This guide with the best madeleine recipe guarantees homemade French madeleines perfect in shape, density, texture, and taste. Nothing beats these authentic madeleine cakes straight from the oven!
It is pretty funny that I did not even know what a French madeleine was many years ago.
Today, I can tell you that I have entirely perfected my madeleine baking skills and started to experiment with their flavors.
From time to time, I play with different recipes of these French butter cakes to get a higher bump on top.
The highest madeleine I have ever made was 1.57 inches or 4 cm tall.
If you have ever wondered how to make the best French madeleines and make a success in making them, you are in the right place.
I am putting together all the tips and advice to guide you. So take notes of essential steps before you get started and enjoy!
My favorite madeleine recipe is the one adapted from the cooking school of Alain Ducasse.
It guarantees perfectly shaped and authentic fluffy cakes with a signature hump on top.
Jump to:
- What are madeleines?
- History of madeleines
- What is Proustian madeleine?
- Ingredients
- Madeleine bump
- How to choose a madeleine pan
- How to make madeleines without mold
- How to fill a madeleine pan
- What makes madeleines rise?
- Baking madeleines on the oven rack
- Temperature regimen while baking
- How to make madeleines
- Madeleine variations
- How to serve madeleines
- How to store madeleines
- Expert tips
- Frequently asked questions
- Love teatime cakes? Try these next!
- Recipe card
- Comments
What are madeleines?
Madeleines are small sponge cakes of French origin baked in a shell-like shaped mold.
The bump on top of madeleines is a signature of the authentic French madeleine pastry.
History of madeleines
The origin of French madeleines remains quite mysterious. It goes back perhaps to the Middle Ages when one baked cakes in shells for the pilgrims of Saint-Jacques de Compostela.
But there is another story - the story of Commercy, which is the capital of madeleine.
Madeleines were invented in the kitchen of King Stanislas during the reception in the Duchy of Lorraine in 1755.
It was following the resignation of the pastry chef the day before. The dessert was created by one of the servants named Madeleine Paulmier, who saved the situation.
The King was so delighted that he called the creator of the miracle. It was one of his maids...
“What is the name of this delicacy?” asked Stanislas.
“It has no name, sire. This is what we cook back home in Commercy on festive days”.
“So, what is your name?”
“Madeleine.”
“Then, from now on, it will be called like you: Madeleine of Commercy.”
So, madeleines, small butter cakes, were born and named after the king's cook, Madeleine Paulmier.
What is Proustian madeleine?
“She sent for one of those short, plump cakes called Petites Madeleines that look like they were molded into the grooved valve of a scallop. And soon, mechanically, overwhelmed by the gloomy day and the prospect of a sad tomorrow, I brought to my lips a spoonful of the tea in which I had let a piece of madeleine soften. But the moment the mingled sip of the cake crumbs touched my palate, I flinched, aware of what was going on inside me. A delicious pleasure had invaded me, isolated, without the notion of its cause.
This is a well-known passage from "In search of lost time, On the side of Swann's," where Marcel Proust rediscovers his childhood memories.
His simple sip of tea mixed with madeleine crumbs on Sunday mornings in Combray, at Aunt Léonie's, gave origin to the most famous metaphor - a “Proust madeleine” - and made the madeleine famous.
Ingredients
Here is a comprehensive overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full madeleine recipe below for detailed amounts and instructions.
Rising agent
It is universal that the principal raising agent that gives the madeleine cakes their distinctive bump or hump is baking powder.
Most chefs, such as chef Philippe, Philippe Contichini, Cédric Grolet, add the baking powder that is 1/20 of the amount of flour used in a recipe.
David Lebovitz uses a bit less and even recommends using baking powder optionally.
Butter
Unsalted butter is a madeleines recipe ingredient that is responsible for the texture of these sponge cakes.
According to food historians, the madeleines of Marcel Proust – who “cemented [madeleines] into French hearts and culture” - were quite dry.
To make these little cakes less moist, it is necessary to limit the butter, eggs, and sugar in a recipe.
