Truth is, there’s actually quite a few good store-bought madeleines on the market, but nevertheless, the homemade version just feels truly special and extra luxurious.

These French, shell-shaped sponge cakes are a lot easier to make than you might think. The secret to its light, spongy and slightly sticky texture is whipping the eggs and sugar and adding just the right amount of honey.

To achieve this beautiful shape, you’ll of course need a non-stick madeleine pan, though if you don’t have or can’t get one, you can still make this delicious treat in a regular muffin tin.

Madeleines come in lots of different flavours, with chocolate, rose and pistachio or green tea matcha, people experiment endlessly, but the recipe I’m sharing today is more in line with the traditional recipe and has a lovely sweet and lemony flavour. I should add, this recipe is based on a fantastic recipe from Allerhande, the food content platform of my favourite Dutch supermarket.

Recipe for homemade French madeleines

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Homemade French madeleines


  • Author: Michiel Steur
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
  • Yield: 30 1x

Description

The ultimate quick and easy recipe for delicious homemade traditional French madeleines! A luxurious sweet treat with a hint of lemon.


Scale

Ingredients

  • 135g unsalted butter
  • 40ml whole milk
  • 2/3 tablespoon honey
  • 2 eggs
  • 85g caster sugar
  • 135g plain flour
  • 6g baking powder
  • Finely grated zest of 2/3 lemon
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add milk and honey, stir well, and remove from the heat.
  2. Beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer or stand mixer for approximately 5 minutes, until you have a thick, smooth, pale and light mixture.
  3. Meanwhile, combine flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt and lemon zest in a small bowl.
  4. Add the butter mixture to the egg mixture and fold until fully combined.
  5. Gradually add a few tablespoons of the flour mixture and fold gently until fully combined.
  6. Cover the batter with cling film and chill in the fridge for an hour.
  7. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
  8. Brush the pans generously with butter, then dust with flour.
  9. Fill approximately 3/4 of each hole.
  10. Cook in the oven for 6-10 minutes, depending on the size of your madeleines. They are ready when they’re golden, a clear bump has shown on top and are fully cooked through.
  11. Remove from oven and transfer madeleines to a sheet of parchment paper. Leave to cool completely.

Notes

For the most beautiful result, use special madeleine pans, but if you don’t have or can’t find these, and still want to enjoy the flavour of madeleines, you can bake these in a muffin tin instead.

  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: French

Keywords: easy madeleines recipe, recipe for traditional French madeleines, lemon and honey madeleines recipe, foolproof madeleines recipe, classic traditional madeleines recipe

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