These cakes are a quick bread because they use baking powder instead of yeast, which gives them a denser but still tender texture. Warm coconut milk helps activate the fat and baking powder and makes the dough more pliable.
Be gentle when working the dough – do not overwork it, otherwise the Johnny Cakes will be tough. The texture should resemble biscuit dough.
Preheat the oven to 205 °C (400 °F).
In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Add the shortening or butter cut into small pieces. Use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to rub the fat into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces are formed.
Gradually add the warm coconut milk to the flour mixture. Work it with your hands (or a mixer with a hook attachment) only until the dough comes together and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too dry, add a little more milk.
The dough should be soft and pliable, but not sticky. Do not knead for too long, otherwise the cakes will be tough.
Divide the dough into 12-14 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Gently flatten the balls with the palm of your hand into discs about 1-1.5 cm thick. Prick the top of each cake several times with a fork (this prevents them from inflating too much).
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the Johnny Cakes are golden brown on top and cooked through.
Serve immediately while they are still hot. They are traditionally sliced open and filled with butter, cheese, refried beans, or the popular Belizean Stew Chicken.