Madeleines

Recipe from "The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts"

Adapted by Annemarie Conte

Updated March 10, 2025

Madeleines
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Total Time
2 hours
Rating
4(601)
Comments
Read comments

It seems you can’t write about madeleines without mentioning Marcel Proust, whose words in “Remembrance of Things Past” will forever tie the two together. Old Marcel was right — one bite is a full-body flood of fabulous sensation. Ignore the store-bought pale lumps that pass for madeleines here in America and make your own. These are adapted from “The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts,” which was put together by the French Culinary Institute. They are soft, buttery orange cakes that are light and moist on the inside, but have a satisfyingly crispy edge. —Annemarie Conte

Featured in: A Real Madeleine

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Ingredients

Yield:12 to 15 little cakes
  • 4½ounces sugar
  • 3¾ounces all-purpose flour, sifted
  • ½teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 2large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3¼ounces unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • Butter and flour for molds
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (14 servings)

130 calories; 7 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 35 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl, stirring with a wooden spoon to blend. Add the zest. Stir in the eggs, mixing just to combine. You do not want to incorporate too much air into the batter. Finally, stir in the butter.

  2. Step 2

    Cover the bowl with plastic film and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until well chilled. The chilling is important, as it makes the batter easier to pipe and ensures a higher rise during baking. At this point, the batter may be stored, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days.

  3. Step 3

    Butter and flour the madeleine molds.

  4. Step 4

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

  5. Step 5

    Immediately transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitting with a #5 plain tip and pipe into the prepared molds. Bake the madeleines for about 7 minutes (about 11 minutes for larger cakes), or until the cakes spring back in the center when lightly touched.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
601 user ratings
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Comments

Amy DiLaura

I didn't sift the flower the second time and it didn't really matter. I am Nine and the recipe was simple to follow. I would make them again.

e

Sugar 1/2 c minus 1T
Flour 1/2 c minus 2 t
Butter 3 T

courtney

Made half a batch, but that didn't fill up my one tray mold. The batter was very thick after 1 hour in the fridge and I ended up over filling the molds. Molds only need to be about half full.

jbsf

The madeleines turned out well, but why are the ingredients listed partly as weights and partly as volumes? Had to look up the conversion of ounces of sugar, flour, and butter into cups and tablespoons. Would be nice if NYT could put these in parentheses. I used a scant 1/2 c sugar, scant 1/2 c flour, 6.5 T butter, and the rest as listed, including zest of a medium/large navel orange. Also, no need to pipe it into the pan! Just spoon it. Also no need to sift!

Mary S

My 5-year-old son said, "Mom, make this for me EVERY DAY."

Cathy

I used a table spoon to drop the dough into the mold. I kept the filled mold in the fridge until the oven was ready. They rose beautifully. It took more than 7 minutes. I wasn’t sure about the cooling process and they stuck a little. The second patch were smaller, cooked longer and cooled longer. The second batch turned about a little smaller, browner and popped out of the mold more easily.

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Credits

Adapted from "The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts"

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