In Mexico, elote means fresh corn on the cob (the same ear sold on a stick as Mexican street corn), and pan de elote (pahn deh eh-LOH-teh) is what happens when those kernels go into a blender with a can of sweetened condensed milk, eggs and butter, then into the oven. It is a dessert, sold as pan, pastel or panqué de elote, and nothing like the savory cornbread served with chili. The crumb is dense, moist and sweet, closer to a custardy cake than to bread. Below are the weights, what to do with frozen or canned corn, how to tell when the center is done, and a stovetop method for kitchens without an oven.
What is pan de elote, and how do you make it?
How do you make pan de elote? Blend 500 g (3½ cups) of corn kernels with a can of sweetened condensed milk, 4 eggs, 100 g (7 tbsp) of melted butter and vanilla, then fold in 125 g (1 cup) of flour, 2 tsp of baking powder and salt by hand. Bake in a 9-inch (23 cm) pan at 350°F (180°C) for 45 to 55 minutes, until the center reaches 205°F (96°C), then cool 30 minutes in the pan. Ready in 100 minutes for 10 servings.
The whole method is a blender and a bowl. The condensed milk does three jobs at once: it sweetens, it keeps the crumb moist, and its milk sugars brown the top and edges. The flour turns what would otherwise be a corn custard into something you can slice, and a little baking powder gives it lift.
How it compares with cornbread and Venezuelan corn cake
American cornbread is a different thing: dry cornmeal, wheat flour, little sugar, baking powder and baking soda, baked hot and fast (400°F / 200°C for 20-25 minutes in a classic version) and served savory. Pan de elote uses fresh kernels, no cornmeal, and a full can of condensed milk, so it eats as dessert. My Venezuelan corn cake, torta de jojoto, sits on the other side: 600 g of kernels, ordinary sugar, only 60 g (½ cup) of flour and no leavening at all, pulled at 176°F (80°C) so it slices like a firm pudding.
Is it worth making?
Yes, especially in late summer when corn is cheap. It takes 20 minutes of actual work, there’s no creaming butter or whipping whites, and the cake is better the next day.
It’s a good fit for a weekend breakfast with coffee, a potluck (it travels in the pan) or anyone who has a few ears of corn left over. It’s not the right bake if you want a tall, fluffy sponge, because pan de elote is low and dense on purpose, or if you’re cutting back on sugar: each slice carries about 24 g. There’s no heat at all, and my son Dylan eats it cold from the fridge.
Ingredients, with US and UK swaps
The full list is in the recipe card: 500 g (3½ cups) corn, one can of condensed milk, 4 eggs, 100 g (7 tbsp) butter, 125 g (1 cup) flour and 2 tsp baking powder for a 9-inch (23 cm) pan and 10 slices. Weighing the corn matters more than anything else here.
Fresh, frozen or canned corn
Fresh corn gives the best flavor. A large ear gives about 143 g (5 oz) of kernels, so you need 4 ears. Yellow sweet corn has 6.26 g of sugar per 100 g and the white corn sold in Mexican groceries 3.22 g, but in a cake where the condensed milk supplies 210 of the 243 g of sugar, that difference barely registers. Fresh Mexican corn is starchier and drier than US sweet corn, and some cooks add a little cornmeal to compensate; with a full cup of flour I don’t find I need it.
Frozen corn is what I use out of season. It’s about 75 percent water on paper, nearly the same as fresh, but it releases that water as it thaws. Thaw it in a sieve, let it drain 10 minutes and pat it dry before weighing. Skip that and the middle turns gummy.
Canned corn works with two changes. Drained, it’s 81 percent water and carries 205 mg of sodium per 100 g, so rinse it, dry it well and leave out the salt. Unrinsed, each slice goes from 208 to about 300 mg of sodium. Creamed corn is not a substitute: it has added starch and sugar.
How much corn per can, and why
Common versions range from 250 g (1½ cups) of kernels per can to roughly 870 g (6 cups) (with extra flour and evaporated milk). I settled on 500 g with 1 cup of flour: the cake tastes clearly of corn, sets in about 50 minutes and slices cleanly. Push the corn higher without more flour and the center stays pudding-wet.
