Looking for a delicious and fancy French treat? Chocolate Madeleines are delightful little cookie-like cakes with a signature shell shape dusted with icing sugar. They are the perfect treat to serve with your afternoon tea.
Madeleines are delicate French butter cakes with an airy, sponge-like batter. They have a pretty shell-like shape on one side and the other side sports a domed hump. Bite into one of these mini butter cakes infused with cocoa and you get a little crispness on the outside and on the inside, a fluffy, moist texture with a light chocolate flavour. They’re a lovely treat that melts in your mouth and tastes like a cookie and cake all in one.
Known as one of France’s sweet delicacies, chocolate madeleines with their characteristic shell shape are just like those you’d get in a French bakery. Now you can make them at home by simply following this easy chocolate madeleine recipe that includes the essential tips you need.
Why These are the Best Chocolate Madeleines
- Excellent taste and texture. Crunchy on the edges, with an airy, chocolaty interior and buttery taste. A touch of confectioner’s sugar sprinkled on adds a little extra sweetness. These hand held cakes look so impressive and are hard to resist.
- Easy to make. There are just 5 essential ingredients in these little chocolate cakes that bake up in 10 minutes: eggs, sugar, flour, cocoa and butter. They’re not difficult to create, simply follow the steps given and you’ll get fantastic results.
- Perfect for gift giving. Bundle up these pretty little cakes in cellophane bags, spruce up the bags with curling ribbon and a tag and they’re ready for giving. They’ll be the most appreciated homemade gift.
- Ideal for many occasions. Elegant looking French madeleines are lovely to serve for brunch, English tea parties, bridal showers, birthday parties, Valentines Day, tea time or dessert. Or why not just treat yourself to an afternoon snack?
Ingredients Needed to Make French Chocolate Madeleines
(Ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post).
- Butter – Use unsalted butter which gets melted for the recipe.
- Eggs – Eggs should be at room temperature.
- Granulated sugar – The cakes are lightly sweetened with sugar.
- Vanilla extract – Flavours the batter and compliments the chocolate flavour in the cakes.
- All purpose flour – Use unbleached all purpose flour to give the cakes the best crumb.
- Salt – Use kosher salt which enhances the flavour of the batter.
- Cocoa – Standard unsweetened cocoa powder or Dutch process for a nice chocolate flavour.
- Icing sugar – Also know as confectioners’ or powdered sugar, for dusting the baked cookies.
How to Make Chocolate Madeleine Cakes
(Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.)
- Melt the butter and set it aside to cool slightly.
- Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed for 5 – 6 minutes until creamy, thick and bubbles form.
- In a medium bowl sift flour, salt and cocoa.
- On low speed gradually add flour and cocoa mixture to the wet ingredients without over mixing.
- On low speed gradually drizzle in the butter without over mixing.
- The batter will look smooth, thick and shiny with a mousse-like texture, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.
- Scoop 1½ - 2 tablespoons of batter in the centre of the buttered cavities of a madeleine pan.
- Bake the madeleines for 9 – 12 minutes until puffed and lightly golden.
- The chocolate madeleines will bake with a signature domed shape hump.
Frequently Asked Questions
In order to achieve the iconic shell shape of these authentic French petite cakes, you do need a scalloped madeleine pan. You can purchase one in many kitchen shops or online. If you can’t locate one of these special pans, then this recipe can be made in a mini muffin pan to create soft, buttery cupcakes. They will have the same great texture and taste, but won’t be as pretty as those with the distinctive shell-shape.
Madeleines are actually light and fluffy butter “cakes” but since these cakes are such a small size, they are often referred to as cookies.
The cakes get their lift from the process of how air is created in the batter and how the cakes are baked. Beat the eggs and sugar for a few minutes until tiny air bubbles form. Add flour mixture gradually to the beaten eggs on a gentle low speed to ensure the tiny bubbles created don’t pop. Melted butter should be poured in slowly and mixed on a gentle low speed just until combined. Treat the batter gently at all times so any air created does not deflate which could cause the cakes to rise less. The batter will have an almost mousse-like texture. Refrigerate batter for 60 minutes or more to chill and thicken before baking. Baking cold thick batter reacts with the shock of the hot oven and allows the cakes to rise higher and faster. This correct process will ensure puffy, airy madeleines that rise with the signature hump.
The batter is thick when you finish mixing it. It needs to be refrigerated for 1 hour or longer to chill and it will thicken substantially more when chilled.
Set the timer for the lowest time range given and check for doneness. Time may vary depending on the size of the cakes and on your oven. Madeleines are done when they look set and lightly spring back when touched with your finger. With chocolate batter it is difficult to gage the brownness because they are already brown, so be careful not to over bake them.
The hump is a signature characteristic of well baked madeleines. The cold batter that touches the pan on the bottom starts to bake and set first before the heat reaches the centre. Once the heat reaches the centre, the centre batter reacts and creates a burst of steam that causes the cakes to rise, resulting in a hump.
Little air holes on the surface of the baked cakes means you achieved the perfect, fluffy, airy madeleines! The small holes are a result of the air bubbles that were created when beating the eggs and sugar. As the cakes bake, the air escapes from the batter and leaves little holes resulting in a perfect tender crumb and airy cakes.
Pro-Tips for Making The Best Chocolate Madeleine Batter
Follow these steps to ensure you create the perfect batter:
- Melt butter first to allow it to cool slightly and ensure eggs are at room temperature.
- Recipe lacks baking powder but rather uses beaten eggs for leavening; beat the eggs and sugar for the required time and the tiny air bubbles that form are what allow the cakes to rise.
- Sift flour, salt and cocoa 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.
- 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.
- 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, and become less tender.
- 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.
Pro-Tips for Achieving Perfectly Baked Chocolate Madeleines
Follow these steps to achieve perfectly baked madeleines:
- Butter the cavities of a madeleine pan really well by brushing with melted butter so the cakes won’t stick, and ensure the oven is fully preheated to 350 degrees F.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Cool the cakes completely before dusting them with icing sugar.
Make Ahead, Store, Freeze and Serve
- Make ahead: You can mix the batter up to 2 days ahead and keep it refrigerated. The day you need them, fill the Madeleine tin cavities and pop the cakes in the oven. This will ensure the freshest madeleines.
- Store: Madeleines are always best eaten the day baked, however, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. The crisp edges will soften after the cakes are stored, but will still taste good. To store cakes for a longer time, follow the freezing directions given.
- Freeze: Immediately after the cakes are cooled and dusted with icing sugar, they can be frozen in an airtight container with a sheet of parchment paper between each layer, for up to 3 months. To thaw cakes, arrange them on a cooling rack in one layer and leave to thaw at room temperature for 2 – 3 hours.
- Serve: Madeleines are best enjoyed fresh the same day they are made.
If you’re not a fan of chocolate then you can try my Lemon Madeleines recipe.
Recipe
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.
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
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Melt ½ cup butter and set it aside to cool slightly while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
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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.
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Into a medium bowl with a sieve, sift the flour, salt and cocoa.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Cool cakes completely before dusting lightly with icing sugar. Madeleines are best enjoyed when freshly baked.
Recipe Notes
- Melt butter first to allow it to cool slightly, and ensure eggs are at room temperature.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Cool the cakes completely before dusting them with icing sugar.
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