These lemon madeleines are perfectly tangy, made with fresh lemon juice and zest! They are so moist and soft, while lightly crispy on the outside. You can make the madeleine batter in 10 minutes without whipping eggs!
Jump to:
- Perfectly Tangy Lemon Madeleines
- Can I omit the lemon glaze on the surface?
- Easy Lemon Madeleines - no need to whip eggs!
- Tips For Lemon Madeleines Ingredients
- Choose the Right Madeleine Pan
- 5 Tips for Making Perfect Lemon Madeleines
- How to Make Lemon Madeleines
- VIDEO: Watch How To Make It!
- Uses For Lemon Madeleine
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Lemon Desserts
- Madeleine Recipes
- Perfectly Tangy Lemon Madeleines
Perfectly Tangy Lemon Madeleines
As a lemon dessert lover, I love lemon desserts when the tanginess and sweetness perfectly marry each other without getting too intense or mild. And I focused on it most when making this lemon madeleine recipe. The bright natural lemon flavor spreads into your mouth, just like my lemon pound cake and lemon cookies.
Can I omit the lemon glaze on the surface?
I get this question often, but I HIGHLY recommend icing the madeleines with it to achieve the perfect tanginess.
It also prevents the madeleines from getting dry quickly and adds the amazing light crispiness. I think you'll know what I'm talking about after trying one!
Easy Lemon Madeleines - no need to whip eggs!
You do not need to whip eggs to make this easy lemon madeleine recipe, just like my vanilla and chocolate madeleines. You can make the madeleine batter in easy steps in just about 10 minutes by just whisking the ingredients in a bowl! And I love that it only takes about 10 minutes to bake these little treats!
Tips For Lemon Madeleines Ingredients
Madeleine batter
- Unsalted butter - Butter adds rich flavor and moist texture. Use brown butter for a deeper taste!
- Lemon zest - The aroma of lemon is enhanced by the zest. Do not zest the lemon too deeply - The white part below the yellow skin is very bitter!
- Granulated sugar
- Salt - It gives more depth to the flavor.
- Honey - It helps to keep madeleines moist. It also helps to caramelize the surface more.
- Whole eggs - They help create a fluffy texture with baking powder.
- Cake flour - The texture gets fluffier with cake flour. Use all-purpose flour instead if you can't get it.
- Baking powder - Baking powder is needed to let the cake rise more in the oven, since we do not whip the eggs.
- Lemon juice - Preferably use fresh lemon juice. You can use regular lemons or Meyer lemons.
For a madeleine pan
- Butter - A little bit of butter is needed to grease the pan. Leave it at room temperature in advance to soften it.
- All-purpose flour - Dusting flour on top of the butter makes it easier to take the cakes out of the pan. It also creates more even caramelization on the surface. I recommend using all-purpose flour or bread flour since they are less lumpy and spread more evenly than cake flour.
Lemon glaze
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon juice
- Water
Choose the Right Madeleine Pan
Using the right madeleine pan is important for making beautiful-looking madeleines. Use a steady, non-stick madeleine pan so madelaines come off easily. I recommend not compromising the quality since it can affect how evenly the surfaces get browned.
What is an alternative to a madeleine pan?
You can use other non-stick pans for mini treats, such as a cupcake and a financier pan. Adjust the baking time accordingly. Be careful not to pour the batter too deep, as the cake gets denser with the weight.
5 Tips for Making Perfect Lemon Madeleines
Follow the five important tips for making lemon madeleines successfully with iconic humps on top!
Tip 1. Use warm, melted butter.
Heat the butter enough to prevent it from solidifying while mixing with other ingredients. It should feel very warm when you touch it. (104 - 122ºF or 40 - 50ºC)
Tip 2. Chill the madeleine batter in the refrigerator.
By chilling the batter, the glutens in the flour get rested more, which helps the cake to rise more in the oven. The cold batter also creates bigger humps on top of Madeleines in the oven due to the temperature gap.
Tip 3. Chill the prepared pan until right before use.
