Name: Sweet Cinnamon Tamal
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: Nonstick vegetable oil spray; 1 1/2 cups masa harina (masa flour), preferably Bob’s Red Mill; 1 tsp. baking powder; 1 tsp. kosher salt; 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, plus more for serving; 4 ears of corn, husked, kernels removed, or 4 cups frozen, thawed; 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature; 1/2 cup raw or demerara sugar; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; 1 cup crème fraîche; 2/3 cup crumbled queso fresco, plus more for serving

A rectangular slice of the tamale pudding on a multicolored ceramic plate topped with a dollop of crème fraîche.

Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich

Tamales are traditionally wrapped in individual corn husks and steamed, but baking a single large-format tamal in a foil-covered pan set in a roasting pan of hot water produces a similarly tender texture. The result is a moist, barely sweet cake with pudding vibes. We used Bob’s Red Mill masa harina for this tamal recipe—it has a more pronounced corn flavor than other brands.

Recipe notes

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