Lemon poppy seed madeleines are a delicious twist on traditional French madeleines and a classic combination of flavors and textures. Indeed, nothing will ever beat this timeless madeleine recipe, perfect for making every day and on holidays.
Lemon poppy seed madeleines recipe
This lemon poppy seed madeleine recipe is a beautiful twist on classic French madeleines. If you are a fan of madeleines and lemon desserts, it's a must-make!
Interestingly, the more I bake madeleines, the more I want to experiment with other shapes (you can even make madeleines in a muffin mold) and other madeleine flavors. And these poppy seed madeleines aren't an exception.
You might also like this Lemon Curd Cake, Triple Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf, French Lemon Tart, or Lemon Poppy Seed Bars.
Ingredients
For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.
- Large eggs at room temperature.
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter, melted and cooled to 122-140°F (50-60°C). Opt for top-quality butter with 82% fat.
- All-purpose flour: Avoid substituting with cake flour or self-raising flour, as in Gordon Ramsay's madeleine recipe. This recipe specifically calls for baking powder and omits cornstarch.
- Golden syrup: You can replace it with glucose syrup or acacia honey.
- Baking powder helps develop the light texture and hump of the madeleines.
- Lemon zest
- Poppy seeds: Use black or blue poppy seeds.
- Salt: Use fleur de sel if available.
How to make lemon poppy madeleines
Step 1. Melt butter in the microwave at 20-second intervals and let it cool to 122°F (50°C).
Step 2. Place eggs, sugar, and golden syrup in a mixing bowl and beat with a hand whisk for about 1 minute. Add fresh lemon zest and poppy seeds to the egg mixture and mix.
Step 3. Sift flour with baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the flour mixture to the principal preparation and mix with a hand whisk. Pour the melted butter in two to three times and mix to combine.
Step 4. Cover the batter with plastic wrap in contact and refrigerate overnight, better for 24 hours.
Step 5. The next day, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and let it heat for another 15 minutes.
Step 6. Using a pastry brush and softened butter, butter the cavities of a metal madeleine mold, dust it with flour, and tap any excess; don't grease a silicone mold. Read on how to bake with silicone molds.
Step 7. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag and fill the cavities of the madeleine tin up to ¾.
Step 8. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 3 minutes. Then, switch off the oven for 6 to 8 minutes. The madeleines will develop their bump on top. Then, turn the oven to 320°F (160°C) for 2 to 3 minutes longer.
Step 9. Remove madeleines from the oven and cool in the mold for a couple of minutes. While hot, take them out individually and place them on the side but in the mold (not on a wire rack) to cool down.
Expert Tips
- For helpful tips and tricks, consult the French madeleine recipe. Also, download a free troubleshooting guide.
- Chill the batter to get a pretty bump on top of the madeleines: don't skip this step.
Storing and freezing
Store madeleines in an airtight container for up to 2 to 4 days. Read more about how to store madeleines.
To freeze, place cooled madeleines in a single layer in a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bring the cakes to the counter at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours to thaw.
Recipe variations
- Replace lemon zest with orange, mandarin, lime, or grapefruit.
- Use orange blossom honey gathered from the orange groves.
- Replace half of the poppy seeds with sesame seeds for a little crunch.
- Glaze lemon poppy seed madeleines with lemon glaze or fill them with homemade or store-bought lemon curd.
- Make mini madeleines (les petites madeleines in French), but adjust the baking regimen accordingly. It takes time to get to know your oven.
Recipe FAQ
Beat the eggs and sugar together for 1 minute using a hand whisk. You don't need to whisk for 5 minutes or more to obtain a whitish mixture doubled in volume.
The madeleine batter should be thick enough (like the consistency of the batter for a yogurt cake) and silky-looking.
To avoid sticking madeleines, you should prepare your madeleine mold well. If you use a silicone mold, there is no need to grease it. In the case of a metal mold, butter it with softened butter and a pastry brush, then dust it all over with all-purpose flour and tap out the excess.
It's essential to use a combination of fats for the perfect madeleine recipe. Lecithin from egg yolks is one type, and butter (with optionally some neutral oil) is another. To ensure a rich taste, the recipe should contain at least 25% butter, ideally equal to the flour used.
Love madeleines? Try these next
- Raspberry madeleines
- Gingerbread madeleines
- Madeleines without mold
- Or read about all the things madeleines
You can follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook to see what I am getting up to. Visit my Yummly page and save recipes to your Yummly recipe box.
PrintRecipe card
Lemon Poppy Seed Madeleines
Lemon poppy seed madeleines are a twist on classic French sponge cakes with a lemon zest flavor and poppy seeds nutty taste. They are perfect for making every day and on holidays.
- Total Time: 1 hour (plus chilling time)
- Yield: 36 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs (250 g), room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup (250 g) granulated sugar
- 8.8 oz. (250 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 ⅓ teaspoons (12 g) golden syrup
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) baking powder
- 1 lemon, zest
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Melt the butter and let it cool to 122°F (50°C). In a large bowl, place eggs, sugar, and golden syrup and beat with a hand whisk for about 1 minute.
- Add fresh lemon zest and poppy seeds, and mix. Sift flour with baking powder and salt using a flour sifter.
- Add the dry ingredients to the principal preparation and mix with the hand whisk. Pour the melted and cooled butter in two to three additions and mix to combine.
- Cover the batter with plastic wrap (plastic must be in contact with the batter) and refrigerate overnight, better for 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and let it heat for another 15 minutes.
- Using a pastry brush and softened butter, butter the cavities of a metal madeleine mold, dust it with flour, and tap any excess; don't grease a silicone mold.
- Transfer the batter to a pastry bag, and fill the cavities of the madeleine pan up to ¾.
- Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 3 minutes. Then switch off the oven for 6 to 8 minutes. The madeleines will develop their bump on top. Then turn the oven to 320°F (160°C) for 2 to 3 minutes longer.
- Remove the madeleines from the oven and let them cool in the mold for a couple of minutes. While hot, take them out one by one and place them on the side, but in the mold (not on a wire rack), to cool down.
Notes
- Consult the French madeleine recipe for helpful tips and tricks.
- Chill the batter to get a pretty bump on top of the madeleines; don't skip this step.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 113
- Sugar: 7.1 g
- Sodium: 27 mg
- Fat: 6.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.7 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 1.7 g
- Cholesterol: 41 mg
The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.
The recipe was originally published on October 25, 2021. It has been revised to include improved content and photos.
Lynnette says
I am a fan of madeleines. After trying the classic version, these are my next adventure. Again, they turned out perfect, with the best hump on top.