French Madeleines with a Proper Hump

Before you start

A madeleine is a small sponge cake baked in a scallop-shaped mold, eaten on the day it is made. The batter is close to a génoise enriched with melted butter, but it is leavened partly with baking powder, which is what produces the famous bump on the back.

That bump comes from contrast. A thoroughly chilled batter goes into a cold, well-buttered pan and then into a hot oven. The edges set quickly while the center is still cold and runny, so the leavening has nowhere to go but up through the middle. Resting the batter for at least an hour also thickens it and evens out the crumb. Skip either step and you get flat little cakes that still taste good but lack the look.

Ingredients

• 100 g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter — plus 1 tbsp softened butter for the pan
• 2 large (about 100 g) eggs — room temperature
• 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp (20 g) honey
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• Pinch fine salt
• 100 g (¾ cup plus 1 tbsp) all-purpose flour — plus 1 tbsp for the pan
• ½ tsp (2 g) baking powder
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar — for dusting (optional)

Method

1. Melt 100 g butter in a small saucepan over low heat, then let it cool until barely warm, about 35°C (95°F). Hot butter will deflate the eggs.
2. Whisk the eggs, sugar, honey, lemon zest and salt in a bowl for about 3 minutes with a hand mixer, or 5 minutes by hand, until pale, thick and falling from the whisk in a ribbon.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder over the eggs and fold them in gently with a spatula until no dry streaks remain.
4. Pour the cooled butter down the side of the bowl and fold it in until the batter looks glossy and uniform. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
5. Brush the molds generously with softened butter, dust with flour and tap out the excess. Put the prepared pan in the freezer for 10 minutes. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) with a rack in the center.
6. Spoon or pipe the cold batter into the center of each mold, filling it about three-quarters full (roughly 20 g each). Do not spread it; it levels in the oven.
7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are deep golden, the humps have risen and the tops spring back when touched.
8. Tap the pan sharply on the counter to release the madeleines and turn them onto a rack, scalloped side up. Wipe, butter, flour and chill the pan again before baking the rest of the batter. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Tips for success

• A metal pan conducts heat fast enough to set the edges quickly; silicone molds rarely give a strong hump.
• Brown the butter instead of just melting it for a nutty flavor. Strain it and weigh out 100 g after browning.
• Madeleines are best within an hour of baking, while the edges are still crisp. Bake them close to serving time.

Substitutions

Honey

Use an extra tablespoon of sugar. The madeleines brown a little less and stale slightly faster, since honey holds moisture.

Lemon zest

Orange zest, ½ teaspoon vanilla paste or a pinch of ground cardamom all work. Keep any flavoring light so the butter comes through.

All-purpose flour

Cake flour gives a finer, more tender crumb but a slightly weaker hump. Use the same weight.

Variations

Chocolate-dipped

Dip the scalloped side of cooled madeleines in 100 g melted dark chocolate and let them set on parchment.

Glazed lemon

Whisk 60 g powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and brush it over the warm madeleines for a thin, crackly glaze.

Troubleshooting

No hump on the back

The batter or pan was not cold enough, or the oven was too cool. Chill the batter for at least an hour, freeze the buttered pan and confirm the oven reaches 200°C with a thermometer.

Madeleines stick in the molds

The molds were under-buttered or the flour coat was patchy. Brush every ridge with soft butter, dust with flour and tap out the excess, and re-butter between batches.

Dry, tough cakes

They were overbaked or the flour was overmixed. Pull them as soon as the tops spring back and fold the flour in just until it disappears.

Overflowing, misshapen shells

Too much batter per mold. Fill only three-quarters full; the batter spreads and rises a lot in the heat.

Storage

Madeleines are best eaten the day they are baked. Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days; they soften as they sit. Freeze baked madeleines for up to 1 month and warm them at 160°C (325°F) for 3 to 4 minutes.

Safety notes

Contains wheat, egg and milk. The batter contains raw egg and flour, so do not taste it before baking.