The coated butter gets hard by chilling it, which creates more even, beautiful golden brown caramelization on the surface of the madeleines. Bake the batter right away before the greased butter gets soft!
Tip 4. Use a piping bag to divide the batter into a pan.
Although it's not a must, you can divide the batter more easily and evenly by doing so. The madeleine humps get smaller when it's not filled enough, and the cake spreads widely when it's filled too much.
Tip 5. Be careful not to overbake them.
Overbaked madeleines feel more dry. Take out the pan as soon as the top of the madeleine stops bubbling. To be most accurate, touch it gently and see if it feels dry.
How to Make Lemon Madeleines
Madeleine batter
- Mix lemon zest, sugar, and salt in a large bowl with a whisk.
- Add eggs and honey. Whisk well. There is no need to beat eggs.
- Add sifted cake flour and baking powder to the egg mixture. Whisk until smooth.
- Add warm, melted butter. Whisk well.
- Add lemon juice and mix. Switch to a rubber spatula at the end and scrape off the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure the batter is evenly mixed.
- Let the batter rest in the fridge for 3 hours (Longer is better to create bigger humps on top of madeleines).
Prepare the madeleine pan.
- Meanwhile, grease the pan with a thin layer of soft butter and dust all-purpose flour on top. Shake the pan and ensure all the surface is covered with flour. Flip the pan and toss it on the counter to remove the excess flour. Chill the pan in the fridge until right before use. Preheat the oven to 395ºF (201ºC).
Bake them.
- Pipe the batter into the prepared molds using a piping bag. Fill up to about 85% of the capacity of the shell.
- Turn the oven temperature down to 365ºF (185ºC) and bake them for 8 - 10 minutes until the humps bounce back gently when touched. Detach the cakes from the pan while they are hot. Touch them gently since they are very soft. Let them cool before coating the lemon glaze.
Lemon glaze
- Mix powdered sugar, lemon juice, and water in a small bowl until smooth.
- Coat it thinly on top of the madeleines with a pastry brush.
- Line them on a baking sheet and bake them at 302ºF (150ºC) for 1 minute to let the surface dry and add a slightly crispier texture.
VIDEO: Watch How To Make It!
Watch this video to learn how to make lemon madeleines visually and have a deeper understanding of each step!
Don't forget to subscribe to me on YouTube if you liked it 😉
Uses For Lemon Madeleine
Enjoy delicious homemade lemon madeleines on many occasions, such as:
- Afternoon tea snack: The little cakes are a perfect match with a cup of tea or coffee.
- Morning treats: Having freshly baked, delicious madeleines in the morning puts us in a great mood to start the day! The refreshing lemon scent spreads in the room.
- A gift: These easy yet fancy treats are perfect to gift to someone special. They'll be surprised to find out you made them!
Frequently Asked Questions
When you are not eating them within that day, wrap them with plastic wrap or bag each of them in small plastic gift bags. Store them in an airtight container.
Store them at room temperature or in the fridge, whichever you like:
- At room temperature: for up to a few days (in a shaded, cooling place).
- In the fridge: for up to 5 days
Yes! You can make the batter ahead and bake it later as needed. You can make it up to 1 - 2 days ahead.
- Cause 1: The batter was not rested enough in the fridge before baking. Rest the batter before using it, ideally for more than 3 hours.
- Cause 2: The heat of your oven was too strong or weak. See if you need to adjust the temperature.
- Cause 3: The scaling was off. Make sure the quantities of ingredients are exact. I recommend using weight measurement to be most precise.
The classic madeleine is a small French butter cake, baked in a shell-shaped mold. The origins of the Madeleine are said to date back to the 18th century in Commercy and Liverdun, two communes of the Lorraine region of France. Madeleine is one of the most beloved French desserts, as well as cream puffs, eclairs, crème brûlée, and opera cake.
Although it's sometimes called "cookie" due to its small bite-size look, it is technically a small butter cake that is designed to stay soft and moist inside. The ingredients are similar to a pound cake or other types of butter cakes, but they are normally larger.
More Lemon Desserts
Are you a lemon dessert fan?🍋 Try other delicious lemon recipes!