The author of a popular nineteenth-century cook book, La Cuisinière de la campagne et de la ville Louis-Eustache Audot, adds butter in a 1:2 weight ratio to flour. As a result, his madeleines indeed have a lighter, drier texture.
Nowadays, most French chefs use the same amount of butter and flour.
Moreover, Philippe Conticini adds a small amount of neutral oil (such as grape seed oil).
It means that modern madeleine pastry is richer, softer, and moister.
Historically, traditional madeleines of Commercy are made with brown butter ("beurre noisette" in French), which is when the butter is heated to get the brown color and the nutty flavor.
Roger Pizey, the author of the book "World Class Cakes 250 Classic Recipes from Boston Cream Pie to Madeleines and Muffins", and Belén from Belula Cusine & More suggest using brown butter in making these cakes.
Sugar
Sugar is another madeleines' recipe ingredient. While Louis-Eustache Audot, Roger Pizey, Pierre Hermé use caster sugar, Sebastien Rouxel goes for a mixture of caster and brown sugar.
Philippe Conticini often replaces caster sugar with light brown muscovado sugar that brings a toffee-like taste.
Sebastien Rouxel and Philippe Conticini also add honey to increase the moisture and flavor of the madeleines.
Milk
Most madeleine recipes call for whole milk. However, French chef Philippe Conticini suggests using semi-skimmed milk.
According to the chef, semi-skimmed dairy contains 97% water, which brings additional moisture.
Flour
The authentic French madeleine recipe calls for a particular type of flour, flour T55, which is medium in protein content (9.4%) and contains 0.55% mineral content.
These characteristics assure the perfect fermentation and rising of the dough. However, all-purpose flour does the job very well, too.
Flavors
Classic French madeleines are made with citrusy additions. A hint of lemon is essential in madeleine baking.
Pierre Hermé uses lemon zest, Roger Pizey adds orange zest, and Audot uses orange flower water and lemon zest.
Philippe Conticini varies the taste of his perfect madeleines by using the zest of fingered citron, or the Buddha's Hand, lime, or lemon. Sebastien Rouxel suggests adding 1 to 2 drops of lemon oil.
In the traditional recipe, these little cakes can also be glazed with a sugar and lemon glaze.
How to make madeleines without lemon? The answer is simple; just use vanilla extract.
Madeleine bump
Like it or not, the perfect French madeleine is not a madeleine worthy of the name if it does not have its famous bump!
It is unknown if the madeleine bump was as important in the 18th century - when the cake was born - as it is nowadays when "that dome has become the holy grail of madeleine bakers."
Finally, madeleine's bump is a sign of quality because it is linked to well-controlled baking.
How to choose a madeleine pan
After multiple tests and trials with madeleine baking, I can conclude that the size, especially the depth of cavities of a madeleine mold, is essential.
Only deep cavities, instead of shallow ones, can guarantee the most beautiful bump on top of madeleines.
I find that most metal madeleine pans are too shallow to form the bump. That is why I use only silicone madeleine molds. They guarantee even cooking and perfect release too.
The one I use is not available in the market anymore, but after some research, I have found the best madeleine pan - a silicone madeleine mold - that closely resembles mine.
Another madeleine mold that is worth trying is Tefal madeleine pan that Valérie from C'est ma fournée approved.
However, many French chefs use metal molds and obtain beautiful madeleines. The metal pans conduct heat faster and keep the madeleines softer.
So, if you have one, it is worth testing your present madeleine mold and experimenting with another one over time.
How to make madeleines without mold
If you do not have a special madeleine pan, you can make cakes in other forms.
For example, try a silicone muffin pan that works as a madeleine pan substitute. You can even line the wells with cupcake liners.
You can also try to bake these little cakes in small rectangular or even round molds.
Indeed, you will not get the perfect shell look and the bump on top, but you will be able to enjoy the taste of these delicious little cakes.
Historically, it is said that a woman named "Madelaine" baked small cakes and even used scallops as a mold, then offered them to pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela.
How to fill a madeleine pan
To give your madeleines a nice bump, the degree of filling of the madeleine mold must be correctly assessed.
The result will vary depending on the shape, width, and depth of the cavities.
