My easy to follow recipe for lemon madeleines turns out perfectly puffed and golden tea cakes every time. This classic French pastry is surprisingly easy to make ~ bake them along with me, step by step!
My lemon madeleine recipe is a subtle twist on the classic French pastry ~ marrying the subtle sweetness of traditional madeleines with the brightness of lemon. This simple but authentic recipe turns your kitchen into a French patisserie.
what exactly is a madeleine?
Madeleines are petite sponge cakes with a distinctive shell-shape, thanks to the special molds they’re baked in. These French cakes have a light, airy texture with a slightly crispy exterior, making them perfect for pairing with coffee or tea. In Marcel Proust’s famous novel Remembrance of Things Past the central character’s memory is sparked by tasting a madeleine dipped in tea. Proof that the simplest foods can be the most evocative!
let’s dig in
lemon madeleine recipe ingredients
- butter
- sugar
- flour
- baking powder and salt
- lemon zest
- eggs
- vanilla
- powdered sugar
- for dusting your lemon madeleines
making lemon madeleines is easier than you think!
You might assume that madeleine recipes would be basically the same, after all, they’re so simple. But no ~ the ratios of ingredients, chilling time, and method of preparing the batter all vary quite a bit. Here’s what I learned while developing this lemon madeleine recipe:
- preparing the batter: many recipes have you beat the eggs and sugar in a mixer for several minutes to add air to the mixture. My method, which I found in this New York Times recipe, simply combines the dry ingredients (including the sugar), and then mixes in the eggs and melted butter. The texture of the madeleines is still light and airy and lovely. Serious Eats agrees, having tested and compared both methods.
- chilling time: in my experience there is no need to chill the batter for more than 1 hour. As you can see I still got a very decent rise and that characteristic little “hump” on my madeleines. However, if you’d like to prepare your batter the night before, that is fine too.
- prepping your madeleine pan : (mine is from USA Pan, see below) I brush each madeleine well with melted butter or oil. Make sure to do this well, especially if your pan is not non-stick.
- filling your madeleine molds: definitely no need to fuss with a piping bag for this lemon madeleine recipe! Simply measure out 1 tablespoon of batter into each mold and plop it in. Fill them about three-quarters full. Avoid overfilling, as the madeleines will rise and expand during baking.
- removing the madeleines from the pan: butter the molds generously, and you shouldn’t have an issue getting them out of the pan. The trick is to take them out of the molds pretty much immediately after taking them out of the oven – if they cool in the molds too long they are more likely to stick. Use a butter knife to gently pry each cake out of its mold.
yes, you do need a madeleine pan to make lemon madeleines!
There’s no way around it, you need a madeleine pan. It’s small, inexpensive, and won’t crowd your kitchen cabinet, I promise. Plus there are so many madeleine varieties we’re going to be making this year, you don’t want to miss out! I have the USA madeleine pan, and love it. This recipe fills the 16 ‘scallops’ perfectly!
is a madeleine a cake or a cookie?
The short answer is: both! Madeleines can be categorized as small sponge cakes or sometimes as cookies due to their size, shape, and texture. They have a soft, spongy texture like cake but they’re small and handheld like cookies. Personally I consider these lemon Madeleines to be little cakes but they’d be right at home on a cookie platter.
storing and freezing madeleines
- Know that all madeleines do not store particularly well – they are best eaten the day they are made (warm, if possible!).
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Although they tend to dry out relatively quickly, they can still make a nice treat the next day with coffee or tea.
- Madeleines freeze well in a zip lock freezer bag or freezer container. Plan to use them within 2 months for best quality.
variations for this lemon madeleine recipe
Because they are basically just little cake-lets, there are tons of ways to get creative with this basic madeleine recipe.
- Replace the lemon zest with another flavoring like orange zest, vanilla bean, almond extract, or make a spiced version with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc.
- Use cake flour instead of all purpose flour for an extra tender crumb.
- Often madeleines are coated with a thin glaze after coming out of the oven. You could make a simple powdered sugar and lemon juice glaze for these.
- You can also dip your madeleines in chocolate (this would be especially nice with orange madeleines.)
more tea time recipes
If you love this lemon madeleine recipe you’ll want to check these out too!
Lemon Madeleines
Equipment
- 1 madeleine pan
Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- zest of 1 large lemon
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan and set aside to cool partially (it can still be warm but should not be hot to the touch).
- In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk well to combine.
- Add the lemon zest and whisk to combine.
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs until smooth.
- Add the eggs and the vanilla extract to the bowl of dry ingredients. Fold together gently until mostly mixed together (a bit of dry flour is fine).
- Next, add the partially cooled butter, a little at a time, folding everything together as you go. I did this in about 3 stages. Fold just until everything is evenly incorporated. The batter should be fairly thick and shiny. It will thicken up more in the fridge.
- Cover your batter bowl tightly, and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 400F and prepare your madeleine pan by brushing each madeleine well with melted butter or oil. Make sure to do this well, especially if your pan is not non-stick.
- Place a generous 1 Tbsp of batter into each well. You should be able to make 16 madeleines just about exactly. If you make less than that, you might have filled your madeleine molds too high, so try to divide the batter into 16 cookies as exactly as possible. The molds should look about 2/3-3/4 full.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until risen in the middle and turning golden brown on the edges.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Using a fork or a small butter knife, remove the madeleines from the pan promptly and transfer to a baking rack – if they cool too much in the pan they are more likely to stick.
- Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy warm or allow to cool. Madeleines are best eaten the day they are made, so don't procrastinate!
This was my first attempt at making Madelines. The recipe was easy to follow. I didn’t have enough batter to make 16, my batter fit into a 12 Madeline pan. They smelled wonderful and buttery while baking. Husband approved! Another winner! I took photos but I didn’t see a way to upload photos.
I’m so glad Gina, thanks for the review. I wish I had a way for you to upload here, but if you’re on instagram or facebook you can always tag me!