The pan, and baking without a blender
A 9-inch (23 cm) round and an 8-inch (20 cm) square have nearly the same surface area and bake in the same time. A 10 x 4½-inch (25 x 11 cm) loaf pan gives a deeper layer and needs 10-15 minutes more. In glass, I drop the oven to 340°F (170°C) because glass browns the edges faster. A food processor does the blender’s job; grating the ears on a coarse grater also works and gives a rougher crumb.
Step by step, and how to tell it’s done
The recipe card has the steps. Two of them decide whether the cake works.
Blend the corn completely, fold the flour gently. Whole kernels leave wet pockets; a vigorous whisk after the flour goes in makes the crumb rubbery. Blender for the corn, hand whisk for the flour, and stop when it’s just smooth.
Don’t wait for a dry toothpick. Corn and condensed milk always leave some moisture, so a toothpick that comes out perfectly dry means the cake is already overbaked at the edges. You’re looking for moist crumbs, no wet batter.
An instant-read thermometer settles it. Cakes are done at 205-210°F (96-99°C) in the center and quick breads at 210°F (99°C); I take pan de elote out as soon as it passes 205°F. The safe minimum for egg dishes is 160°F (71°C), so anything below that is not even halfway. The 30-minute rest in the pan lets it firm up before you turn it out.
Who this recipe is for
- First-time bakers → there’s no creaming or whipping, and a thermometer removes the guesswork.
- Short on time → frozen kernels skip the 10 minutes of cutting corn off the cob.
- Baking for a crowd → double it in a 9 x 13-inch pan (see below).
- No oven → the stovetop water-bath method further down works in a big covered pot.
Why pan de elote sinks or stays raw in the middle
A 3-5 mm (⅛-¼ inch) dip as it cools is normal. The cake comes out fluffy and loses some volume as it cools.
It sinks a lot when
- there’s too much baking powder → it rises like a soufflé and collapses. Two teaspoons is enough.
- the door opened before minute 35 → the still-liquid center drops.
- it came out underbaked → check for 205°F (96°C).
The center stays wet or gummy when
- frozen or canned corn wasn’t dried → extra water, longer bake, damp middle.
- whole kernels were left in the batter → they weep as they bake.
- the oven runs hot → at 400°F (200°C) the edges brown long before the center sets.
- the pan is deeper than about 1½ inches (4 cm) of batter → add 10-15 minutes.
Rescue. If the center is still liquid at 55 minutes, cover with foil and give it 10 more minutes, then check the temperature again.
Allergens. Egg (4 eggs), milk (condensed milk and butter) and wheat gluten. For a gluten-free cake, see the versions below, and check that your baking powder is certified gluten-free.
Make ahead, timeline and baking for a crowd
Make ahead. Cut the kernels the day before and keep them covered in the fridge, or bake the whole cake a day ahead: it slices more neatly cold. Don’t leave the mixed batter sitting, because the baking powder starts working as soon as it gets wet.
For 4-6 people → half the recipe (250 g / 1¾ cups corn, half a can, about 195 g, 2 eggs, 50 g / 3½ tbsp butter, 60 g / ½ cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder) in an 8 x 4-inch (20 x 10 cm) loaf pan, which keeps the layer at almost the same depth: 45-55 minutes at 350°F (180°C).
For 20 people → double the recipe (1 kg / 7 cups corn, 2 cans, 8 eggs, 200 g / 14 tbsp butter, 250 g / 2 cups flour, 4 tsp baking powder) in a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) pan. The layer is slightly deeper; in my oven it takes 55-65 minutes, with foil over the top from minute 45. Check with a thermometer and cut into 20 squares. Blend in batches of one can at a time.
Versions worth making
- With cream cheese → blend 90 g (3 oz) of cream cheese into the batter. Creamier, about 346 kcal a slice.
- Without flour → some Mexican home versions use just corn, eggs, condensed milk, butter and baking powder at 350°F (180°C) for 45 minutes. It bakes into something closer to a corn flan, at about 269 kcal a slice for this recipe minus the flour.
- Gluten-free → swap the wheat flour for 1 cup of rice flour, which also gives a softer crumb. Baking time stays the same.
- Without condensed milk → use ⅔ cup of sugar, ¼ cup of milk and whipped egg whites. More work, lighter cake.
