Quintessentially French, Madeleines are dainty bite-sized cakes that yields a soft middle, crispy edges, and a distinctive buttery taste. Easy and fun to make at home, they are best known for their shell-like shape and their signature bump at the top. I am sharing my tips (and the bump secret!) to master madeleines at home.
What are Madeleines?
French Madeleines are bite-sized sponge cakes made with a generous amount of butter and baked in a shell-shaped mold. Halfway between a cake and a cookie, madeleines bear a signature bump. They have a taste and texture close to a light pound cake, with crisp golden edges all around.
Madeleines are incredibly popular all throughout France, often enjoyed with tea, coffee and during the “goûter” – the 4 o’clock snack time. They are a favorite among home bakers as they’re simple to make with just the baking essentials: sugar, flour, butter and eggs – and very easy to please kids and kids alike.
Madeleines belong to the list of French “gâteaux de voyage” (travel cakes) : simple, rustic French cakes that are easy to carry around.
The origin of Madeleines
Madeleines originate from the Town of Commercy, in the Lorraine region of northeastern France.
It is said that these small shell-like shaped sponge cakes have been named “madeleines” after their creator, Madeleine Paulmier. Madeleine was a chef in the mid-18th century for King of Poland Stanisław Leszczyński, who was in exile in Commercy at the time – and whose son-in-law was King of France Louis XV.
Louis XV loved the tiny pastries so much that he named them in honor of their creator, Madeleine Paulmier. Soon enough, Queen Marie, Louis’ wife, introduced them to the royal court in Versailles and spread their fame all throughout France.
It was French writer Marcel Proust (1871 – 1922) who contributed to the international fame of the Madeleines. In his most famous novel, A La Recherche du Temps Perdu (In Search Of Lost Time), the narrator dunks a small Madeleine in a cup of tea and becomes instantly thrown back to tender childhood memories.
This so-called “episode of the Madeleine” has become a reference in French literature when speaking about involuntary reminiscence of the past.
Proust was so infatuated with the small treat that he described them as “a little shell of cake, so generously sensual beneath the piety of its stern pleating…” Have you ever heard a more poetic description of a cake?
The recipe
Although simple to make, madeleines do require a discussion of key points before diving in, including which pan to use and how to achieve the signature bumps.
The traditional Madeleine pan
For this recipe, you need a traditional metal madeleine pan like this one. It is a little investment worth making if you are learning French baking.
The scalloped mold gives madeleines their unique shape, while creating a delightfully crisp bottom. Once you master this recipe, you’ll soon see that madeleines come in many variations – and truly never fail to please.
How to give madeleines a perfect bump?
The bump is the signature feature of a classic madeleine. And the secret to getting this perfect bump is to jolt the madeleines with a temperature shock. The batter needs to be very cold and the oven needs to be very hot.
To do so, you first need to chill your madeleine batter until very cold, at least 2 hours. You then fill the madeleine molds and make sure the batter remains cold, by transferring the pan back into the fridge up until it goes into the oven if needed.
Meanwhile, you need to pre-heat your oven to a somewhat high temperature of 390°F(200°C), with a baking sheet in it. When your oven is fully pre-heated, only then can you now take the filled madeleine tray out of the fridge and stick it immediately in the oven, onto the pre-heated baking sheet.
When the filled, chilled madeleine tray touches the hot baking sheet, the heat contact shocks the batter. This temperature shock causes the batter to “jump”, resulting in a high, well-formed bump.
Use high-quality butter.
Aside from their crisp edges and unique bump, what sets French madeleines apart is their deliciously buttery taste – yet they don’t taste nor feel “greasy”.
This is achieved by folding the melted butter into the batter right at the very end – and not at the beginning like in most cake recipe. This ensures the batter has a nice shiny finish and it gives an incomparable buttery taste to the madeleines.
With such a generous amount of butter used for a madeleine recipe, make sure you use a high-quality European butter (unsalted).
Recommended equipment:
- A madeleine pan
- A whisk or electric beater
- A spatula
- A baking sheet, large enough for the madeleine pan to fit in
- A wire rack
Common Questions about Madeleines
Can I bake madeleines in another pan?
Yes, you can. I find that a mini muffin pan works well. Do note the texture will be different, the bump won’t be as prominent, and the edges won’t be as crisp. The shell-shaped molds are key to create the signature crisp edges.
My madeleines didn’t get bumps, why?
If the madeleines didn’t get bumps, it is likely that the batter wasn’t cold enough. It is the heat shock of baking a cold batter on a very hot pan that creates the bumps.
To ensure the batter is cold enough, make sure to rest it in the fridge for at least 2 hours. If you fill the madeleine pan with batter but don’t bake it right away, also place the pan in the fridge.
Can I prepare these madeleines ahead of time?
We find madeleine are best enjoyed warm from the oven, or within 2 hours as they tend to dry out quickly. You can prepare them in the morning to enjoy throughout the day or for an afternoon tea-time; but we wouldn’t wait any longer to eat them.
