French Madeleines With Almonds and Apricot Glaze

These shell-shaped cakes are impressive yet easy to make. In this recipe, the buttery flavor of the madeleines is paired with an almondy sweet apricot glaze.

By
Nila Jones
Nila Jones is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Nila Jones
Nila Jones is a gutsy home baker-turned-blogger who secretly prefers cake batter over cake and who has made it her personal goal to demystify so-called difficult recipes so that everyone, even the most ignorant novice baker, can bake like a master baker. She ran her blog, The Tough Cookie, from 2013-2017.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated August 29, 2018
20150408-french-madeleines-with-almonds-and-apricot-nila-jones-4.jpg
Flavored with almond and brown butter, than glazed with apricot, these madeleines are wonderful warm out of the oven. . Nila Jones

French madeleines, the delicious shell-like tea-cakes, are an impressive dessert that also happens to be very easy to make. They're often flavored with vanilla bean (such as in this classic recipe) or citrus, such as lemon or orange, but in this recipe, the buttery flavor of the madeleines is paired with the slightly bitter taste of almond extract and a sweet apricot glaze. Vanilla is added for a touch of warmth, while the brown butter in the batter gives the madeleines a rich, complex flavor.

Why this recipe works:

  • Resting the batter for 50 minutes, then chilling it in the fridge for 10 minutes creates those cute signature humps.
  • By taking the cake pan straight from the oven and immediately inverting it over a baking sheet, the madeleines will fall out of the pan without sticking.

Note: Madeleines should be eaten the day they're made, and are at their best when fresh from the oven.

April 2015

This recipe was cross-tested in 2022 to ensure best results.

Recipe Details

French Madeleines With Almonds and Apricot Glaze

Prep 20 mins
Cook 18 mins
Active 20 mins
Resting Time 60 mins
Total 98 mins
Serves 4
Makes 16 madeleines

Ingredients

For the Madeleines:

  • 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (3.17 ounces; 90g), cubed, plus more for greasing

  • 2 large eggs (3 1/2 ounces; 100g), at room temperature

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces; 100g)

  • 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour (3.17 ounces; 90g)

  • 1 teaspoon (4g) baking powder

  • Pinch kosher salt

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (24g) milk

  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

  • 2 tablespoons (14g) shaved almonds

For the Glaze:

  • 3 tablespoons apricot jam or preserves (2 1/4 ounces; 63g)

  • 1 tablespoon (15g) water

Directions

  1. For the Madeleines: Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed and preferably light-colored medium saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until foaming subsides and butter starts to smell nutty and milk solids are a deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour brown butter into a heatproof container and set aside to cool.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk 1 egg with the sugar until pale yellow and thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Add flour, baking powder, and salt, and whisk until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining egg until the batter looks smooth. Add milk to the cooled (but still melted) brown butter and drizzle the mixture into the batter, whisking continuously. Whisk in the vanilla and almond extracts. Cover and set the batter aside for 50 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate for 10 minutes. 

  3. Preheat the oven to 390°F and adjust oven rack to middle position. Butter a madeleine pan and divide the batter evenly among the molds, filling them almost to the top. (There’s no need to smooth the batter, as it will even out as it bakes.) Sprinkle the shaved almonds on top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, 9 to 11 minutes. 

  4. Remove madeleines from the oven and immediately invert the hot pan over a cool baking sheet or a wire rack, gently rapping the pan to dislodge the madeleines. (Waiting for the madeleines to cool even slightly will make it difficult to remove them from the pan.) Set the madeleines aside to cool slightly.

  5. For the Glaze: Combine jam and water in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the jam loosens and melts into the water. Remove from the heat. Using a pastry brush, brush the shell-side of the madeleines with the glaze. 

  6. Serve warm or at room temperature. Madeleines taste best on the day they’re made, but you can keep them, stored in an airtight container, for up to 2 days.

Special equipment

16-cup madeleine pan

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
437 Calories
23g Fat
53g Carbs
7g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 437
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 29%
Saturated Fat 12g 62%
Cholesterol 142mg 47%
Sodium 189mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 53g 19%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 32g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 1mg 7%
Calcium 110mg 8%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 110mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

More Serious Eats Recipes