Madeleines
Small Shell-Shaped Butter Cakes
A madeleine is at its best for about ten minutes after it leaves the oven, when the edges are still crisp and the middle is soft. The batter is quick, but it must be chilled before baking: the cold batter meeting a hot oven is what makes the hump on the back.
Raymond Blanc's recipe whisks two eggs with 80 g of sugar and a little honey, folds in 70 g of flour with baking powder, then 75 g of melted butter, lemon zest and vanilla. The batter is chilled for at least one to two hours and baked at 180°C for six to seven minutes, or eight to nine for a crisper cake.
A British chef's version uses browned butter and a hot sugar and honey syrup, and bakes for longer.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggs
- 80 g caster sugar
- 5 g honey (1 scant tsp)
- 70 g plain flour
- 4 g baking powder (1 level tsp)
- 75 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus extra melted butter for the tin
- Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Method
- Make the batter Whisk the eggs, sugar and honey for 2 minutes until pale and frothy. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold in. Fold in the melted butter, lemon zest and vanilla until smooth.
- Chill Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours. Brush the madeleine tin with melted butter and chill that too.
- Bake Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Fill each mould about two-thirds full; do not spread the batter. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes for soft cakes, 8 to 9 for crisper edges, until risen with a hump and golden at the rim.
- Serve Tap the tin on the worktop to release the cakes and serve warm.
Bake in batches and eat them straight away. They stale within hours.