What (or who) is Johnny Cake?

Johnny Cake (or Johnnycake) is flat cornmeal bread. It was not named after any particular “Johnny.” In fact, it was not named after anyone at all. The original name was Journey Cake, but over time the name morphed into Johnny Cake. Slaves sometimes called this dish Hoe Cake because they would cook it over a fire on the back of a hoe when no kitchen utensils were available.

There are all kinds of variations of Johnny Cake. It can be cooked on a skillet, fried in bacon drippings, or baked in an oven or Dutch oven. Some variations may include eggs or leavening, but the pioneers likely kept their recipe pretty simple when travelling. Johnny Cake makes a good breakfast, and extra cakes could be cooked in the morning and saved for later in the day.

Johnny Cake is tasty with honey, sugar, syrup, or dipped in warm milk. It makes a great side dish for beans or soup, and has sometimes been used as a substitute for hash-browned potatoes.

Here’s a basic Johnny Cake recipe:

1 cup cornmeal

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar

1 ¼ cup boiling water

Combine dry ingredients. Pour boiling water over mixture and mix well. If necessary, add milk until batter is the consistency of mashed potatoes. Drop by spoonfuls onto a hot griddle or frying pan that has been greased with butter or bacon drippings. Cook five minutes, flip over, and cook five minutes more.

Do you have a favorite pioneer recipe? Share it with us! We’d also love to see your pictures of youth cooking (and eating!) pioneer recipes.