A madeleine is a small cake with a distinctive shell-like shape. It is traditionally made with flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and lemon juice, and is usually baked in a special pan with shell-shaped depressions.
Ingredients
- 125g butter
- 125g sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 200g flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of salt
- zest of 1 lemon
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add to the butter mixture and stir until well combined.
- Stir in the lemon zest.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cakes are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan.
Potential changes & improvements
There are many possible variations on the madeleine. For example, you could add chocolate chips, dried fruits, or nuts to the batter. You could also flavor the cakes with extracts other than vanilla, such as almond or orange.
What other food it works well with
Madeleines are often served with tea or coffee. They can also be served with fruit or ice cream for a more substantial dessert.
Common Mistakes
One common mistake when making madeleines is to over-mix the batter. This can result in tough, dry cakes. Another mistake is to use a pan that is not non-stick, which will make the cakes stick to the pan and be difficult to remove.
Nutritional Information
Madeleines are relatively high in calories and fat. Each cake contains approximately 100 calories and 5 grams of fat. They are also high in carbohydrates, with each cake containing about 17 grams of carbs.
Allergens
Madeleines contain gluten, eggs, butter, and milk. They may also contain nuts, depending on the recipe.