This cake originates with the Shawnees, who would cook a corn patty on a hot stone, that they would then take with them on day-long expeditions. Upon meeting them, European settlers noticed that this snack could keep for several days and was easily enough to feed a man on long journeys. They added wheat flour to it, to form a sort of bread.
Journey cake or Johnny cake
That’s how it became known as the journey cake, the snack to take with you on an adventure. It then became the symbol of cakes to take on journeys because it could be transported in bags on long adventures or even cooked on the way. It didn’t dry up or get broken in the bottom of the bags. It was made using very simple ingredients that were easy to find. Journey cake then quite naturally became the snack to take with you to work, school, etc. The name of this iconic cake is a perfect representation of our culture.
The settlers took it all over the islands of the Caribbean, and after several linguistic and cultural modifications, it became also just as well-known under the name of Johnny cake. Historians also believe that “janiken”, a Native American word meaning “corn bread” could also be at the root of this cake.
Easy recipe
Journey cake can be eaten hot or cold – it can be a delicious accompaniment to hot dishes. This tasty, golden bread is a great source of energy, thanks to the carbohydrate content.
What are the ingredients to make journey cake?
To make a dozen bread rolls, you will need the following:
- 300 grams of wheat flour,
- 1 teaspoon of yeast/raising agent,
- 1 large spoon of sugar,
- 2 large spoons of butter,
- A pinch of salt and some water to moisten the dough.
How to make journey cake?
To start, you need to sift the flour, raising agent, sugar and salt and then mix the melted butter in.
Mix it all in by hand and add some water to achieve the right consistency of the dough. It needs to be neither too sticky, nor too dry.
Then, shape the dough into a ball to be able to roll it out and then form a dozen smaller balls. Then flatten them slightly, like small loaves of bread.
Finally, fry them on both sides, in a big frying pan with some oil. Soak up the oil using paper towels.
All that’s left to do is taste this traditional recipe from St. Martin!
