The sour cream in the one I proposed makes it moist every time. Using the Jiffy mix makes it fast and easy too.
Some people actually like their CB dry and crumbly? WTF...
The one my wife disliked used a cultured buttermilk. It was too doughy and tangy for her. She loved it, though, when I made Hoe Cakes with it. I liked it both ways.
Since starting this thread I've learned that 100% cornmeal can result in dry crumbly cornbread. There's no gluten to hold the structure together. But, like you said, Bill, some folks like it that way.
Using too little AP flour can have the same dry/crumbly effect. Also, using too much fat can have the same impact as 100% cornmeal. In a cornbread recipe with AP flour, too much fat prevents gluten structure. Same thing happens in bread baking.
I have cornbread recipes now that use either milk, buttermilk, cultured buttermilk, sour cream, or a combination, as the dairy product. One day when I'm bored, I'll make a mini-loaf recipe of each one to find one that works for me AND my wife.
BTW, each week I bake a flavorful whole wheat bread that uses a combination of whole wheat, whole oats, flax seeds, bread and AP flours. When the current loaf is gone, I may adjust the recipe to include a corn flour just to see how it contributes to the flavor. It never crossed my mind to do so until I started this thread.
Time for more Hoe Cakes!
Ray