For example, narrow and deep indentations should only be ¾ filled.
Conversely, if your mold consists of more significant and higher cavities, you will need to fill them to the brim.
Still, the rule of thumb is to fill the cavities of a madeleine pan up to ¾ (no more!) that can guarantee a nice bump on top.
In general, a couple of test batches will allow you to evaluate your madeleine pan and adapt its filling accordingly.
Pipe the batter with a pastry bag, as Sebastien Rouxel and Roger Pizey suggest, but it might be easier to spoon it. Just choose your way of filling the molds.
What makes madeleines rise?
The answer is short: the thermal shock makes madeleines rise and forms the bump!
Bringing a cold madeleine pan filled with the cold batter to the hot oven can guarantee that the famous bump will form and never falls.
Ideally, make the batter and refrigerate overnight, or even better for 24 hours.
David Lebovitz also recommends freezing the prepared madeleine mold before filling it with the batter.
The next day, fill the mold cavities and chill in the fridge for one hour before baking (I usually omit this step).
Then, bring the cold pan filled with the batter on the hot oven rack of the preheated oven.
If you are short on time, let rest the pan filled with the batter in the fridge for at least one to two hours to optimize the formation of the bump.
Baking madeleines on the oven rack
It is essential to remember that a silicone and metal madeleine pan filled with batter must be placed on a baking rack in the middle of the oven and not on a baking sheet.
Temperature regimen while baking
Lowering the oven temperature during baking is crucial to forming a beautiful bump on top of the madeleines!
French chef Philippe Conticini bakes madeleines in the oven preheated to 435 °F/225 °C for 6 minutes and then lowers the oven temperature to 355 °F/180 °C and bakes for another 5 to 6 minutes.
Pierre Herme’s version is a bit different. He bakes madeleines in the oven preheated to 425 °F/220 °C for 5 minutes, then lowers the oven temperature to 390 °F/200 °C and bakes them for 10 more minutes.
Cédric Grolet advises baking madeleines in the preheated oven at 410 °F/210 °C. After 3 minutes of baking, he rotates the mold and bakes another 3 minutes.
Then he turns off the oven for 1 minute and turns it on again (always at 410 °F/210 °C) and bake for 5 minutes longer.
Now it's up to you to find the right way of baking. Each oven is different, so you must test and adjust the oven temperature to make your perfect madeleines.
I even suggest checking the oven temperature with an instant-read oven thermometer before your madeleine baking.
How to make madeleines
To make the batter, place large eggs, granulated sugar, honey, and scraped seeds of half of the vanilla bean in a large bowl (photo 1) and beat with a hand whisk (photo 2).
Sift flour and baking powder with a flour sifter. Add the flour mixture to the main preparation (photo 3), and combine with a whisk (photo 4).
Add melted butter (it has to be cooled till 120 °F/50 °C) and whisk again (photo 5).
Zest half of a lemon with a zester grater, add to the butter mixture and mix (photo 6).
Cover the sponge-like batter with a piece of plastic wrap in contact and refrigerate overnight, or even better, for 24 hours.
The plastic film must touch the surface of the batter and not cover the bowl.
Preheat the oven to 425 °F/220 °C. Butter the cavities of the metal madeleine mold, dust it with flour, and tap any excess; there is no need to grease a silicone mold.
Using a piping bag, fill the cavities up to ¾ (photo 7).
Bake at 425 °F/220 °C for 3 minutes. Then switch off the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. The madeleines will get that famous bump on top. Turn the oven to 320 °F/160 °C for the other 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove golden brown cakes from the oven and cool in the mold for 5 minutes.
Take them out one by one, simply pushing each cavity from the bottom.
Place cakes on the side, still in the mold (photo 8), so that they completely cool (do not use a cooling rack to avoid its traces on the surface of madeleines).
Madeleine variations
Classic French madeleines are lemon madeleines flavored with only lemon zest, but they can be customized endlessly: orange blossom water, vanilla extract, matcha, or chocolate.
If you want to experiment with the basic madeleine recipe and create your variations of madeleines, have a look at Flavor Twists on Classic French Madeleines on my blog.
