Looking for a simple, elegant dessert? These Madeleines are light, fluffy, and golden, making them a perfect addition to your baking repertoire.
Madeleines are classic beauties. Their simple but perfect flavor is proof that a few simple ingredients can achieve perfection. There are many flavor options, but my favorite is the standard vanilla. You probably have the ingredients on hand for them too, because they don't require anything fancy, except for the baking pan.
They are elegant and understated, so they can be the "little black dress" in your cookie repertoire. I like that I can make them for a special occasion, but can also make them any time so easily as a weekday treat for my family. Madeleines are just like little cakes and are perfect with a cup of tea.
I played around with several variations of ingredients and techniques to create the perfect texture - tender and fluffy with a golden exterior and a slight bump on the top. After a few tries, I finally reached exactly what I was looking for and I hope you enjoy it too.
Ingredients
3 eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter, melted
butter or oil for the baking pan
Powdered sugar, for garnish, optional
How To Make Madeleines
Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract in a standing mixer with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
Cake flour is the best for this recipe. If you use all purpose flour, the madeleines will not be as tender. If you don't have cake flour on hand, measure out one cup of all purpose flour and take out 2 Tablespoons of the flour. Add 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch to the flour and sift the flour and cornstarch together about 3 times. This is a great substitute for cake flour.
Sift the dry ingredients into the fluffy egg mixture and gently fold it in. When there are just a few streaks of flour left, pour in the melted butter and continue folding until the batter is an even consistency. It will take a few minutes for everything to come together, just be patient and soon you will have a beautiful, evenly mixed batter.
For best results, place the batter in the refrigerate for one hour or overnight. You can bake it right away and it will work out too, the madeleines turn out best if the batter has time to rest and cool.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the madeleine baking pan with butter or oil very generously. I have 2 different madeleine baking pans, and my favorite is this one. I love the nonstick finish, because they turn out beautifully every time, have a golden exterior and always come out with no problems. I bought mine at Home Goods, but I'm sure you can find it in many other stores or order it online.
Fill the molds all the way to the top with the batter. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, depending on your oven. Mine were perfectly baked in 9 minutes. The bottom and sides of the madeleines would be golden brown and the puffed up top should spring back when you touch it lightly with your finger.
Cool the madeleines for about 5 minutes in the baking pan and then take them out of the pan and cool on a cooling rack. Dust with powdered sugar, if you would like.
For a different flavor, add orange or lemon zest to the batter. You can also add almond extract, rum, bourbon, cognac, etc in addition or in place of the vanilla extract. You can make the madeleines chocolate by substituting ¼ cup of flour for unsweetened cocoa powder.
Madeleines
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup cake flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter melted
- butter or oil for the baking pan
- Powdered sugar for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract in a standing mixer with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the fluffy egg mixture and gently fold it in.
- When there are just a few streaks of flour left, pour in the melted butter and continue folding until the batter is an even consistency. It will take a few minutes for everything to come together, just be patient and soon you will have a beautiful, evenly mixed batter.
- For best results, place the batter in the refrigerate for one hour or overnight. You can bake it right away and it will work out too, but the madeleines turn out best if the batter has time to rest and cool.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the madeleine baking pan with butter or oil very generously. Fill the molds all the way to the top with the batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, depending on your oven. Mine were perfectly baked in 9 minutes. The bottom and sides of the madeleines would be golden brown and the puffed up top should spring back when you touch it lightly with your finger.
- Cool the madeleines for about 5 minutes in the baking pan and then take them out of the pan and cool on a cooling rack. Dust with powdered sugar, if you would like.
Hmm.. as a French, looking for a recipe in English for an English speaker, I will say that a madeleine must have the little bump. And no powdered sugar on top, no, it's perfect as it is, as you said it's all in the simplicity and understatment! Less is more in traditional French pastry. And definitely no vanilla, as a matter of fact the true madeleine flavor is a *hint* of lemon, either from a bit of grated (organic) lemon peel (not the white part) or a few drops of lemon oil.
How do you store them? In the fridge or just in an air tight container?
I store them at room temperature, covered.
Hello, Olga! Thank you so much for the recipe! My kids like to have Madeleines for supper with milk. Now we are outside the US so your recipe helped us to keep favourite menu for our little ones.
What's the best way to store these and for how many days?
Store them covered at room temperature, Lana. They don't usually last longer than a few days a my house:).
Hi Olga, I’m wondering if you will post the zefir recipe anytime soon. Pretty please...
In addition to the butter would adding in a little sour cream work or would it be disastrous but omg these do look way good
Since I've only made Madeines using this recipe and never tried adding sour cream, I can't guarantee that it would work well, Tzivia.
Olga, I have a mini madeleine mold, do you think the same recipe will work as well?
Of course, Alina. However, bake them less than the original recipe. Since they are smaller, they will take less time to bake.
I've made these 3 times already since you posted them . For some reason mine get super high in the middle , almost like a bump. Other then that , they are soooo beautiful and perfect with tea. I brought them to Christmas dinner and adults didn't get to try them because the kids loved them so much:)
Natalya, I read somewhere that the perfect madeleines have that signature bump.
That's absolutely true, Tanya. Madeleines are supposed to have that bump on their back.
Olechka, I completely agree with you - these are the best cookies! I've been making these for many, many years and even though I make other cookies, I find myself comming back again and again to make these for my family and friends. The Cosco mandeleines are good, but home made taste so much better. Thank you for sharing your results and recipes!
Homemade is usually better, even though it takes much more time:).
Olga! Wow! You're amazing. I would buy these at Costco, but I bet these taste even better. Can't wait to try these.
We bought them at Costco and bought my husband and I agreed that the homemade ones are a lot better:). They are so tender and fluffy.
I have a request. I don't know if you like zefir, but i really wanted to know how to make the chocolate covered one that they sell at Russian stores since I don't have a store near by and it is my significant other's favorite and I trust your sweets/baking recipes the most out of all. Would you mind posting a recipe of it if you can?
I have a great recipe for Zefir, so I will definitely post it, Tanya. Thanks for a great idea.
Covered in chocolate? if yes, yay! I'm excited 😀
Hi Olga, I'm wondering if you will post the zefir recipe anytime soon. Pretty please...