Genoise Madeleines

These Genoise Madeleines are made with a traditional sponge cake batter and are baked in a pan with scallop-shaped cavities. They are perfect little tea cakes just right for dipping. 

These cakes are light and airy, but pretty sturdy at the same time. They are made with the same batter you might use to make lady fingers or little sponge cakes for shortcakes. 

Madeleines gained their claim to fame in France thanks to Marcel Proust, who wrote about them in his novel, Rememberance of Things Past. Also, evidently they got their name from the original baker, whose name was Madeleine. 

These were the the first ones I made, after which I was bitten by the Madeleine bug and have since made them with maple pecans, pumpkin, pistacchio, hazelnut, and chocolate hazelnut. These genoise Madeleines are the most traditional. 

Ingredients for These Madeleines:

All Purpose Flour: The recipe calls for bleached all purpose flour. I used unbleached all purpose flour which worked fine. Some recipes call for cake flour, which is what I used the first time I made these back in 2013. 

From the Pantry: Granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla. 

Eggs: Whole eggs, room temperature. You will need to beat them on high speed with the sugar for about three minutes until they are pale and thick. 

Butter: Melted and cooled. 

Lemon Zest: There is only a hint of lemon flavor in the final cakes. The zest simply brightens and brings out the buttery and vanilla flavors. 

Baking Powder: The most traditional genoise will rely totally on the eggs for leavening and omit the baking powder. I've tried it both ways and the recipe works without the baking powder by adding a bit more egg yolk. It's a bit of a high wire act and the difference in the cake is very minimal. 

Process to Make These Madeleines:

For something that had intimidated me, these Madeleines were pretty easy. You begin by making a genoise, a batter that is leavened by beating air into eggs and sugar, and then gently folding in the flour and butter. In this case, I also included baking powder. 

First, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. In the bowl of a stand mixer, rub together the sugar and lemon zest with your fingers. 

Next, add the eggs to the sugar mixture and beat the mixture on high speed for about three minutes, until everything is pale and thick. 

After that, very gently fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture and then fold in the melted butter. 

At this point, cover the batter with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least three hours. 

When you are ready to bake, spoon the batter into a 12-cavity Madeleine pan and bake them in a 400 degree oven. 

Finally, turn them out onto a wire rack and let them cool slightly. When you are ready to serve them, dust them with confectioners' sugar. 

Make Ahead Tips: 

These little cakelets are best the day they are made but you can keep them in an airtight container at room temperature between layers of wax paper for a couple of days. You can also freeze the cookies for up to 30 days. 

Another make-ahead option is to make the batter and keep it in the refrigerator for up to two days. I've even heard that the longer you chill the batter, the more likely you will have success in achieving the signature "bump" on the underside of the Madeleines. 

P.S. My most successful "bump" was with these Pistacchio Madeleines. I can't tell you what the difference was, but it was a lot of fun to see when they emerged from the oven. 

Equipment You Will Need:

Madeleine Pan: The first time I made these cakelets, I used a nonstick pan that was slightly dark. This resulted in a much darker crust (photo after the recipe). They tasted just fine, and didn't require a lot of prep for the pan, but if you want a paler, more delicate look, try to find a lighter colored pan. 

Since then, I've tried several pans and have ultimately accumulated five pans, including a traditional one that is light colored but not nonstick, so it requires more prep with butter and flour before baking so that the cookies will release. 

I still have a couple of darker nonstick pans, but I tend to ignore them. I'm really happy with the U.S.A. pan and have used it a lot. Of course, I couldn't resist the Williams Sonoma gold version, my newest acquisition, and used it to make these. While I haven't tried them, Amazon has an inexpensive look-alike version. 

I can't help myself!

For measuing and scooping the batter into the pan's cavities, I used the tablespoon from a set of Cuisipro measuring spoons. it works very nicely with a mini rubber spatula for scraping out the batter into the pan. 

To Prepare the Pan:

If you are using a nonstick pan, spraying it with spray oil is sufficient. If you pan is not nonstick, prepare it by buttering it and then dusting it with flour. 

Sunday Funday - Sponge Cake:

This week, the Sunday Funday group is sharing recipes for sponge cakes. August 23 is National Sponge Cake Day, and Mayuri of Mayuri's Jikoni has asked us to share our favorite recipes! 

• Blueberry Swiss Roll from A Day in the Life on the Farm 
• Busy Woman's Sponge Cake from Our Good Life 
• Genoise Madeleines from Karen's Kitchen Stories 
• Lime Sponge Cake from Sneha's Recipe 
• Mini Victoria Sponge Cakes from Amy's Cooking Adventures 
• Mixed Berry Sponge Cake from Mayuri's Jikoni

Genoise Madeleines

Yield: 12 cookies

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 22 MinCook time: 13 MinInactive time: 3 HourTotal time: 3 H & 35 M

These Genoise Madeleines are made with a traditional sponge cake batter and are baked in a pan with scallop-shaped molds. They are perfect little tea cakes just right for dipping. 

Ingredients

• 2/3 (3 ounces) cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• Freshly grated zest of one lemon
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• About one tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a small bowl, rub together the sugar and lemon zest with your fingers.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a medium bowl with a hand mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar mixture for about 3 minutes on high speed, until pale and thick. Beat in the vanilla.
4. Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture with a rubber spatula until blended. Fold in the melted butter. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the mixture and place in the refrigerator for three hours and up to 2 days.
5. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 400 degrees F and prepare a 12-cavity standard-sized Madeleine pan (see post above). Spoon the batter into each cavity to just fill it. The batter will settle into the cavities as it bakes.
6. Bake the cookies for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and the tops spring back when gently touched. Remove the pan from the oven and turn out the Madeleines by tapping the edge of the pan on the counter and letting them fall onto a wire rack. You can gently remove any recalcitrant ones. Arrange the cookies on the wire rack.
7. When ready to serve, lightly dust the cakelets with confectioners' sugar.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

125

Fat (grams)

7 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

4 g

Carbs (grams)

15 g

Fiber (grams)

0 g

Net carbs

14 g

Sugar (grams)

9 g

Protein (grams)

2 g

Cholesterol (grams)

46 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2013/04/genoise-madeleines-tuesdays-with-dorie.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

Madeleines, genoise, sponge cake

dessert

French

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Recipe adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. For the version without baking powder (pictured below), check out Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan.