Gluten-Free Madeleines
By Joe
Source: NYT Cooking, King Arthur Baking and Serious Eats.
Lemon-scented shell-shaped sponges made with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, chilled and baked hot so they still rise into the signature hump.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Whisk eggs and sugar. Whisk the eggs, caster sugar, honey, lemon zest and salt together for 4-5 minutes, until pale, thick and roughly doubled in volume. This long whisking stage builds the air bubbles that give madeleines their light sponge.
- 2
Fold in flour. Sift the gluten-free flour and baking powder over the whisked mixture and fold in gently. Folding, rather than stirring vigorously, keeps the air you've just whisked in from collapsing.
- 3
Fold in butter. Fold in the warm melted butter in two additions, mixing until glossy. Adding it warm helps it combine evenly without weighing down the batter.
- 4
Chill the batter. Cover and chill the batter for at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days. A cold, rested batter meeting a hot oven is exactly what produces the signature humped back on a madeleine.
- 5
Prepare the metal tin. Brush the moulds of the metal madeleine tin with soft butter, dust with a little gluten-free flour and tap out the excess, then chill the tin. A metal tin heats quickly and evenly, and this buttered-and-floured coating helps each cake turn out cleanly with sharp shell markings.
- 6
Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) for at least 20 minutes before baking. A properly hot oven creates the sharp contrast in temperature that drives the hump.
- 7
Fill and bake. Spoon 1 level tablespoon of cold batter into each mould, filling them about three-quarters full, without spreading it out. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until humped, golden at the edges, and the tops spring back when lightly pressed.
- 8
Unmould and repeat. Tap the madeleines out of the tin straight away onto a wire rack, as they stick if left to cool in the moulds. Re-butter and dust the tin with gluten-free flour, then repeat with any remaining chilled batter.
- 9
Dust and serve. Dust the cooled madeleines with icing sugar just before serving. They're at their best within a few hours of baking, while the edges are still a little crisp.
Storage
Best eaten within a few hours of baking. Any extra can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 1 month; warm gently before serving to bring back their softness.
Free sugars
6.2 g per serving
12.4 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 24.8 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- madeleine tin(s), metal, 12-hole (bake in 2 batches if you have one)
- bowl and whisk or stand mixer or electric hand whisk
- spatula
- pastry brush
- wire rack
Nutrition per serving Calculated from USDA FoodData Central
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 92 kcal |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 10.7 g |
| of which sugars | 6.3 g |
| of which free sugars | 6.2 g |
| Fat | 5.2 g |
| of which saturates | 3.1 g |
| Fibre | 0.1 g |
| Salt | 0.07 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.1 g High protein needs ≥ 5 g per 100 kcal (20% of energy) and ≥ 10 g per serving
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
