When I think of Madeleines first that comes to mind is French Patisserie, sitting down in a Cafe in Paris having breakfast and enjoying these beautiful buttery sponges with a lovely coffee. Madeleines are these buttery French sponges rather cute scallop-shaped little cakes that can be eaten in just one big mouthful. This classic recipe for Madeleines couldn’t be more delicious, or easier to make.

Like most home baked cakes these are no comparison to the mass production ones you can easily get in the shops, they cost so little to make and in term of time to make these, they can be prepared in advanced and baked fresh. I find by the time my coffee or tea is brewing Madeleines are ready at the same time (9-12 minutes to bake). 

My love for adding exotic spices to my food does not stop in any way, and here I decided to add two of my favourites in these Madelaines – and oh boy they tastes amazing. It’s that festive taste that comes through these buttery sponges which I have been enjoying with “masala chai”.     

Ingredients Makes 24 Madeleines

• 200gms all purpose flower
• 2 eggs
• 75gms granulated sugar (if you don’t want to use dark sugar just increase the white sugar by another 25gms)
• 25gms dark muscavado sugar (I like the texture of dark Muscavado Sugar in baking it gives a festive warm flavour and a lovely colour to the cake)
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ½ Vanilla pod – seeded
• ½ tsp teaspoon baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 100 gms butter, melted and cooled

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190 C / Gas mark 5. Grease and flour 24 Madeleine moulds.
2. In a medium bowl using an electric mixer on high speed, beat eggs sugar until light and pale in colour. Add the vanilla seeds, cardamom powder whisk all thoroughly.
3. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Sift 1/4 of the flour mixture over the egg mixture, gently fold in. Continue to fold rest of the adding 1Tbs at a time. Then fold in the melted and cooled butter. You will end up with a very smooth batter.
4. Cover the bowl and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours, this helps the Madeleine to rise. You can leave the batter overnight in the fridge (which is what I do, and bake them in the morning nice and fresh to accompany a lovely cup of tea or coffee)
5. When ready to bake spoon batter into the prepared moulds, filling 3/4 full.  I use  a wooden skewer to pass through the batter so I make sure the mould is evenly filled. Give the tray a little tap before baking.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 12 minutes or until the edges are golden and the tops spring back. It’s always so rewarding to see the hump as the little cake rises.
7. These Madeleine will cool down very quickly and should be very easy to unmould. Leave to further cool down on a wire rack. Sift icing sugar over the tops.
8. Store in an airtight container, they will keep well for a few days.

Brinda’s Note: Madeleine will keep well for a few days in an airtight container. You can add any flavour of your choice such as lemon zest, vanilla essence, almond, etc.