Why This Recipe Works

When made in Venezuela with indigenous corn, cachapas comprise little more than corn, salt, and butter. We needed to adapt the recipe to work with American corn varieties. We made ours with modest amounts of masarepa, egg, and Mexican crema to create structurally sound cakes that hewed closely to the flavor and texture of those made in Venezuela. Cooking the cakes in butter until they were deeply browned yielded lightly crisp cakes that paired beautifully with thick slices of queso de mano, a fresh cow's-milk cheese. Once the corn cakes and cheese were married, a brief stint in a warm oven encouraged the cheese to relax and become pliable. Our recipe works well with fresh mozzarella as a cheese substitute and can be made with frozen (thawed) or even canned corn to allow enjoying cachapas year-round.

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Before You Begin

Frozen (thawed) or—in a pinch—drained canned corn will also work in this recipe. Masarepa is instant corn flour; common brands include P.A.N., Goya, and Areparina. Queso de mano is a mild Venezuelan cheese sold in large disks. Depending on the brand of cheese you use, you might have to piece scraps together to create all 4 discs of cheese. If queso de mano is unavailable, one 8-ounce ball of fresh mozzarella can be used instead. Slice the mozzarella into six ½-inch-thick slices, leaving four slices whole and cutting two in half; use one whole plus one half-slice per cachapa. In step 4, warm the cachapas for 5 to 7 minutes.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Using 3½-inch round cutter, cut queso de mano into 4 rounds; set aside. (Save cheese scraps for dishes such as omelets, nachos, tacos, or burritos.)

Process 2¼ cups corn, masarepa, crema, egg, sugar, and salt in blender on medium speed until thick batter forms, 20 to 30 seconds. Add remaining ¾ cup corn and pulse until kernels are evenly incorporated, about 3 pulses. Transfer batter to bowl and let rest for 10 minutes.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over low heat. Using ¼-cup dry measuring cup, portion batter into skillet in 4 places, leaving about ½ inch between portions. Gently spread batter into 4-inch rounds. Increase heat to medium and cook until corn cakes smell of caramelized sugar and bottom sides are well browned, 4 to 5 minutes (if cachapas are not well browned, increase heat slightly and continue to cook until well browned before flipping). Using thin, wide spatula, flip corn cakes and continue to cook until second sides are well browned, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer corn cakes to prepared sheet and place in oven. Wipe out skillet with paper towel and repeat with second tablespoon of butter and remaining batter.

Top half of corn cakes with 1 piece of cheese each; place remaining corn cakes on top of cheese. Return cachapas to oven and bake until cheese is warm and soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Top each cachapa with 1 teaspoon butter and serve immediately.