Prep Time : 15 mins | Cook Time : 10 mins | Total Time : 1 hour | Difficulty : Moderate
Hello my lovelies! What’s better than tiny buttery cake from France? Tiny buttery cake from France with sprinkles. And liquor. Don’t tell any french people though. They’d probably have a stroke.
It’s been pretty grey the last few days around here. We’ve been getting away with a very calm and mild winter so far. So we were due for a cold snap. Nothing perks you up more than warm cake filled with sprinkles. And I don’t know about you but if I’m gonna make little individual cakes I might as well make them kinda fancy. You bought those madeleine pans so let’s keep using them.
This recipe is simple to make and I like to make it using a hand held electric mixer. Now there is a lot of debate about how to get nice humps on your madeleines. I’ve found advice inconsistent when I’ve tested it so I just put my efforts into making them delicious to eat and any pro-level appearance is a bonus. This is adapted from my favourite recipe by David Lebovitz with most of the resting steps taken out – once sprinkles are in they can bleed so we just jump straight in. My two must dos are to butter AND flour the pans and chill them until you need them, and to only fill pans right before you put them in the oven.
Heat the oven to 220C (425F). A hot oven is the key to brown edges and the hope of humps on your madeleines. Butter and flour your pans carefully. If you don’t have madeleine pans just use a 24 well mini muffin pan.
Put the pans in the fridge or freezer to chill. Leave them in there until right before you are about to bake.
Melt the butter and set it aside to cool a little.
Whip the eggs, sugar and extracts until thick and pale.
Using a silicone spatula fold in the flour, baking powder and salt.
Fold the butter in 2 tablespoons at a time. It will only take a couple of folds to incorporate it each time and it’s easier than trying to do it all at once and getting that pesky pool of butter underneath that never seems to get picked up. Fold in the Amaretto and lemon juice.
Add the sprinkles and gently fold through. You can let the batter stand for up to 30 minutes now – it will help with forming humps but depending on your sprinkle brand colour could bleed through so it’s a calculated risk.
Scoop about a tablespoon into each well of one madeleine pan. Leave the other pan in the fridge/freezer. Bake the first pan straight away. I have found leaving batter to sit in the pans increases the chances of sticking.
Bake for 7 to 9 minutes until golden at the edges and springy when pressed in the centre. Leave the madeleines in the pan to cool for 5 minutes before rapping the pan on the bench and tipping the cakes out.
Repeat with the rest of the batter.
You can eat the naked cakes warm or wait a little and dust with icing sugar or drizzle with chocolate glaze. To make the glaze mix all the ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Then drizzle to your heart’s content.
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Amaretto Funfetti Madeleines
Prep Time : 15 mins | Cook Time : 10 mins | Total Time : 1 hour | Difficulty : Moderate
Makes : 2 dozen regular sized madeleines.
Buttery golden cakes filled with happy sprinkles and a dash of amaretto – perfect with coffee or tea.
Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup (140 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 + 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- large pinch salt
- 4 ounces (115 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur
- 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice
Optional Chocolate Glaze:
- 1/4 cup icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon dutch cocoa powder
- teeny pinch of salt
- water to mix
– If using metric cups, reduce volume measures by 1 tablespoon for every cup of dry or liquid ingredients –
Equipment:
- Hand-held electric mixer
- Bowls and a silicone spatula
- 2 x 12 well regular madeleine pans
- Small cookie scoop or a tablespoon to portion the batter
Directions:
Heat the oven to 220C (425F). A hot oven is the key to brown edges and the hope of humps on your madeleines. Butter and flour your pans carefully. If you don’t have madeleine pans just use a 24 well mini muffin pan.
Put the pans in the fridge or freezer to chill. Leave them in there until right before you are about to bake.
Melt the butter and set it aside to cool a little.
Whip the eggs, sugar and extracts until thick and pale.
Using a silicone spatula fold in the flour, baking powder and salt.
Fold the butter in 2 tablespoons at a time. It will only take a couple of folds to incorporate it each time and it’s easier than trying to do it all at once and getting that pesky pool of butter underneath that never seems to get picked up. Fold in the Amaretto and lemon juice.
Add the sprinkles and gently fold through. You can let the batter stand for up to 30 minutes now – it will help with forming humps but depending on your sprinkle brand colour could bleed through so it’s a calculated risk.
Scoop about a tablespoon into each well of one madeleine pan. Leave the other pan in the fridge/freezer. Bake the first pan straight away. I have found leaving batter to sit in the pans increases the chances of sticking.
Bake for 7 to 9 minutes until golden at the edges and springy when pressed in the centre. Leave the madeleines in the pan to cool for 5 minutes before rapping the pan on the bench and tipping the cakes out.
Repeat with the rest of the batter.
You can eat the naked cakes warm or wait a little and dust with icing sugar or drizzle with chocolate glaze. To make the glaze mix all the ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Then drizzle to your heart’s content.
Cook’s Notes:
- If you don’t like sprinkles (i.e. are devoid of a soul) you can leave them out. You can also reflavour this recipe however you like – just make sure you have a tablespoon of liquid (other liqueur or milk) and don’t add anything that will absorb liquid like cocoa or coconut. Perhaps lemon zest and Limoncello? Or a bit of brandy or scotch?
- The tiny amount of alcohol will cook off but if you’re worried about kiddos replace the Amaretto with a tablespoon of milk.
– These cakes are best the day they are made but are still good with a coffee another day or two –
Adapted from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz.
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