- No oven, on the stovetop → set the pan, covered with foil, on a rack inside a large pot with water halfway up the pan’s sides; cover the pot and cook over medium heat for 60 minutes. You need an 8-inch (20 cm) pan and a pot at least 10 inches (26 cm) wide. It comes out moister and pudding-like, with no golden crust. In a pressure cooker, give it 40 minutes from the moment it reaches pressure.
- Costa Rican style → the Costa Rican version adds evaporated and powdered milk and bakes at 350°F (180°C) for 45-55 minutes.
What it costs in the US
At US average prices, the whole cake comes to $5.91, about 59 cents a slice, and the can of condensed milk is the biggest line at 42 percent.
Eggs ($2.27 a dozen), butter ($4.02 a pound) and flour are US average prices for August 2026. The corn is the national advertised average for the week of October 9, 2026, 41 cents an ear, and the 14-oz can is Walmart’s Great Value at $2.47. Baking powder, vanilla and salt add a few cents and are left out.
Serving, storing and reheating
How it’s served. In slices, warm or cold, plain or dusted with powdered sugar. Some cooks pour a cold rompope (Mexican eggnog) sauce over it, others cajeta, goat’s milk caramel. I like it with a mug of café de olla or a cup of Mexican atole. If you have more corn than you need, esquites turn it into a savory snack in a cup, and if condensed milk desserts are your thing, the flan napolitano uses the same can.
Fridge. Safe handling for leftovers: no more than 2 hours at room temperature once cooled, then 3 to 4 days at 40°F (4°C) or below, covered. Some recipes leave it on the counter for a couple of days; I don’t, because it’s as moist as a custard.
Freezer. Wrap slices in plastic wrap and bag them. Frozen at 0°F (−18°C) it stays safe indefinitely; for quality, 3 months is what I go by. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheating. A slice takes 30-40 seconds in the microwave at medium power. For the whole cake, cover with foil and warm at 320°F (160°C) for 10-15 minutes. If you’re reheating it as a hot leftover, bring it to 165°F (74°C) in the center.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between pan de elote and cornbread? Cornbread is made with dry cornmeal, little sugar and is usually savory. Pan de elote uses fresh corn kernels blended with sweetened condensed milk and eggs, and it’s a dessert.
Is pan de elote the same as pastel de elote? Yes. In Mexico the same baked corn dessert goes by pan, pastel or panqué de elote.
Can I use frozen corn? Yes. Thaw, drain 10 minutes and pat dry before weighing. You don’t need extra sugar, because the condensed milk provides most of it.
Can I use canned corn? Yes, rinsed, dried and with the salt left out. The cake comes out a little softer and less corny than with fresh.
What temperature and how long? 350°F (180°C) for 45 to 55 minutes in a 9-inch (23 cm) pan, until a toothpick shows moist crumbs or the center reads 205-210°F (96-99°C). Then 30 minutes in the pan.
Why is my pan de elote wet in the middle? Undried frozen or canned corn, unblended kernels, a deeper pan or simply pulling it too early. Below 205°F (96°C) in the center it isn’t ready.
Can I make it without an oven? Yes. A pressure cooker takes about 40 minutes once it’s up to pressure; a plain covered pot with a rack and a water bath takes an hour over medium heat. Either way the cake comes out moister and pale.
How long does it keep? Covered in the fridge, 3 to 4 days. Frozen slices keep their quality for about 3 months.
Nutrition
Per slice (1/10 of the cake, about 130 g / 4.6 oz of raw batter), calculated ingredient by ingredient from the card amounts (raw yellow sweet corn, a 387 g can of sweetened condensed milk, whole eggs, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, baking powder, vanilla and salt):
- Calories: 315 kcal
- Protein: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fat: 14 g, of which 8 g saturated
- Fiber: 1 g
- Sugars: 24 g
- Sodium: 208 mg
Of the 24 g of sugar, 21 g come from the condensed milk and about 3 g from the corn. Butter supplies 23 percent of the calories, condensed milk 39 percent. The cream cheese version comes to about 346 kcal, the flourless one to about 269.
I grew up with Venezuelan torta de jojoto, so the first pan de elote I baked came out of the oven too early, wobbling like a custard, and cracked when I turned it out. The condensed milk and baking powder make this a real cake, and a cake wants a few moist crumbs on the toothpick, not a trembling middle. Now I bake it with fresh corn from the market in Colombia when I can, and with well-dried frozen kernels when I can’t. Josnaisis.