- Lemon pound cake
- Lemon cookies
- Lemon meringue tart
- Lemon cake filled with Lemon curd and frosted with Lemon buttercream Frosting
- Lemon mousse
- Lemon creme brulee
Madeleine Recipes
If you love lemon madeleines, try other madeleine recipes!
💬 Did you try this recipe? I'd like to hear your feedback! I also love hearing how you enjoyed it for your special occasion. If you have a question, leave it in the comment section below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!
Perfectly Tangy Lemon Madeleines
Equipment
- Bowl
- Sieve
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Pastry brush to grease butter and coat icing
- Piping bag optional
Ingredients
Madeleine Batter
- 100 g (7 Tablespoons) Unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 medium lemon Lemon zest
- 80 g (⅖ cup) Granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 20 g (1 Tablespoon) Honey
- 110 g (2 large eggs) Whole eggs
- 100 g (⅚ cup) Cake flour
- 3.5 g (¾ teaspoon) Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
Lemon Glaze
- 50 g (⅜ cup) Powdered sugar
- ½ Tablespoon Lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Water
NOTE: For best results, measure ingredients with a scale. All recipes are designed with weighed ingredients using grams/ounces. Cup measurements (US customary units) are provided for your convenience.
Instructions
Madeleine Batter
- Whisk lemon zest, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.1 medium lemon Lemon zest, 80 g Granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon Salt
- Add eggs and honey. Whisk well. There is no need to beat eggs.20 g Honey, 110 g Whole eggs
- Add sifted cake flour and baking powder. Whisk until smooth.100 g Cake flour, 3.5 g Baking powder
- Add warm, melted butter. Whisk well.100 g Unsalted butter (melted)
- Add fresh lemon juice and mix. Switch to a rubber spatula at the end and scrape off the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure the batter is evenly mixed.1 teaspoon Lemon juice
- Let the batter rest in the fridge for more than 3 hours.Meanwhile, grease the pan with a thin layer of soft butter and dust all-purpose flour on top. Ensure all the surface is covered with flour, flip the pan, and toss it on the counter to remove the excess flour. Chill the pan in the fridge until right before use. Preheat the oven to 395ºF (201ºC).
- Using a piping bag, pipe the batter into the cold prepared pan. Fill the shell up to 85 - 90% of the capacity.
- Turn the oven temperature down to 365ºF (185ºC) and bake them for 8 - 10 minutes until the humps bounce back very gently when touched. Detach the cakes from the pan while they are hot. Let them cool before coating the lemon glaze.
Lemon Glaze
- Mix powdered sugar, lemon juice, and water in a small bowl until smooth.50 g Powdered sugar, ½ Tablespoon Lemon juice, ½ teaspoon Water
- Coat it thinly on top of the madeleines with a pastry brush.
- Line them on a baking sheet and bake them at 302ºF (150ºC) for 1 minute to let the surface dry and add a slightly crispier texture.
Video
Notes
How to store it:
When you are not eating them within that day, wrap them with plastic wrap or bag each of them in small plastic gift bags. Store them at room temperature or in the fridge:- At room temperature: for up to a few days (in a shaded, cooling place).
- In the fridge: for up to 5 days
Alma says
This is by far the best recipe for madeleines. A crispy bottom and light inside with a perfect bump.
I followed the recipe and refrigerated it for 2 hours. The lemon glaze was the cherry on top. Next time I will double the batch, they’re so good!
Aya Caliva says
I'm so glad you loved it!!! Thank you for sharing.
Karl says
Can you substitute the cake flour for all purpose flour? If so, what would the recommended ratio be?
ayacaliva says
Hi! I believe it's possible. I'm sorry to say I can not give you the exact ratio since I have not tried it before. I would personally reduce a bit - maybe 1 Tbsp, and see if it works.
Farzana Sedillo says
This recipe was absolute perfection Aya. First time making Madeleines and I was so happy with the results. The tips and tricks, like buttering and flouring the pan then placing in refrigerator, made a big difference. I immediately started the batter for a second batch when the first batch was devoured in minutes. I also made your lemon meringue tart and looking forward to trying even more of your recipes!
ayacaliva says
Thank you!! I'm so glad you liked it. Thanks for sharing the experience!!
