Madeleines: Rose, Honey & Lavender or Vanilla & Lemon

Madeleines are delicious, small sponge cakes with a distinctive shell-like shape. They are super easy to make and once you nail the basics you can create a multitude of flavours; the options are endless. They look so pretty piled up on plates and are a great addition to any afternoon tea or party. You can also eat them in two bites which I think gives you the perfect excuse to eat more. I have chosen to share two flavours with you here but try other combos such as orange & honey, coffee & walnut or pistachio & white chocolate. Yum!

Serves: 18 cakes per flavour

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 1 hr (plus 2 for lavender milk)

Ingredients

Rose, Honey & Lavender

  • 100g plain flour
  • 100g butter
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp runny honey
  • 1 level tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp rose essence
  • 1 tbsp dried lavender
  • 3 tbsp whole milk
  • 200g icing sugar
  • Purple food colouring

Vanilla & Lemon

  • 100g plain flour
  • 100g butter
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 lemon (zest & juice)
  • 1 level tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • Icing sugar for dusting

Madeleines: Rose, Honey & Lavender or Vanilla & Lemon

Madeleines are delicious, small sponge cakes with a distinctive shell-like shape. They are super easy to make and once you nail the basics you can create a multitude of flavours; the options are endless. They look so pretty piled up on plates and are a great addition to any afternoon tea or party. You can also eat them in two bites which I think gives you the perfect excuse to eat more. I have chosen to share two flavours with you here but try other combos such as orange & honey, coffee & walnut or pistachio & white chocolate. Yum!

Method

For the Rose, Honey & Lavender Madeleines

  1. Start the icing a couple of hours before you make the cakes. Heat the milk and dried lavender in a small saucepan until it comes to a gentle simmer. Remove from the heat and leave for 2 hours or more to infuse.
  2. After 2 hours strain the lavender milk and set aside for the icing.
  3. In a bowl add 200g icing sugar and then the milk, start with 2 tbsp adding more liquid as required. Mix until you have a smooth consistency, it should resemble single cream.
  4. Finally add a few drops of the purple food colouring until you end up with a lavender coloured icing. Set aside until ready to ice the cakes.
  5. To make the madeleines start by melting the butter and honey together in a small saucepan; remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
  6. In a medium sized bowl beat together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
  7. Next add the flour and baking powder to the mix and beat until incorporated.
  8. Finally add the cooled melted butter with honey and the rose essence. Whisk lightly one last time until everything has been mixed in and you have a batter the consistency of double cream. Leave to stand for 30 mins.
  9. While the batter is resting butter two 12 hole madeleine trays and dust lightly with flour (you can make the cakes in 2 batches if you only have the one tray). Heat the oven to 180°C (fan).
  10. Once the batter has rested start to fill the prepared madeleine trays using a spoon. Make sure the mix comes just under the rim; you don’t want to overfill the moulds.
  11. Pop the cakes in the oven for 10 – 12 mins until well risen in the centre.
  12. Once the cakes have risen remove the trays from the oven and drop them a couple of times from a short height on to your worktop; this loosens the madeleines and makes them easier to remove. Once the cakes have been released from the tin place them on a wire rack to cool.
  13. After allowing the cakes to cool they are ready to ice. I like to drizzle the icing over so that it drips down the side of each cake and then finish with a few extra sprinkles of dried lavender for decoration.
  14. Best within an hour or 2 of cooking.

For the Vanilla & Lemon Madeleines

  1. Start by melting the butter in a small saucepan; leave to cool slightly.
  2. In a medium sized bowl beat together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Next add the flour and baking powder to the mix and beat until incorporated.
  4. Finally add the cooled melted butter, vanilla essence and the finally chopped zest and juice from one lemon. Whisk lightly one last time until everything has been mixed in and you have a batter the consistency of double cream. Leave to stand for 30 mins.
  5. While the batter is resting butter two 12 hole madeleine trays and dust lightly with flour (you can make the cakes in 2 batches if you only have the one tray). Heat the oven to 180°C (fan).
  6. Once the batter has rested start to fill the prepared madeleine trays using a spoon. Make sure the mix comes just under the rim; you don’t want to overfill the moulds.
  7. Pop the cakes in the oven for 10 – 12 mins until well risen in the centre.
  8. Once the cakes have risen remove the trays from the oven and drop them a couple of times from a short height on to your worktop; this loosens the madeleines and makes them easier to remove. Once the cakes have been released from the tin place them on a wire rack to cool.
  9. Once cooled dust with icing sugar and serve.

To plate:

Tumble on to plates and pile high, they look as pretty as a picture. The plates I’ve used in the photography can be found at: Nom Living and Joanna Howells

madelain