French Cooking Academy

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Madeleines

The most famous little cake in France.

I’ve never met a person who didn’t like Madeleines. Did you know that madeleines have been mass produced in France since the end of the 19th century and were at the height of popularity during the second world war. For the perfect looking madeleine cake you need to know a few secrets; use the right madeleine tin and a recipe that works. This madeleine recipe is for the plain variety but once you master the original you can add extra flavouring like lemon or orange zest, chocolate nuggets, jam and nuts. You can also experiment with the size of your madeleine cakes. Use your imagination and invent news ways to make your madeleine cakes even more delicious.

* We have made some slight adjustments to the recipe, specifically to the resting time and cooking time/temperature, to ensure better results.

Ingredients

  • 100 g (3.5 oz) plain flour

  • 3 g (half a teaspoon) baking powder

  • 100 g (3.5 oz) of butter

  • 1 squeeze of lemon juice

  • 2 whole eggs

  • 100 g (3.5 oz) of caster sugar

  • 20 g (0.7 oz) of honey

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Note for oven use: This recipe was developed using a fan-forced (convection) oven. If you are using a conventional oven, increase the temperature by 20°C (36°F) for optimal results.

procedure

  1. Break the eggs in a large bowl. Pour in the sugar and whisk slowly for 1 minute.

  2. Add the honey and continue to whisk for a further 3 minutes (until the mix becomes white and foamy).

  3. Now melt the butter in a small saucepan on a medium heat. When the butter has melted add a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the butter to cool.

  4. Sift the flour and baking powder into your bowl over the egg and sugar mixture and whisk gently until the flour is fully incorporated.

  5. Pour in the melted butter and whisk again until you have a smooth batter.

  6. Leave the batter to rest for at least 2 hours in the fridge*.

  7. Coat your madeleine pan with melted butter and add a generous spoon of batter to each mold. Leave a little space free to allow each madeleine to grow when baked.

  8. *Cook the madeleines for a total of 8–9 minutes, starting at 200°C (392°F) for the first 3 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 180°C (356°F) and bake for an additional 5–6 minutes.

  9. Remove the madeleines from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes. Remove from the mold and enjoy while still warm.

* We have made some slight adjustments to the recipe, specifically to the resting time and cooking time/temperature, to ensure better results.