Madeleines — Shell Cakes
Experience the delicate, buttery flavor and iconic shell shape of classic French madeleines. A simple batter and a crucial resting period are all it takes to create these delightful tea cakes.
20 min active, minimal dishes
Madeleines — Shell Cakes
Experience the delicate, buttery flavor and iconic shell shape of classic French madeleines. A simple batter and a crucial resting period are all it takes to create these delightful tea cakes.
20 min active, minimal dishes
Key move
Chill the batter for at least 1 hour to develop the signature hump and tender texture.
Cook mode keeps your place
Larger text, ingredients in reach, and saved step progress while you cook.
The Setup
- Madeleine Pan
- Mixing Bowlmedium
- Whisk
The Mise en Place
5 of 9Your prep station before cooking begins
The Dry Mix (0/6)
Madeleines are flat and don't have a hump.
The batter wasn't chilled long enough. Make sure to chill for at least 1 hour.
Madeleines are tough.
You may have overmixed the batter. Mix until just combined.
Chef's Notes
Chill the batter for at least 30 minutes to ensure a good dome shape and prevent spreading.
Butter and flour the madeleine pan thoroughly to prevent sticking and achieve crisp edges.
Serve warm with a dusting of powdered sugar or a side of fresh berries.
Madeleine batter can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. The flavor deepens over time.
The Method
WHISK
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder (½ tsp), and salt (¼ tsp).
Uneven rise: Failing to fully incorporate baking powder will result in uneven humps.
Dry ingredients are combined and free of lumps.
MELT
Prep aheadMelt the butter in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. Let it cool slightly.
Greasy batter: Adding hot butter can cause the emulsion to break, leading to oily cakes.
Butter is fully melted and has cooled slightly.
BEAT
In a large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs (2 large) together until pale and slightly thickened.
Under-mixing: If the mixture is not thick enough, the signature hump will not form.
Egg and sugar mixture is pale yellow and has increased in volume.
MIX
Add the vanilla extract (1 tsp) and lemon zest (1 tsp) to the egg mixture and mix well.
Bitter zest: Ensure you only grate the yellow zest and avoid the white pith.
Vanilla and lemon zest are evenly distributed in the egg mixture.
FOLD
Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Overmixing: Mixing too vigorously will deflate the batter and result in dense, tough cakes.
The batter is homogenous with no visible streaks of flour.
DRIZZLE
Slowly drizzle the melted butter into the batter, folding gently until fully incorporated.
Separation risk: Pouring butter too quickly can break the emulsion, resulting in a greasy batter.
Melted butter is fully incorporated into the batter.
COVER
Prep aheadCover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
Insufficient chilling: Skipping the chill time prevents the signature hump from forming.
Batter is covered and chilling in the refrigerator.
PREHEAT
Prep aheadPreheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease and flour a madeleine pan.
Sticking risk: Skipping the flour step will cause the delicate madeleines to stick to the pan.
Oven is preheated and madeleine pan is greased and floured.
SPOON
Spoon the batter into the prepared madeleine pan, filling each mold about 3/4 full.
Overfilling molds: Filling molds to the brim will cause the batter to overflow and ruin the signature shell shape.
Madeleine molds are filled evenly with batter.
BAKE
Time-sensitiveBake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the madeleines spring back lightly when touched.
Overbaking: Madeleines dry out very quickly once the edges are golden; watch closely in the final minutes.
Madeleines are golden brown and spring back when lightly touched.
COOL
Let the madeleines cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Breaking the shells: Removing from the pan while too hot may cause the delicate shell edges to tear.
Madeleines have cooled slightly in the pan and are ready to be transferred.
DUST
Dust with powdered sugar (¼ cups) before serving, if desired.
Uneven distribution: Tapping the sieve too hard creates clumps of sugar rather than a light, even layer.
Madeleines are dusted with powdered sugar (optional).
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