So you want to make a good old fashioned "cake" of corn bread. Well bless your heart. Here is a wonderful instructable to help you out.

Step 1: Gather Up Your Stuff

What you will need:

Your cast iron skillet
a mixing bowl
a measuring cup
and stirring utensil.
I, of course, use my ever present wood spoon

What you need to mix up:

White Lily Corn Meal mix, on most things, I am not brand specific but with corn meal I am.
Milk
Vegetable Oil
1 Egg

Step 2: Preheat the Oven AND the Pan

Set your oven to 425 degrees. Allow your oven to preheat. Here is something you don't do with most things you bake, preheat your pan. Just set it in the oven and once the oven is preheated the pan will be also.

Step 3: Mix the Ingredients

While your pan is preheating mix together your ingredients.
You will add the following:

2 cups of corn meal
1 and 1/2 cups of milk
1/4 cup of oil
1 egg and mix well

Step 4: Pouring It Up

Your oven is hot, your pan is hot.... 425 degrees hot to be exact. Don't make the mistake of grabbing the handle without a towel or pot holder (don't ask me how I know this).

Once you have successfully retrieved your pan, pour the mixture into it,

Here is the secret to the whole thing, read closely, when you pour the mixture into the pan, you should hear it sizzle. If you hear that sizzle, you can bet there is a perfect crust on the bottom of the cornbread,

Step 5: Timing Is Everything

I have made more than one of these in my lifetime so I know with my oven about how long to bake the cornbread. The recipe suggest 25 to 30 minutes. For where I live and my oven setting it takes about 27 minutes. So I set my timer accordingly. Usually a couple minutes before it goes off, I will turn the oven off and just let it set the other two minutes. Also the aroma will alert you when it is about time.

Step 6: And You're Finished....

So.....if you did it right, your cornbread is done and a golden brown masterpiece.

Dump it out of the pan and onto the plate immediately. If you let it set in the pan for too long, it might stick. It should slide right out of the pan. Here is another secret, make your cornbread pan just that, your cornbread pan. Don't cook anything else in it. Once you have finished, don't wash they pan. Close your mouth, here is why, cast iron seasons with use, when you wash it with dish soap, you wash off the seasoning. Just wipe it out with paper towels. It won't hurt you just to wipe it out.

Put your pan away and enjoy cornbread with some butter, as part of your meal or as your entire meal if you like cornbread and milk.

Hope this helps, try it and let me know what you think.