Description
Golden, buttery French sponge cakes with a hint of lemon and a delicate shell shape—Madeleines are crisp on the outside, fluffy inside, and absolutely irresistible fresh from the oven.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup caster sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (or neutral oil)
- 3 tbsp milk (whole or low-fat)
- 2 tsp honey (or maple syrup)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 135g (9.5 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and warm
- Canola oil spray (or neutral oil, for greasing)
- Icing sugar (optional, for dusting)
Instructions
- Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar vigorously for 2 minutes until the mixture becomes pale and foamy.
- Add the flour mixture in three parts, whisking slowly between each addition until just combined.
- Add salt, vegetable oil, milk, honey, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Mix until smooth and well incorporated.
- Pour in the melted butter and gently fold with a spatula until the batter is fully combined and smooth. The batter should be thin and fall in a ribbon-like consistency.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the batter to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan) for at least 30 minutes before baking.
- Transfer the chilled batter to a piping bag fitted with a 0.7–1.2 cm round tip (or snip the end of a plastic bag).
- Lightly grease the madeleine pan with canola oil spray. Pipe batter into each mold, filling nearly to the top.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the madeleines are light golden and have formed their signature hump.
- Unmold immediately, dust with icing sugar if desired, and serve warm. Best enjoyed fresh from the oven.
Notes
- Chilling the batter is essential for the signature hump and fluffy texture.
- Do not overmix the batter after adding flour to keep the cakes light and airy.
- Use room-temperature eggs for better volume when whisking with sugar.
- Madeleines are best enjoyed the same day but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 madeleine
- Calories: 115
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