Although madeleines are eaten for breakfast or as a dessert, it is quite possible to modify the basic madeleine recipe to make savory madeleines.
Made with parmesan, bacon, pesto, or even tomatoes, they make perfect appetizers.
If you ever travel to Paris, do not hesitate to include Blé Sucré on your list.
It is a Parisian bakery with the most beautiful desserts, viennoiserie, and bread in Paris at 7 rue Antoine Vollon, 75012, Paris.
According to David Lebovitz and Le Figaro, it is the place to try the best madeleines in the world.
But it is also whispered that the perfect madeleines are those of Philippe Contichini in his La pâtisserie des rêves, in Paris.
How to serve madeleines
There is etiquette, a French ritual to eating these golden little tea cakes. Warm madeleines are best enjoyed with a cup of tea.
Take an Earl Gray tea, a black tea flavored with bergamot. It will harmonize well with the lemon note of classic madeleines.
To appreciate their taste and release their lemon flavor, madeleines have to be dipped in tea, the same way as Marcel Proust enjoyed little cakes. But, unfortunately, coffee isn't the same.
How to store madeleines
For an exceptional taste, serve madeleines immediately (straight from the oven).
Store madeleines in an airtight container (preferably in glass) for up to 2 to 4 days. I prefer to cover these little cakes with a tea towel.
Can you freeze madeleines? Yes, you can freeze madeleines for up to six months, but they may lose their taste a bit.
To thaw them, bring the cakes to room temperature for one to two hours. Please, try to avoid using a microwave.
Expert tips
- Switch chestnut honey for any other kind of honey.
- Replace vanilla seeds with ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract if you wish.
- Do not overheat butter while melting. To avoid this, turn off the heat when half of the butter is melted and mix butter off the heat.
- Replace lemon zest with orange or lime zest if you prefer.
- Preheat the oven to 425 °F/220 °C and let it heat for 10 minutes. This step is necessary to get the bump of madeleines.
- Leave the filled mold in the fridge while preheating/heating the oven.
- Respect the temperature regimen while baking. The ideal temperature formula is 3 + 8 + 4, where 3 is 3 minutes of baking at 425 °F/220 °C, "8" is 8 minutes with the oven switched off, and "4" is 4 minutes of baking at 320 °F/160 °C. You might need to test your oven and adjust this formula, for example, as 3 + 7 + 3 or something different. Adjusting the last baking minutes is essential to prevent madeleines from burning.
- Bake one batch of cakes (one mold) at a time. After each batch, clean the mold, then bake the rest. Keep the rest of the batter in the fridge between batches.
Frequently asked questions
The correct French pronunciation of madeleine is [mad.lɛn]. It is pronounced as /ˈmædleɪn/ or /ˌmædlˈeɪn/ in English.
There is much debate over whether madeleines are cookies or cakes. Although many think they are teacake cookies or "sponge cake-like French madeleine cookies," they are actually mini cakes. But even in France, where the madeleines originated, many chefs still call them madeleine cookies.
Madeleines are a French type of petite gateau or sponge cake, usually shaped like an elongated scallop shell. As teatime cakes, they are an essential part of French culture. Ladyfingers are French biscuits too, but they originated in Italy and were inspired by the sponge finger recipe of Catherine de Medici's pastry chefs. They are used to prepare delicious desserts such as Charlotte or Tiramisu.
Refrigerate the madeleine batter covered in contact with plastic film or a pastry bag for up to 2 days. Don't freeze it.
Keep madeleines in an airtight container, and they will stay fresh for up to 2 to 4 days.
No, the baked madeleines don't need to be refrigerated. Instead, you can store them at room temperature.
Love teatime cakes? Try these next!
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Recipe card
French Madeleines Recipe
This guide with the best madeleine recipe guarantees "humpy" homemade French madeleines that are perfect in shape, density, texture, and taste. Nothing beats these authentic madeleine cakes straight from the oven!
