Madeleines (French Shell-Shaped Butter Cakes)
In short: Small, soft lemon-scented sponge cakes baked in a shell-shaped mold, with crisp golden edges and the signature domed hump. It takes about 32 min in total and makes 12 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Resting
- 2 h
- Total
- 32 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 140 kcal
Madeleines are small shell-shaped sponge cakes from Lorraine, now found in every French bakery and café. The batter is a simple mix of eggs, sugar, flour and melted butter, scented with lemon zest and a spoonful of honey. Chilling the batter before baking helps the characteristic hump rise in the center. Madeleines are best eaten warm from the oven, on the day they are baked, with tea or coffee.
Instructions
- Whisk the eggs, sugar, honey, lemon zest and salt in a bowl for 3 minutes until pale and thick enough to leave a ribbon trail.
- Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold gently. Fold in the cooled melted butter until the batter is smooth.
- Cover and chill the batter for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Brush a 12-hole madeleine pan generously with melted butter, dust with flour and tap out the excess. Chill the pan for 10 minutes.
- Spoon the cold batter into the molds, filling them about three-quarters full. Do not spread it out.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers have formed a hump. Tip the madeleines out of the pan right away.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.
Tips
- A cold batter hitting a hot oven creates the hump. Chill the batter and the filled pan if your kitchen is warm.
- Add 1 teaspoon of orange blossom water or vanilla to the batter, or dip the cooled shells in melted dark chocolate.
Questions and answers
Why did my madeleines not get a hump?
The batter was not cold enough or the oven was too cool. Chill the batter for at least 2 hours and bake at 200°C (400°F) straight away.
Can I make madeleine batter ahead of time?
Yes. The batter keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days, and many bakers find it bakes better after resting overnight.
Do I need a madeleine pan?
A shell-shaped pan gives the classic form. In a mini muffin tin you will get tasty little cakes, but without the shell pattern or the hump.
How long does it take to make Madeleines (French Shell-Shaped Butter Cakes)?
About 32 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 12 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Madeleines (French Shell-Shaped Butter Cakes)?
About 140 kcal per serving, with 2 g of protein, 16 g of carbohydrates and 8 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 140 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 16 g |
| Fat | 8 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Sodium | 90 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
