Lemon Madeleines
Delicate French butter cakes with a tender crumb and bright lemon flavor, baked in the iconic shell-shaped mold. Perfectly sized for dessert or afternoon tea.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 12
- Calories
- 185
- Protein
- 2g
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, unsalted
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 whole eggs, large
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 whole lemon (zested and juiced)
- ½ tsp baking powder
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 400°F and wait until the indicator light tells you it is fully preheated, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Place the madeleine mold on a flat surface and use a pastry brush or your fingers to coat the inside of each shell cup with a thin layer of softened butter, making sure to reach every corner and edge.
- 3
Measure 0.5 cup of all-purpose flour into a small bowl, then add 0.5 tsp of baking powder and whisk them together with a fork for 10 seconds until evenly mixed.
- 4
Zest the lemon by rubbing it against the small holes of a microplane or box grater until you have about 1 tsp of zest, then cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into a small bowl until you have about 2 tbsp.
- 5
Crack the 3 eggs into a medium bowl, add the 0.75 cup of sugar, and whisk vigorously by hand for 2 minutes until the mixture looks pale, thick, and slightly foamy, like thick custard.
- 6
Add the lemon zest and 2 tbsp of lemon juice to the egg mixture and whisk for 5 seconds until combined.
- 7
Pour the flour and baking powder mixture into the egg mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently stir in a circular motion, scraping from the bottom of the bowl and folding the flour in from the sides, until no white flour streaks remain, about 20 seconds.
- 8
Melt the 0.5 cup of butter in a small saucepan over low heat, swirling occasionally, about 1 minute, until completely liquid and no white solids remain.
- 9
Pour the melted butter into the batter and fold it in gently using the same circular, scraping motion with your spatula until the batter looks smooth and uniform, about 15 seconds.
- 10
Spoon the batter into each mold cup until it is three-quarters full, using about 1 tbsp of batter per shell; wipe any drips from the outside of the mold with a damp paper towel.
- 11
Place the mold on the center oven rack and bake at 400°F until the edges of the cakes are deep golden brown but the centers still feel slightly soft when you press them gently with your fingertip, about 12 minutes.
- 12
Remove the mold from the oven using an oven mitt and let the madeleines cool in the mold for 2 minutes, then tip each cake out onto a wire rack or a clean plate to cool completely, about 5 minutes.
Tools you’ll need
- madeleine mold (12-shell)
- pastry brush
- small mixing bowl
- fork
- microplane or box grater
- medium mixing bowl
- whisk
- rubber spatula
- small saucepan
- tablespoon measure
- oven mitt
- wire cooling rack or plate
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