“I had marked this recipe to bake for many years because it seemed like such an unusual cross between gingerbread and cornbread. It’s proof of how a creative cook can transform cornmeal into something soft and ethereal with just ginger and molasses. And a good bit of know-how too.” –Anne Byrn

Serves 9–12. Excerpted from Baking in the American South: 200 Recipes and Their Untold Stories by Anne Byrn. Copyright © 2024 by Anne Byrn. Photographs © 2024 by Rinne Allen. Used by permission of Harper Celebrate.

1. Heat oven to 400F, with a rack in the middle. Pour oil in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and place in oven while it heats.

2. Whisk together cornmeal, flour, ginger, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

3. Place butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Add molasses and egg and beat until just combined. Alternately add cornmeal mixture and ⅔ cup hot water to butter mixture, beginning and ending with the cornmeal mixture. The batter should be runny; if it’s not, add a little of the remaining water. Carefully pull the hot skillet from oven and pour in the batter.

4. Bake until the top of the cornbread springs back when lightly pressed in the center, 25–30 minutes. Let it cool in pan for 30 minutes before serving. (This helps the cornbread hold its shape.)