Madeleines

 

 

 

 

 

 

Madeleines are small sponge cakes with a shell-like shape which originated from the northeastern region of France. It is made from a genoise batter and gets most of its leavening from air which is suspended in the batter through the process of mixing. It tastes similar to a sponge cake but has a lighter texture. Below, I will be showing you how to make these petite cakes and how you can modify the batter to make various flavors. The base recipe I would be modifying is that by Stephanie Jaworski. I will also be sharing some of my recipes on how to achieve other flavors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

For Vanilla Lemon Flavored Madeleines:

Makes 24 petite cakes.

(1) 113 Grams Unsalted Butter (1/2 Cup) (Melted)

(2) 125 Grams Granulated White Sugar (1/2 Cup + 2 Tablespoons)

(3) 3 Large Eggs

(4) 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

(5) The Zest of 1 Lemon

(6) 130 Grams All Purpose Flour (1 Cup)

(7) 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

(8) 1/4 Teaspoon Salt (Omit salt if using salted butter)

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES:

(1) Traditionally, madeleines are baked in a special mold which gives it its shell shape. In the absence of this type of molds, you can bake them in cupcake pans or small cake pans. They will still taste as great.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROCEDURE:

(1) Melt the butter and keep it warm.

(2) In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together. Set it aside.

(3) In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs and sugar at high speed until a thick and pale batter forms. This takes about 5 to 8 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: Egg whites are very fussy. They wont whisk well if the mixing bowl is greasy or dirty. Ensure that your mixing bowl is clean, dry and free from grease.

(4) Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest to the batter and whisk to incorporate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(5) Take the mixing bowl off the mixer and fold in the flour mixture in 2 additions using a rubber spatula. Be careful not to over mix the batter or it will deflate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(6) Take a couple tablespoons of the batter and add to the melted butter. Mix the two together. This will make the butter lighter and prevent it from sinking to the bottom of the batter when added.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7) Pour the butter mixture into the main batter and fold until incorporated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(8) Pour the batter into a bowl, cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This will help wit the structure of the cakes during baking. The hallmark of a perfect madeleine is the hump which it has on top. Chilling the batter before baking will help you achieve this hump. This batter can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept in the fridge.

(9) Prepare the pan. To prevent the madeleines from sticking to the pan, grease the pan with some melted butter. Coat the greased pan with flour. Tap out the excess flour from the pans and refrigerate it for 10 minutes before using. If your pan is nonstick, you might not need to go through this process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(10) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

(11) Scoop heap tablespoons of batter into the center of each mold. You can use an ice cream scoop for more precision.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(12) Bake the madeleines in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and they spring back when lightly touched. Do not over bake them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(13) Tap the pan immediately over some paper towel to release the madeleines. They are best served warm with a cup of your favorite hot beverage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BONUS RECIPES:

(1) Chocolate Madeleines

Use the recipe above omitting the lemon zest. Add 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of cocoa powder to the flour when whisking it with the salt and baking powder. You can add a couple tablespoons of chocolate chips to the batter.

(2) Red Velvet Madeleines

Use the recipe above omitting the lemon zest. Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the flour. Add 2 tablespoons of red food color to the batter along with the vanilla extract.

(3) Raspberry Madeleines 

Use the recipe above. Add some raspberry flavor to the batter along with the vanilla extract. The concentrated oils work better than the extracts. You can add a dash of pink food color to make them pink. The same recipe can be used to make madeleines of various berry flavors. Simply use the flavor you want to reproduce.

(4) Spicy Madeleines

Use the recipe above. Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves to the flour.

Happy baking.