Lemon Madeleines

This recipe for Lemon Madeleines yields soft and delicate finger cakes with a robust and zingy lemon flavor and a white chocolate coating for some extra sweetness and texture!

There’s nothing better than taking a bite out of a fluffy treat! Make these white chocolate dipped madeleines as a sweet snack or light dessert. Great to serve with tea or coffee, these mini sponge cakes are a French delight.

With a distinct lemon flavor and some added richness from a white chocolate coating, these shell-shaped treats will be sure to impress family, guests, and even yourself! Bust out the madeleine pan and whip up a batch of these fun and delicate cakes!

And for another dessert with a tasty chocolate coating, make these White Chocolate Rum Truffles!

Why You’ll Love White Chocolate Covered Madeleines with Lemon

Easy to make but impressive to look at, these mini sponge cakes are going to become your new go-to dessert for parties, cocktail hour, tea time, and more!

They’re flavored with distinct citrus ingredients and have a fluffy, delicate texture. An added layer of white chocolate provides some sweetness to balance it all out.

With a madeleine pan (this one is perfect), it’s surprisingly easy to bake these shell-shaped cakes and make an impressive dessert worthy of any French pâtisserie.

Serve with additional wedges of lemon to really make the citrus flavor pop. Wow all of your friends with these lemon madeleines!

Chocolate Madeleine Ingredients

Lemon Madeleines

• Unsalted butter – melt and cool the butter for best results, and be sure to have some extra on hand to grease the pan.
• Large Eggs – help form your madeleine batter.
• Egg Yolk – adds extra yellow pigmentation and contributes to a rich flavor and satisfying texture.
• Granulated Sugar – for some sweetness.
• All-Purpose Flour – great for making these classic sponge cakes.
• Lemon Zest – provides a distinct and noticeable citrus flavor.
• Baking Powder – gives your madeleines a nice fluffy texture.
• Salt – a classic ingredient in baked goods that adds balance and helps make the flavors pop.
• Lemon Juice – fresh lemon juice works best, but bottled or store bought can be substituted in a pinch.

White Chocolate Coating

• White Chocolate – gives your cakes some visual interest as well as an added dimension of sweet flavor.
• Coconut Oil – helps stabilize the chocolate while melting and thins it out enough for easy dipping.
• Optional: lemon or orange liqueur*

 

Lemon Madeleine Recipe

1. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to break up any clumps.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with egg yolk on medium-high speed until very pale yellow, forming ribbons, and more than doubled in volume.
   

   Be sure to beat the eggs and sugar well for a nice fluffy texture.

3. Gently stir the lemon zest and juice into the egg mixture.
   

   Using both lemon zest and lemon juice ensures lots of zingy lemon flavor.

4. Fold in the flour mix in four additions, incorporating gently and breaking up any pockets of flour without deflating the air too much.
   

   Stir in the flour mixture a bit at a time to ensure everything incorporates well.

5. Stir in the unsalted butter (melted) until fully incorporated. Cover and allow to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).
   

   Giving your batter time to rest will ensure fluffy and delicate cakes.

6. While batter is resting, preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush melted butter into a madeleine pan (or mini muffin pan). Dust with flour and pour out any excess.
7. When ready to bake, scoop a heaping tbsp of batter into each well. No need to level it out, it will do so as it bakes.
   

   Use a special madeleine pan to take all the hard work out of making fun-shaped cakes!

8. Bake for 9-12 minutes until golden brown at the edges and bounces back in the center when lightly touched.
   

   Once golden, your madeleines are ready to cool for the next step!

9. Allow to cool for 3-5 minutes in a pan. Use a paring knife to work around the edges and pop the cakes out to cool completely. If you still have more batter and only one pan, clean the wells out and recoat with butter and flour to bake a second batch.
   

   Setting them on a rack will help speed up the cooling process.

10. Once cakes are completely cool, prepare white chocolate coat. Break the white chocolate into small pieces and combine in a microwave safe bowl with the coconut oil. Microwave for 30-40 seconds until starting to melt, then 15 second bursts until mostly melted. Stir to finish melting and create a smooth chocolate.**
    

    Be patient when microwaving your white chocolate to ensure it doesn’t burn or seize up.

