisp; turn each hoecake with a spatula, and then brown the other side. With a slotted spoon, remove each hoecake to drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Makes about 16 hoecakes.
• Chef's Note: Leftover batter will keep in refrigerator for up to 2 days.

SOUTHERN HOE CAKES

Steps:

• Mix meal and salt into a bowl.
• Add boiling water.
• Stir with spoon and mix well.
• Will form a stiff batter or dough.
• Drop rounded large spoonfuls (tbsp) into hot greased pan.
• Flatten into flat 1/4 inch thick circles.
• Cook until golden brown on each side, turning once, about 2 minutes per side.
• Strain on paper towel.
• Enjoy!