- Total Time: 1 hour (plus chilling time)
- Yield: 36 madeleines 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 250 g eggs (5 eggs), room temperature
- 1 cup + 1 ½ tablespoon (250 g) granulated sugar
- 8.8 oz (250 g) butter, melted
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ⅓ tsp (12 g) chestnut honey
- ½ vanilla bean
- 2 tsp (10 g) baking powder
- ½ lemon, zest
Want to make perfect madeleines? Grab this FREE FAQ Guide!
Instructions
- To make the batter, place eggs, granulated sugar, honey and scraped seeds of half of the vanilla bean in a large bowl and beat with a hand whisk. Sift flour and baking powder with a flour sifter. Add the flour mixture to the main preparation, and combine with a whisk. Add melted butter (it has to be cooled till 120 °F/50 °C) and whisk again. Zest half of a lemon with a zester grater, add to the butter mixture, and mix.
- Cover the batter with plastic film on contact and refrigerate overnight, or even better, for 24 hours. The plastic wrap must touch the surface of the batter and not cover the bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F/220 degrees C. Butter the cavities of the metal madeleine mold, dust it with flour, and tap any excess; there is no need to grease a silicone mold. Using a pastry bag, fill the cavities up to ¾.
- Bake at 425 degrees F/220 degrees C for 3 minutes. Then switch off the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. The madeleines will get that famous bump on top. Turn the oven to 320 degrees F/160 degrees C for the other 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove madeleines from the oven and cool in the mold for 5 minutes. Then, take them out one by one, simply pushing each cavity from the bottom. Next, place cakes on the side, still in the mold, so that they completely cool (do not use a wire rack to avoid its traces on the surface of madeleines).
Notes
- Replace chestnut honey with any other kind of honey.
- Replace vanilla seeds with ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract if you wish.
- Do not overheat butter while melting. To avoid this, turn off the heat when half of the butter is melted and mix butter off the heat.
- Replace lemon zest with orange or lime zest if you prefer.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F/220 degrees C and let it heat for 10 minutes. This step is necessary to get the bump of madeleines.
- Leave the filled mold in the fridge while preheating/heating the oven.
- Respect the temperature regimen while baking. The ideal temperature formula is 3 + 8 + 4 where "3" is 3 minutes of baking at 425degrees F/220 degrees C, "8" is 8 minutes with the oven switched off, and "4" is 4 minutes of baking at 320 degrees F/160 degrees C. You might need to test your oven and adjust this formula, for example, like 3 + 7 + 3 or something different. Adjusting the last baking minutes is essential to prevent madeleines from burning.
- Bake one batch of madeleines (one mold) at a time. After each batch, clean the mold, then bake the rest. Keep the batter in the fridge between batches' baking.
- For an exceptional tasting, serve madeleines immediately or store them in an airtight container for 2 to 4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 madeleine
- Calories: 112
- Sugar: 7.3 g
- Sodium: 27 mg
- Fat: 6.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.7 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 1.7 g
- Cholesterol: 41 mg
Keywords: madeleine, madeleines, madeleine cake, French madeleines, madeleine recipe, best madeleine recipe, how to make madeleines
The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator and is intended for informational purposes only and should be used as a general guideline. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should independently verify it using your preferred tool. Please, read the disclaimers in our Privacy Policy.
The recipe was adapted from http://www.niksya.ru. It was originally published in February 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.
Ginger Kiyomoto says
I just made these over the last two days as a baking project with a 2.5 & 5 year old. I browned the butter for them (too long of a process 😂). But they were able to mix the recipe (we left out zest), grease & flour the madeleine mold & even fill up a pastry bag (little help there). They had fun squeezing the batter out of the pastry bag too (I held, they squeezed). They do not take long to bake, so they saw them puff up in amazement! The best part is they thought they were super yummy!
★★★★★
Irina says
What a fun baking project you had with kids, Ginger! I am happy to hear that you all enjoyed making madeleiens! So sweet... Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Cassie meovon says
Hi, thank you for the detailed explanation! I was very satisfied reading it because you also included the reason why it's needed! But I was wondering, what exactly is the reason that the recipe needs honey as an ingredient? Is it the replacement for milk? If it is, can I substitute it with any other ingredients? Sorry for asking many questions, I love your post 😀 Thanks!
