Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

I love these! I had them once at the Cheesecake Factory and afterward found a copycat recipe online. The original recipe has you make tomato salsa (or pico de gallo) and salsa verde from scratch, but it's so much easier to just buy them at the store.

Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes
adapted from topsecretrecipes.com
Southwestern Sauce
1/2 cup mayo
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp water
3/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp onion powder
dash salt
dash garlic powder

Tamale Cakes
1 1/2 cups corn, sweet frozen
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 TBSP sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup corn flour
2 TBSP all-purpose flour

Pico de gallo (found in the produce section)
1 small can or jar of salsa verde

Garnish
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 avocado, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, fresh chopped


1. Prepare southwestern sauce by combining all ingredients is a small bowl. Cover and chill.

2. For the tamale cakes coarsely puree 1 cup of the frozen corn in a food processor. Combine pureed corn with softened butter, sugar and salt. Blend well with electric mixer until smooth. Add corn flour and flour and blend well. Mix in the remaining 1/2 cup of frozen corn by hand.

3. Measure 1/2 cup portions and form into 3-inch patties. Arrange patties on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cakes are browned on the bottom. Carefully flip cakes with a spatula and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until other side is browned.
4. While the cakes are baking, spoon some salsa verde onto a platter. Coat the plate with about 1/4 in of the salsa. When cakes are done, arrange them on the salsa verde. Spoon a dollop of sour cream onto each cake. Drizzle the southwestern sauce over the cakes. Spoon some pico de gallo over the cakes, followed by the chopped avocado. Finish off the plate by sprinkling the coarsely chopped cilantro leaves over the top.
Makes 4 cakes.