Madeleines

Recipe video above. Madeleines are sweet little French sponge cakes that are as delightful to look at as they are to eat. A recipe taught to me by our resident French Chef JB, these adorable mini butter cakes with their signature shell shape are flavoured with a hint of lemon and make for a lovely afternoon tea, or a pretty finish for any meal. Best served hot and fresh out of the oven. Keep the batter in a piping bag (even overnight - or freezer for weeks!), then 10 minutes in the oven is all it takes!

Prep time: PT15M

Cook time: PT10M

Rating

4.92 stars (45 reviews)

Keywords

afternoon tea, french baking, french cake, madeleines

Ingredients

3/4 cup + 1 tbsp plain flour (all purpose flour)
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs (, at room temperature (Note 1))
2/3 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar) ((ordinary / granulated sugar ok too))
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil ((or other neutral oil))
3 tbsp milk (, full fat (low fat ok too))
2 tsp honey ((or maple syrup))
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp lemon zest
135g / 9.5 tbsp unsalted butter (, melted, warm (not hot))
Canola oil spray ((or other neutral oil))
Icing sugar / powdered sugar ((optional, for dusting))

Cuisine

French

Steps

Sift flour: Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl.
Whisk eggs and sugar: Whisk the eggs and sugar vigorously for 2 minutes until it becomes paler in colour and it's foamy (or 1 minute on speed 6 with handheld beater).
Mix flour in 3 parts: Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, whisking gently in between until combined.
Add everything else except butter: Add salt, oil, milk, honey, vanilla and lemon. Mix until combined.
Add butter: Add butter, mix gently with a rubber spatula until combined. The batter is fairly thin but should leave a faint ribbon briefly on the surface (see video).
Cover and refrigerate: Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and leave it in the fridge overnight (minimum 6 hours).
Baking (next day):
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan) for at least 30 minutes.
- Piping bags - Pour the madeleine batter into 2 piping bags (or 1 large) either fitted with a round tip nozzle around 0.7 - 1.2cm (0.3 - 0.5") wide, or snip the end off. (You can refrigerate until required at this stage, or freeze 2 months).
- Spray and fill pan: Spray the madeleine pan with oil. Fill each hole almost to the top (2just 1m from the rim).
- Bake: Bake for 10 minutes until light golden.
- Serve warm! Unmold straight away. Pile onto serving platter. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately, while hot!

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 82 kcal
Carbohydrates: 6 g
Protein: 1 g
Fat: 6 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 34 mg
Sodium: 106 mg
Sugar: 6 g

Reviews

Mark on 2026-04-19 (5 stars):
absolutely loved them as did my work colleagues….transported me to a tree lined boulevard in Paris …sipping a coffee on the pavement at a ridiculously small table gazing at the Eiffel Tower…..so simple to make….thankyou
gustavo k on 2026-04-13 (5 stars):
I would just keep an eye on them, you can tell when they become a bit golden, they are ready.
Gay Broodryk on 2026-03-19 (5 stars):
First time making these Madeleines …… strictly to the recipe ! Cannot believe how perfect and delicious they are ….. Thank you for a fabulous recipe ❤️
Deb on 2026-02-18 (5 stars):
How long will it take these to cook in a mini madeleine tin? Having afternoon tea for 20 people.
Aoife McDonald on 2026-02-01 (5 stars):
Fabulous recipe! The extra tips throughout aid with understanding and result in a better madeleine. Can’t wait to make different variations.
Judy on 2025-10-31 (4 stars):
I would give this recipe a 6-star rating because it's so delicious. But I've made these three times now and I just cannot get the madeleines out of their moulds. I have to dig and dig. I used coconut oil for the first two goes, and bought a bran oil spray for the third go. Am I doing something wrong?
Jane on 2025-10-21 (5 stars):
A very good madeleine recipe. I browned the butter (added a little cream to make up for the lost moisture), and flavored them with nutmeg rather than lemon. It’s autumn here and I felt like having a fall spice. I got a hump, but I did not get defined shell pattern - the interior texture is great and the outside is nice and crisp, so I am happy, but I would like the shell indents!
Wendy Rickards on 2025-10-10 (5 stars):
I have had a Madeleine pan for 25 years. Your recipe inspired me to finally use it and they were absolutely perfect. The size of the pan will dictate how long to bake them - I took mine out at 7 minutes.
Laura Sutton on 2025-06-20 (4 stars):
1 tsp of salt is too much otherwise recipe is very good
Paige on 2025-06-08 (5 stars):
These are wonderful! I am now hooked, and will probably get a proper madeleine pan for the future, but I had good luck draping foil over a regular muffin pan. Not the cute little shell shape but a nice shallow saucer so I still got the perfect hump and the crispy edges.
Laura on 2025-05-31 (4 stars):
I made this recipe and it turned out well with one exception The recipe calls for 1 tsp of salt so the madeleines tasted salty I think this is a mistake in the recipe- I looked at other recipes and most call for 1/8 tsp of salt
Annie on 2025-05-18 (5 stars):
I forgot the baking powder but remembered it after I left it in the fridge for about an hour or 2! I added about 1.25 tsp into the mix and whisked it in. Left it overnight! Just baked and it still worked! Yay! Thanks so much! Also didn't have a lemon on hand so used orange instead!
Maria Omeras on 2025-05-12 (5 stars):
Best Madeleine recipe ever! These turn out perfect every time, they are light, buttery, and beautifully golden. It has become a family favourite. Highly recommend!
Teresa on 2025-04-07 (5 stars):
Made it this morning (prepared the batter a night before as per the recipe) and oh my goodness! You’ve sent me to heaven Nagi! I slightly tweaked the recipe by adding 1/3 cup of sugar only and it turned out perfect for me. Next time I will try buttering the tin (heavily) instead of oil (which stuck slightly but I managed to scoop it out with a teaspoon)
Cher on 2025-01-30 (5 stars):
These were so good that I now ensure I always have some in my freezer. I put the mixture in piping bags then refrigerate or freeze them. If you're going to make them for the first time, I'd recommend buying a Madeline tray that has pronounced lines. Mine is pretty shallow and my madelines just look lumpy on both sides (but still 110% delicious)!
Molly Bence on 2024-07-26 (4 stars):
I love the clarity of your instructions…yum yum to the Madeleines.
Leslie on 2024-03-20 (5 stars):
I compared these to the famous madeleine recipe from the star cook Lea Linster (a shop only selling madeleines). We prefered Nagi‘s (dough was more spongy), however they lack a bit flavor so next time i will add ‚fleur d‘orangier‘ for a stronger citrus taste. Thanks so much for all ur recipes :) Finally I‘ll get ur cook book tomorrow for my birthday :)))))) Best regards, Leslie from Luxembourg
Simone on 2024-01-23 (5 stars):
What a recipe 👌🏻 My 14 year old daughter made these last week all by herself. We didn’t have the correct tray so we used mini muffin tray and they turned out pretty good BUT tonight she made them again in the Madeleine trays and wow that crunch. Thank you Nagi