Irina says
Hello Cassie, since I adapted the recipe from the French pastry school, it is hard to answer why honey is included as an ingredient. I do not think that it replaces milk, though. I would replace it with maple syrup or golden syrup. I have never tested this way, but it should work. Please, let m know once you make madeleines. Happy baking!
Clarissa says
Hi Irina, how long did you whisk the egg and sugar? And when the batter finishes so, I don't need to cover the top of the bowl? Only the bottom? Thanks.
Irina says
Hi Clarissa, Thanks for your interest in the recipe. NO, you do not need to whisk the eggs with sugar until the mixture is whitish. Just whisk the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes with a hand whisk. And you need to cover the top of the bowl with plastic film, but the film has to touch the batter. It is called "to cover with plastic in contact." Let me know, please, if you have more questions!
Linh says
Hello, Firstly, thank you for the recipe and all the tips. I followed your recipe to the T but didn't achieve the hump, and it was rather dark and dry. I did not use a silicone pan but instead the non-stick metal pan. Just wondering whether the temperature differs for the metal pan?
Irina says
Hello Linh, I am sorry to hear that you didn't succeed in getting that famous bump. First, the baking regimen should be the same even you use a metal madeleine pan, but it has be adjusted to your oven (I mean the time to keep the oven heated, switched off, and the time to turn on again). It usually the play of 1-2 minutes. To achieve the bump, you should chill the dough for at least 2 hours, better overnight. I hope you didn't skip that step. Once you feel the pan with the batter, you should bake right away or keep the pan in the fridge. You should also preheat the oven, and it is even better to keep it heated for another 10 to 15 minutes. Then you should bring the pan with the batter to bake. Please, re-read the recipe post again and try to analyze at what step you made a mistake. Please, write me back to figure it out together. I am here to help!!!
Aeran says
Hi, just wondering if I could use cake flour instead of all purple flour? What do you think?
★★★★★
Irina says
Hi, Aeran thanks for your interest in the recipe. I understand that it makes sense to use cake flour to make these little cakes, but the recipe doesn't call for any starch that is part of the cake flour. So, I would recommend making the recipe using all-purpose flour, at least the first time. Then, once you succeed in madeleine baking, you will surely get the confidence to experiment. Happy baking!!!
Kristin says
This madeleines recipe is perfection! I’ve tried others, and this is by far the best. They taste and look gorgeous. Thank you!
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you so much for making the recipe, Kristin! I am happy to hear that the recipe worked for you. 🙂
Natalie says
Best ever instruction, success, after all, thank you!
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you very much, Natalie! I'm happy to hear that!!!
Hsu Lin Boyd says
Hi, I am going to try my hand at these. Unfortunately, the people I am making them for have a lot of health issues. So I have to sub the butter with walnut oil and significantly cut down on the amount of sugar. Usually, in cake making, one would usually mix all liquid ingredients together, the beaten egg, sugar mixture, and melted butter, then the flour last…. Why is it not so in this case? Sorry for the idiot question, but I'm just curious…
Irina says
Hello, thank you for your interest in the recipe. The sequence of ingredients is essential in baking, especially in French pastry making. The method of mixing ingredients (liquid plus dry ones) is a standard method of making muffins. French madeleines are different, but there is no universal order to incorporate ingredients while making a madeleine batter. For example, French chef Gilles Marchal mixes all the dry ingredients first, then adds the eggs, and finishes with melted, cooled butter. Another pastry chef Camille Lesecq combines first eggs, sugar, honey, and milk. Then, he adds "the brown butter, and finally, the flour sifted with baking powder and the liquid and powdered vanilla." The madeleine recipe on the blog is adapted from the school of another great French chef, Alaine Ducasse. I wouldn't suggest changing the order of ingredients for the best baking results. And I understand that you are trying to adapt the recipe. Unfortunately, I cannot guarantee the right texture of your madeleines, but I am curious if it works. It would be beneficial for my readers too. Please, share your baking results after you make madeleines! Thanks, and happy baking!