Lemon French Madeleines Cakes

Name: Lemon French Madeleines Cakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 63 min
Ingredients: 1 cup butter (room temperature); ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 g); 2 medium lemons zest; 1 tbsp vanilla extract; 3 egg yolks; 2 large eggs; 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (240 g); 2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt

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This easy Madeleine recipe will have you whipping up Madeleines like a pro in no time! There’s no complicated techniques so you’ll love these Lemon French Madeleines Cakes. They’re perfectly golden, light and airy!

We love Madeleines around here — they’re soft, they’re light, and they’re delicious! While a lot of people may classify this as a dessert, we have them whenever we feel like, from alongside a cup of coffee or after dinner!

Want to try more delicious desserts? Try my Chocolate Chip Cheesecake or my Easy Shortbread Peppermint Cookies.

What Are Madeleines?

So what are Madeleines? You might see them labeled as Madeleine cookies as well as Madeleine cakes. Madeleines are very small sponge cakes and what makes them uniquely them is that they’re baked in a pan that leaves them like a shell-like shape! You can call them a cookie or a cake but they’re technically a cake!

While you might see them in stores packaged up, Madeleines are best served freshly baked while they’re still warm. They do last for a couple of days but fresh warm Madeleines are amazing.

Close up of lemon french madeleines cakes on a sheet pan with powdered sugar dusted over top.

Why You’ll Love This Lemon French Madeleines Cakes Recipe

They’re easy! French desserts have a rap where they’re difficult to make but you’ll master these Madeleines in no time. They’re not very fussy and can be made effortlessly if you follow my steps down below.
They’re the perfect for afternoon tea. They go so well with coffee or tea and they’re absolutely adorable.
They’re family friendly. They’re the type of dessert that everyone in the family can agree upon!

What You’ll Need for Lemon Madeleines

Overhead image of ingredients for lemon Madeleines.

Butter — I always recommend unsalted butter as you don’t want your lemon Madeleines to come out too salty.
Granulated Sugar
Lemon Zest
Vanilla Extract — I highly recommend you use real vanilla extract and not artificial extract.
Egg Yolks
Eggs
All purpose flour
Baking powder
Salt

How to Make Lemon Madeleines

Preheat the oven: to 350°F.
Prepare the pan and dry ingredients: Spray the baking pan with baking spray or brush with butter and sprinkle with some flour. Tap out the excess flour. Then sift twice all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder.
Prepare the wet ingredients: Place butter, sugar, zest, and vanilla into the bowl of your electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment on. Beat on medium high for 5-7 minutes. Add your egg yolks and eggs in 2 additions. Mix just until incorporated.

A mixing bowl with sugar, butter, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.

Combine the ingredients: Add your dry ingredients one half at a time. Mix just until incorporated, but don’t over mix.
Chill the mixture: Put the mixture into a sturdy pastry/piping bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Piping bag beside an empty Madeleines pan.

Lemon madeleines batter inside of a pan.

Add the batter to the pan: Pipe butter into the Madeleine pan as shown on the picture. Do not overfill.

Freshly baked lemon madeleines inside of the baking pan.

Bake: Bake for 10-15 minutes until the lemon French Madeleines cakes are light golden color on the sides. Let cool before sprinkling with powdered sugar. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Lemon Madeleines Recipe Tips and Notes

If you don’t plan on eating them immediately, skip sprinkling with powdered sugar.
Do not skip chilling the batter. Doing so helps the Madeleines rise tall when in the oven.
After chilling the dough, the butter will be a bit hard. To help ease squeezing it out of the pastry bag work the bag with your hands for a few seconds and start piping the butter.

Recipe FAQs

Can I Make This Ahead of Time?

I like my lemon French Madeleines cakes fresh and warm but they do last for up to 3 days if you want to make it ahead of time. Alternatively, if you’d like to have fresh Madeleines but don’t have time to make it the day of, you can make your batter and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Then you can bake it the day of.

How Do I Store Leftover Madeleines?

Place your Madeleines in an airtight container and store them in the fridge. Do not dust with powdered sugar if you are planning to store them.

How Do I Reheat Madeleines?

I suggest just bringing your Madeleines to room temperature instead of reheating to avoid drying them out. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Can I Freeze Madeleines?

Yes! After baking them, skip the powdered sugar and allow them to cool completely. Wrap them up in wax paper or plastic wrap and then store it inside of an airtight container and freeze. Thaw the night before you plan on serving and then bring to room temperature and dust with powdered sugar.

Do I Need a Madeleine Pan?

Unfortunately, yes. A Madeleine pan is essential for this. Without the pan, you won't be making the unique scallop/sea shell shape of the little cakes. I prefer metal pans and don't recommend silicone pans.

Close up of lemon madeleines on a sheet pan with powdered sugar dusted over top.

More Dessert Recipes You Might Like

I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious Lemon French Madeleines Cakes recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it and share it with your friends and family!

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