Preheat your oven to 375°F. Coat a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan with cooking spray and set it aside. Combine 1/4 cup unsalted butter and 1/4 cup honey in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second increments, stirring between each session, until the butter is fully melted. Pour this honey butter mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Wearing gloves, arrange the de-seeded and sliced jalapeños in a single layer over the honey butter. Set the pan aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and coarse kosher salt. This forms the base of your cornbread batter.

Melt the remaining 1/4 cup unsalted butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, the melted butter from this step, lightly beaten eggs, and the remaining 1/4 cup honey. I like to whisk the eggs first to ensure they are fully incorporated into the wet mixture.

Pour the wet mixture from Step 3 into the dry mixture from Step 2. Stir gently until just combined—avoid overmixing to keep the cornbread tender. Then, fold in the corn kernels. For an added burst of sweetness and texture, I always make sure the corn is evenly distributed before pouring the batter.

Carefully pour the prepared batter from Step 4 over the jalapeños and honey butter base in your pan from Step 1. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly and tap the pan several times on the counter to release air bubbles. Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow the cornbread to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then, top the pan with a plate or serving platter and carefully (and quickly) invert the cornbread to flip it out of the pan so the jalapeño-honey glaze is on top. Slice and serve while warm. I like to serve this with an extra drizzle of honey for a bit more sweetness!