There are very few things I have made more times than this cornbread, and it has never once let me down. It's the kind of recipe that becomes muscle memory — you stop measuring eventually and just know. The cast iron gives it those dark, crackling edges that I think about during the week when I haven't made it in a while.
What you'll need
One cup of fine yellow cornmeal, one cup of all-purpose flour, a tablespoon of baking powder, half a teaspoon of salt, two tablespoons of sugar (don't skip this — it doesn't make it sweet, just balanced), two eggs, one cup of whole buttermilk, and a quarter cup of melted butter. For the pan: two tablespoons of butter, allowed to foam in the cast iron in a 425°F oven while you mix the batter.
The method
Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter in another. Pour the wet into the dry and stir until just combined — lumps are fine, overmixing is not. Pour the batter into the screaming-hot buttered skillet. It will sizzle magnificently. That sizzle is the sound of a perfect crust forming.
Bake for eighteen to twenty minutes until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean. Flip it out onto a board while still hot. For the honey butter: beat four tablespoons of softened butter with two tablespoons of good local honey and a pinch of flaky salt until fluffy and pale. Spread it on a warm wedge and try not to eat the whole thing before supper.