There is a vocal group of people who feel that there shouldn’t be any sweetener in cornbread. Well, I feel that way when someone hands me a sweetened glass of iced tea, when I see bagels with dried fruit in them, or when I see a Caesar salad with fried chicken or shrimp on it. As I get older, I say: to each their own. (And since few people call it “Banana cake,” in favor of “banana bread,”
I rest my case.) If you don’t like it, just leave it out.
But since we’re on our high-horse, if you can get it, stone-ground cornmeal makes much better cornbread. You can find it in natural food stores and
online. However regular cornmeal will be fine. (In France, it’s available in markets that specialize in Indian, Sri Lankan and Middle Eastern foods. You can also use instant or regular polenta that’s not too coarse.) In the UK, cornflour is cornstarch (very finely powdered corn) and should not be used.
Buttermilk give the cornbread a nice, light texture. You can make your own by measuring out 1 cup (250ml) of milk minus 1 tablespoon, then adding a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar (white or cider), and letting it sit for 10 minutes, until it looks lumpy and curdles a bit.