Elena says
Hi! I made madeleines for the first time ever, using your recipe, and they turned out perfect! Light and lemon-y, what a delight. Thank you so much ❤️
ayacaliva says
Thank you for sharing the result! I'm happy to hear that😊 Great job!
Elizabeth McBurnett says
Aya- Hi
Thank you for your wonderful recipes! I have been using your lemon madeleine and vanilla Madeline recipes. Both have been spot on are wonderful! Do you have a brushed chocolate glaze that would work on the vanilla madeleine? We love the lemon glaze on both. I have looked at you tempered chocolate, and will try it - I’m worried about having to wait an hour for it set up. This would be time consuming for a large quantity.
ayacaliva says
Hi! Thank you for trying them, and I'm really glad you liked them! I don't have the chocolate icing recipe ready now, but you probably can make one by mixing cocoa powder in basic loyal icing. I would use egg whites or egg white powder instead of lemon juice, though!
You may not need to wait for the coated tempered chocolate to set for one hour; it could take just about 30 minutes or less, especially when using the fridge. I personally like to wait for longer, just in case!
Cloe says
Just tried the recipe, it is incredible ! It was my first time making madeleines, they were incredibly moist and soft, the flavor profile was 10/10 (buttery, lemony…)… I baked one batch immediately after making the batter and a second one 24h after ; can confirm that the domes won’t form unless you let the batter chill for a bit.
Just a question : i have a tin mould, and it was a pain to get the madeleines out. I tried with butter the first time, then with oil. Do you have any tips ? Maybe flour + butter next time ?
Thank you for this amazing recipe, have a nice day !
ayacaliva says
Hi! Thank you, I'm so glad to hear that! About your question,
yes, dusting flour at the end should solves the problem. I normally coat soft butter, sift all-purpose flour all over the surface (shake the pan to ensure it's coated evenly.), and toss the pan to remove the excess. Chilling the pan in the fridge/freezer until right before use helps to create more beautiful, evenly browned surface. If that didn't work, that may be the problem of the pan, but a regular non-stick pan should do the job!
JL says
Aya, thanks so much for your wonderful and detailed recipes! I am new to your channel. I kudos you in making the videos. Your English is very clear to me.
For the lemon madeleine recipe, if I skip the lemon icing, I don't need to add 1 extra minute of baking time without the icing, correct?
Where should I put the baking pan in the oven? Middle rack or a rack higher or lower than the middle rack?
After I try this recipe, I will add the rating.
Thanks!
ayacaliva says
Thank you! I appreciate you for watching my videos as well! About your questoins,
Yes, you don't need to. But the madeleines might not be citrusy enough if you skip the icing. I recommend trying it if you like enough tangy flavor!
And I feel like the madeleines rise a bit better with a rack higher than the middle (one rack higher than the middle rack) since the heat is coming from the top with my oven: I feel the stronger heat push the cake more before it gets cooked although I use a fan in the oven.
But I am not exactly sure of this yet and this can change depending on the ovens, so that is why I didn't really mention of it in the post. You may want to try the position as well if you have an electric oven like mine.
I hope it works fine!!
JL says
Dear Aya your lemon madeleine recipe is a big hit for my family! It is the best I have tried for madeleine.
Aneta says
Hello. Oven should be with a fan or not? Like up and down ?
It is quite important.
Thank you.
ayacaliva says
Hi! I always bake with a fan. With a convection setting. I prefer it but you can still bake them without a fan.
The heat comes from the top for my current oven, so I tend to bake it on the middle rack, not so far away from the heat. With my older gas oven, near the bottom rack was working better, I think. I hope you'll play around with yours and find the best position!
Aneta K. says
Thank you for your response. I prefer to bake with a fan too, but I'd rather ask, because a lot of recipes has up/down option and then I need to figure out what would be for my cake. Thank you. BTW, I tried once, but without coating. I'll try again. Excellent recipe ❤️
ayacaliva says
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!