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Chocolate madeleines dusted with icing sugar in a pan with a sieve.

Chocolate Madeleines

Chocolate madeleines are delicate French butter cakes with a signature shell shape and a light dusting of icing sugar. Fluffy, moist, lightly sweetened and chocolaty, these cookie-like cakes are the perfect treat to serve with afternoon tea.

Course brunch, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine French
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 16

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter (1 stick), melted and cooled slightly
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup all purpose flour sifted
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa sifted
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted, for coating pan
  • ½ cup icing sugar for dusting madeleines

Instructions

  1. Melt ½ cup butter and set it aside to cool slightly while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

  2. With an electric mixer with a whisk attachment at medium-high speed, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla for 5 - 6 minutes until creamy, thick and bubbles are evident.

  3. Into a medium bowl with a sieve, sift the flour, salt and cocoa.

  4. Reduce the mixer speed to a gentle low speed. Gradually add the sifted flour and cocoa mixture to the wet ingredients, beating tenderly until blended, scraping down the sides as necessary. Do not over mix so as to ensure the tiny bubbles created in the egg mixture don’t pop.

  5. With the mixer still at a gentle low speed, slowly drizzle in ½ cup melted butter while beating tenderly just until combined. The batter will become smooth, thick and shiny and resemble a mousse-like batter. Gently transfer the batter to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 60 minutes up to 2 days.

  6. Meanwhile, during the last 15 – 20 minutes of chilling time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter and generously brush the cavities of a madeleine pan, ensuring you get into the crevices. Reserve the remaining butter for the next batch.

  7. Without stirring the cold batter, spoon about 1½ to 2 tablespoons of batter into the centre of each cavity. No need to spread the batter as it will fill the mold as it bakes. Cover and refrigerate any remaining batter for the next batch.

  8. Bake for 9 - 12 minutes without opening the oven door, until puffed and lightly golden. The cakes should look set and lightly spring back when touched. Because the batter is chocolate, it is difficult to check for brownness, so take care not to over bake. Cool the cakes in the pan for 1 minute then unmold them to a rack to cool completely.

  9. Wash up the pan, dry it, and let it cool before proceeding with the next batch. Repeat process with the remaining batter, brushing the pan again with melted butter.

  10. Cool cakes completely before dusting lightly with icing sugar. Madeleines are best enjoyed when freshly baked.

Recipe Notes

  1. Melt butter first to allow it to cool slightly, and ensure eggs are at room temperature.
  2. Recipe lacks baking powder but rather uses beaten eggs for leavening; beat eggs and sugar for the required time and the tiny air bubbles that form are what allow the cakes to rise.
  3. Sift flour, salt and cocoa together which creates a more delicate batter; then add flour mixture slowly on low speed and mix just until combined without over mixing; treat the batter gently so as not to pop the tiny bubbles formed in the beaten eggs.
  4. Add melted butter slowly and mix on low speed just until the batter becomes, smooth, thick and shiny; do not over mix as this will cause any air in the batter to deflate and result in dense cakes.
  5. Treat batter gently at all times so any air created in it (batter will have a mousse-like texture) does not deflate which could cause the cakes to rise less.
  6. Gently transfer batter to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow it to chill and thicken. Do not stir the cold batter so as not to disturb any air in it.
  7. Butter the cavities of a madeleine pan really well by brushing with melted butter; you don’t want the cakes to stick, and ensure the oven is fully preheated to 350 degrees F.
  8. Use a cookie scoop to dispense cold batter into the centre of the shell cavities to ensure even sized cakes; the batter does not have to fill the cavities or be spread into the cavities; it will fill in as it heats up and bakes.
  9. If baking in batches, keep any unused batter covered in the refrigerator until needed and ensure the pan is clean and completely cooled before buttering and filling it again for the next batch.
  10. Do not open oven door until the cakes are almost done baking; doing so will change the oven temperature and may cause them to deflate.
  11. The cakes are done when they are set and lightly spring back when touched with a finger; since the batter is chocolate it can be difficult to gage the brownness so be careful not to over bake.
  12. Cool the baked cakes for 1 minute in the pan, then unmold them to a rack to cool completely; this will ensure they don’t trap steam and get soggy.
  13. Cool the cakes completely before dusting them with icing sugar.