Name: Homemade Madeleines Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 130 g homemade cake flour, see notes; 2 eggs; 8 tbsp {1 bar} unsalted butter, organic preferred; 90 g cane sugar, organic unrefined preferred; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1/4 tsp salt, such as Himalayan pink salt; 1 lemon zest; 1 tbsp sweet rice flour or; 1 tbsp rice flour

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Madeleines are one of my all-time favorite treats. These lemony, buttery, bite-sized sponge cakes are deliciously satisfying—perfect to pair with my morning chai tea for breakfast.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how easy these are to make at home with just a handful of ingredients: cake flour, eggs, butter, sugar, and a pinch of salt.

homemade Madeleine recipe {Easy Yummy Healthy Way}

Fun Facts About Madeleines

The Madeleine is a traditional French sponge cake with a distinctive shell-like shape, often flavored with lemon zest. As a true sponge cake, Madeleines do not require baking soda – Their light, airy texture comes from perversely beating the eggs and butter.

It’s important not to melt the butter into liquid; instead, soften it just enough to beat with a hand mixer. Keep your eggs chilled until you’re ready to whisk them with the softened butter. This way, the cold eggs will break the butter into small bits that melt during baking, creating those perfect airy pockets.

Legend says the first Madeleine appears to be created in the middle of the 18th century.

Lucky for us, the shell-shaped baking pan makes it easy to recreate this classic French cake at home. I also recommend using an electric hand mixer to help with beating the batter to the prefect consistency.

Tips and Tricks for Perfect Homemade Madeleines

Tip #1: Make Cake Flour at Home in Advance

Cake flour is essential for creating soft, delicate cakes. The good news? You don’t have to buy it separately.

If you already have your favorite organic all-purpose flour on hand, all you need to do is steam it for 10 minutes. This old-fashioned trick was widely used in China when resources were limited. The heat weakens (denatures) the gluten proteins, making the flour less glutinous – closer to cake flour – and better for tender baked goods.

I use a bamboo steamer lined with double-layered organic cheesecloth and a cast iron wok to make homemade cake flour. After steaming, let the flour cool and dry completely before pressing & rolling it back into powder form. Store it in an airtight glass jar, and you’ll have cake flour ready for all your cake projects.

Tip #2: Prepare the Madeleine Pan Before Baking

Use a flour sifter to dust a generous layer of sweet rice flour or rice flour over the baking pan, ensuring all cavities are evenly coated. This creates a natural, non-stick surface that releases your madeleines perfectly.

Tip #3: Blend the Batter Properly

Remove the butter from the refrigerator well in advance to soften it completely. You can also use a microwave to soften the butter. When using a microwave, be careful not to overdo it – we want to soften the butter, not melt it into a liquid.

Use a electric hand mixer to blend wet ingredients for cake batter first

Use an electric hand mixer to blend all the wet ingredients thoroughly. Then sift in your homemade cake flour and a dash of salt (I always use Himalayan pink salt).

With a silicone spatula, gently fold the flour into the batter. Be careful not to overmix – this is the key to keeping your madeleines tender.

Finally, fold in your freshly grated lemon zest.

homemade Madeleine batter in the mixing bowl

Tip #4 Baking Your Madeleines

Don’t worry about the shape of the batter when filling the pan – simply add enough to fill each cavity completely

This recipe makes exactly one dozen (12) Madeleines using a standard 12-cavity madeleine Pan. I almost always bake two dozen at a time, so my photos show double batch.

Divide the batter evenly among the cavities. If you’re unsure, fill each cavity about 80% full on your first pass, then distribute the remaining batter evenly.

Baking Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 375^o F(190^o C) and bake for 9 minutes.
Reduce the temperature to 350^o F(177^o C) and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

freshly baked Homemade Madeleine in the baking pan

Enjoy Your Homemade Madeleines!

These delicious, wholesome madeleines are perfect fresh from the oven or enjoyed throughout the week. Happy baking!

Homemade Madeleines Recipe

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Madeleines are one of my all-time favorite treats. These lemony, buttery, bite-sized sponge cakes are deliciously satisfying—perfect paired with my morning chai tea for breakfast.

Ingredients

130 g homemade cake flour, see notes
2 eggs
8 tbsp {1 bar} unsalted butter, organic preferred
90 g cane sugar, organic unrefined preferred
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt, such as Himalayan pink salt
1 lemon zest

For brushing the Madeleine Pan:

1 tbsp sweet rice flour or
1 tbsp rice flour

Instructions

This recipe makes a dozen (12) Madeleine cookies.
Use a flour sifter to dust a generous layer of sweet rice flour or rice flour over the baking pan, ensuring all cavities are evenly coated. This creates a natural, non-stick surface that releases your madeleines perfectly. Do not worry about the rice flour dusk on the surface of the pan. they will not burn during the baking process.
Add all the wet ingredients - including 2 eggs, cane sugar, vanilla extract, and softened butter - into a mixing bowl. Use an electric hand-held mixer to vigorously blend everthing together.
Sift in the homemade cake flour and salt. Use a silicone spatula to gently combine and fold the flour and salt into the batter. Remember not to overwork the flour and avoid mixing in circles - this can make the batter dense and doughy. If there are lumps of flour, use an egg whisk to gently break them apart.
Wash and dry the lemonm, then use a zester to zest the peel and add it to the batter. Gently fold it in.
Use a large spoon to scoop a heaping amount of batter and add it to the previously dusted cavity. This recipe makes 12 madeleines. Don't worry about the shape - they will settle into shape on their own during baking. Just loosely fill each cavity all the way to the top.
Preheat the oven to 375°F {190°C}, and bake on the middle rack for 9 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 350° F {177° C}, and bake for another 5 minutes.
Once the edges starts to brown, the madeleines are ready. Turn off the oven and remove the pan. Let them cool slightly, then take the madeleines out of the pan and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Notes

I almost always double the recipe to make two dozens at a time.
Homemade cake four using organic all-purpose flour is easy, yummy and nutritious. I use my homemade cake flour for all my cake projects.