11. If using liqueur, add it now, stirring gently.
12. Holding the madeleines at an angle, dip them half in the melted chocolate, shake off the excess and set on a wire rack to firm up to room temperature.
13. Alternatively, you can just drizzle the chocolate over the cakes in a zigzag.

 

Lemon Madeleines FAQs

How do you eat lemon madeleines?

You can eat these lemon madeleines as-is if you like, just pick them up and enjoy! You can also serve them with tea, gelato, jam, or yogurt.

How long do madeleines last?

When it comes to madeleine shelf life, your best bet is to store them in an airtight glass container. Plastic will also work, but you run the risk of softening the cakes. To really keep them fresh, line the bottom of the container with a paper towel and add a few cubes of sugar–this will absorb excess moisture.

Store at room temperature for 2-4 days. If you need to keep lemon madeleines for longer than that, I recommend storing them in the freezer.

 

Why are they called madeleines?

The story of these cakes’ name is that Louis XV in 1755 was so charmed by the cakes made by baker Madeleine Paulmier that he named them after her. His wife later introduced the cakes to the court in Versailles and they soon became a staple.

 

Popular Variations and Substitutions

• For extra sweetness and presentation, dust your lemon madeleines with some confectioner’s sugar.
• Lemon Poppy Seed Madeleines – Add a tablespoon of poppy seeds to your batter to give it a speckled look and a slightly nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with the lemon.
• Chocolate Madeleines – Instead of lemon juice and zest, use a tablespoon or two of your favorite cocoa powder.
• Orange Madeleines – Substitute orange juice and orange zest for the lemon. You could also do some combination of the two for a unique citrus blend.

 

More Recipes You’ll Love

• White Chocolate Dipped Strawberries – Have chocolate left over? Buy a carton of fresh strawberries and decorate to your heart’s content!
• White Chocolate Bark – It only takes 4 ingredients to make this delicious chocolate bark flavored with instant coffee.
• Strawberry Shortcake Shooters Dessert – Your guests will adore these individual dessert cups with a fresh and fruity flavor.
• Cream Puffs – To maintain the theme of French desserts, make these light and tasty treats from Sugar Spun Run!

 

Lemon Madeleine Recipe

Yield: 20 Madeleines

Lemon Madeleines

Print

Make these fluffy and elegant lemon madeleines with a delicate layer of melted white chocolate for a refreshing treat!

Prep Time 35 minutes

Bake Time 10 minutes

Resting Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled (plus more for pan)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tbsp lemon zest
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• White chocolate coating:
• 4 oz white chocolate
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Optional: 2 tsp lemon or orange liqueur*

Instructions

1. In a small bowl combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir to break up any clumps.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, egg yolk, and sugar on medium-high speed until very pale yellow, forming ribbons, and more than doubled in volume.
3. Gently stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice.
4. Fold in the flour mix in four additions, incorporating gently and breaking up any pockets of flour without deflating the air too much.
5. Stir in the melted butter until fully incorporated.
6. Cover and allow to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).
7. While batter is resting, preheat the oven to 375°F.
8. Brush melted butter into a madeleine pan (or mini muffin pan). Dust with flour and pour out any excess.
9. When ready to bake, scoop a heaping tbsp of batter into each well.
10. Bake for 9-12 minutes until golden brown at the edges and bounces back in the center when lightly touched.
11. Allow to cool for 3-5 minutes in a pan. Use a paring knife to work around the edges and pop the cakes out to cool completely.
12. Once cakes are completely cool, prepare white chocolate coat.
13. Break the white chocolate into small pieces and combine in a microwave safe bowl with the coconut oil.
14. Microwave for 30-40 seconds until starting to melt, then 15 second bursts until mostly melted.
15. Stir to finish melting and create a smooth chocolate.**
16. If using liqueur, add it now, stirring gently.
17. Holding the madeleines at an angle, dip them half in the melted chocolate, shake off the excess and set on a cooling rack to firm up.
18. You can also just drizzle the chocolate over the cakes in a zigzag.
19. These taste the best eaten the same day but can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days.
    

Notes

• *If adding the liqueur, add another 1-2 tsp coconut oil.
• **Alternatively you can melt them in the top of a double boiler (or a heat safe bowl over a pan of simmering water). Do not allow the water to touch the bottom of the bowl.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

20

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 125Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 43mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 1g