Does it matter if I use a silicone or traditional metal madeleine mold?
Yes, it does! We highly recommend you use only a traditional metal mold. This will ensure you’ll get golden, crisp edges and a nice bump, as the metal retains heat. A silicone mold won’t deliver the same crispness nor bump, and the signature ridged design won’t be as prominent either.
Can I let the batter rest in the fridge for longer than 2-3 hours, ie. overnight?
We do not recommend you rest the batter overnight in the fridge. After 2 to 3 hours, the butter starts to solidify, and the batter turns too thick.
Help! My madeleines are stuck to the pan.
If the madeleines are stuck to the pan, it is likely that the pan wasn’t greased enough. Madeleines should normally be very easy to unmold by simply inverting the pan onto a countertop.
You can however use a little butter knife to lightly lift the edges and help un-pop the madeleines from their shell.
How long can you keep madeleines?
Madeleines are best enjoyed right after baking. Their delicate texture is fleeting, and they can dry out fast. At most, enjoy them within 12 hours. We do not recommend freezing madeleines as you lose their texture.
I hope you’ll love this Classic French Madeleines recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment.
More French baking recipes you may like:
- French Almond Croissants (Bakery-style)
- Chouquettes (French Sugar Puffs)
- Classic French Butter Brioche (Brioche Pur Beurre)
- Classic French Toasts (Pain Perdu)
- Overnight No-Knead Bread
- French Bakery Beignets
- Roasted Hazelnut Financiers
- Chocolate Chip Cookies with Fleur de Sel
11 comments
I love your explanation on the correct techniques. For inexperienced bakers, such tips are invaluable. Thank you very much.
Much appreciated, Donald. This is very much my goal, to make French recipes accessible to everyone, even if some techniques can be a bit more intensive.
Hi Audrey, love your recipes. I tried the 3 day croissant and came out great.
How many madeleines does this recipe yield?
Thanks
Thank you so much, Diliam! I love those croissants! To answer your question, I have to give you a range… It all depends on the exact amount of batter you put in the moulds, as well as they size of the moulds (they tend to come in various sizes). But you should get no less than 12, and around 18 or so at the top end.
[…] Madeleine pan: A specialized pan with shell-shaped depressions is crucial for achieving the classic madeleine shape. […]
Your instructions and recipe produced PERFECT madeleines. That’s what people commented. I asked how were they? They replied perfect, or just perfect. You’d be surprised at how many madeleine recipes I’ve seen that don’t include the all important chilling of the batter in order to produce the tell-tale “bump” in the baked madeleines. I have a question though. I’d like to make a chocolate madeleine. What would you add to the batter, or would the recipe require a whole re-work? Pierre Herme (the acclaimed French pastry chef) had a recipe for chocolate madeleines which I made today, but despite his esteemed reputation, I found his recipe produced a madeleine that tasted a bit on the dry side. Maybe it’s the 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder in his recipe that produces that characteristic. I don’t know, but I’d like a suggestion of how to achieve my aim of a great chocolate madeleine. Would you add real chocolate, just cocoa powder, a combination? I’m keen to hear any suggestions. Thanks again for the great instructions and recipes, I feel it’s helped make me a better baker. My next attempt is your apple tart Tartin recipe. 🙂
This is so incredibly kind of you, thank you so much! Madeleines are very near to my heart (I think every French will say that), so making these as delicious as possible has always been my goal.
Now, to answer your question… I’ll first start by saying I’ve not make chocolate Madeleines before, and you’d think Herme would have a spot on recipe, as he is a wizard in the kitchen. Now, that being said, 2 tablespoons of cocoa might be a bit much. I do agree with him in that I’d go with cocoa powder as opposed to real chocolate, but I’d likely have started with half the amount of a real high quality, rich cocoa powder. To amplify the flavor, I might also add a half a teaspoon of instant espresso powder (if you can find that). It isn’t a traditional thing in France, but I’ve found that adding instant espresso powder to chocolate recipes really rounds out the flavor.
So, in short… I’d just redo my recipe, but add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of instant espresso powder to start. I can’t promise a perfect result, but that’s how I would start! Good luck and would love to hear back of any successes on your quest! 🙂
first time trying madeleine cookies. they turned out very puffy and very cake like. could it be because I used 3 large eggs instead of medium as called for
You likely nailed it, Norma. The excess of egg, especially the whites, would have overinflated the Madeleines. I’m sure they still tasted good, but obviously the texture was affected by the excess of egg. But, I always say, better overinflated than not inflated at all! 🙂
I had to make them the night before my event so icing sugar sprinkled on them will hide any oops! They will be appreciated with no explanations or excuses from me. But a good learning curve. Thanks for your quick response. N.
No problem at all. There’s no doubt the taste will still be delicious, and the “fix” is an easy one. Plus, honestly, I find most people see something big and fluffy and they love it right away. Some “mistakes” are good ones, Norma!