Lemon madeleines are a cute French small cake, a real classic French recipe. Typically they have humps which form as they bake. This lemon madeleine recipe is simple and delicious.
What are madeleines?
If you haven’t come across them before, madeleines are a small French cake baked in a shell-shaped tin. One side takes on the shell shape with impressions from the tin, the other side often has a dome shaped hump that forms as they bake!
Some people seem to think they are cookies made in a special pan, but no, these are cakes. In France they are often paired with a black coffee for breakfast or at tea time in the afternoon.
They are normally baked in Commercy in the Lorraine region of North East France, which is where I spent a year working in a school as a student.
These little cakes may have been named after a maid called Madeleine Paulmier who worked for Stanislas, the duke of Lorraine, and wowed the royal court with the sweet treat in the 18th century, making them a hit across the country.
Madeleine tin
Another reason I love to make madeleines is I can use my vintage madeleine tin. Just love it! This tin was a find on eBay. I have to make sure I prepare it well by buttering and flouring the tin to avoid sticking though.
If you want to invest in one for your kitchen then this Amazon non-stick option would be great.
I love making madeleines, they are so simple and yet so tasty. I like to stick to simple flavours, so vanilla and lemon madeleines are a favourite.
These lemon madeleines are as easy to make as fairy cakes, and very tasty. It really only takes five to ten minutes to prepare them, then they are also very quick to bake, so you can be enjoying them so soon!
Ingredients
For this classic French cake you will need the following ingredients. See the recipe below for the quantities and step by step directions.
- caster sugar
- eggs
- plain flour
- butter
- baking powder
- vanilla extract
- lemon zest
- icing sugar – to dust over before you serve
More to try
If you like French baking why not try:
- Pistachio, Cardamom and Rose Financiers
- Chocolate Eclairs with Cranberry and Pistachio
- Almond Petit Fours
Lemon Madeleines
Ingredients
- 100 g caster sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 100 g plain flour
- 100 g butter melted
- 0.75 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- zest of a lemon
- Icing sugar to dust
Equipment
Instructions
- Prepare the tin with a little melted butter and preheat the oven to 180.
- Whisk the sugar and eggs until frothy.
- Lightly whisk in the rest of the ingredients.
- Leave to stand for 10 minutes. Then pour carefully into the tin.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until risen and firm in the middle.
- Cool in the tin for a few minutes, then carefully remove from the tin.
- Dust with icing sugar to serve.
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