April 12, 2021

Glazed Lemon Madeleines

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Glazed Lemon Madeleines are simply delightful to serve at your next tea party or possibly a Mother’s Day Brunch. Small bite-sized sponge cakes topped with a zesty lemon glaze. They’re adorable. Sweet. And delicious.

(Post modified on 7/15/23.)

Some people refer to these sweets as cookies, but rather they are little buttery sponge cakes baked in a scalloped shell-shaped pan. While this recipe is glazed, you will often see them sprinkled with powdered sugar.

I finally tried making Madeleines this past year when I purchased a baking pan especially made for them. I went with the USA brand, simply because I like that brand, and also because it served 16 rather than 12. So this recipe pairs perfectly with this pan.

More Tea Party Sweets

Ingredients for Glazed Lemon Madeleines

(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)

all-purpose flour
baking powder
salt
large egg
granulated sugar
fresh lemon juice
lemon zest
vanilla extract
butter, melted and cooled
powdered sugar – For the glaze
more fresh lemon juice – For the glaze

Instructions for Making This Recipe

Gather all your ingredients so you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. Prepare your ingredients.

Using a fine edge zester, zest one lemon. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from it. Set aside until ready to use. Melt butter and allow to cool.

Prepare the Batter

In a small bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to incorporate.

Using a large mixing bowl, combine the egg, granulated sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Mix on high speed until light and creamy, 4-5 minutes.

Gradually add flour to the butter mixture, beating to incorporate. Drizzle the melted butter into the batter and mix on low speed until everything comes together in a nice dough.

Place in a bowl and cover. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours. Cover any remaining melted butter for use later. Cover remaining lemon juice and refrigerate for use later.

Bake the Madeleines

When time to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in microwave. Using a pastry brush, spread melted butter over the wells of the Madeleine pan.

Spoon about a tablespoon of cold batter into the center of each well.

There is no need to spread the batter to the edges of the scalloped wells, as it will spread as it bakes. Just plop a small mound into the center of each well.

Bake in preheated oven for 8-9 minutes until edges are golden brown. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer cakes to a wire rack to cool.

Note in the photo above the little “hump” or “bump” that is a signature mark of a well baked Madeleine, mostly due to the “shock” of the cold batter going into the hot oven.

Prepare the Lemon Glaze

To prepare the lemon glaze, in a small mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar and the freshly squeezed lemon juice. Whisk together until it becomes smooth and creamy.

Dip the tops of the Madeleines in the glaze and return to the wire rack to set. Allow to set for 2 hours before serving. You may store the little cakes in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve.

You may opt not to glaze the Madeleines. If so, simply skip the glazing instructions and sprinkle the baked cakes with a dusting of powdered sugar. I have made them both ways. I did find that the glazed cakes stored better for several days vs the powdered ones, which were best the day they were baked.

This recipe will make 16 bite-sized sponge cakes.

See more Tea Party Recipes Here. Browse more Cakes Here.