Madeleines with Vanilla Beans: A Delicate French Bake

Little French Cakes, Full of Real Vanilla

Madeleines are buttery, tender cakes with crisp golden edges and the classic shell shape. A real vanilla bean gives them a warm, fragrant flavour and those beautiful flecks of vanilla. Serve them with tea or coffee, or finish with our Vanilla Sugar while they’re still warm.

For a rich, classic flavour, try Madagascar vanilla beans. Scrape the seeds into the batter, then save the pod for your vanilla sugar jar.

Vanilla Bean Madeleines

Makes: 12 | Prep: 20 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling | Bake: 8–10 minutes

Ingredients

• 100g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease the madeleine pan
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 90g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 Madagascar vanilla bean, split and scraped, or 1½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 100g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• A pinch of fine salt
• Finely grated zest of ½ lemon, optional
• Vanilla sugar, for dusting (optional)

Method

1. Melt the butter gently, then set it aside to cool until just warm. Brush a madeleine pan with a little melted butter and chill the pan while you prepare the batter.
2. Whisk the eggs and caster sugar until pale, thick and slightly ribbon-like, about 3–4 minutes. Whisk in the honey and vanilla seeds. Add the lemon zest if using.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined.
4. Fold in the cooled melted butter in two additions, mixing gently until the batter is smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chilling helps the madeleines rise and develop their signature humps.
5. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Spoon or pipe the cold batter into the prepared pan, filling each shell about three-quarters full.
6. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centres spring back when lightly touched. Leave in the pan for a minute, then turn out onto a rack.
7. While still warm, dust lightly with vanilla sugar if you like. Enjoy fresh, when the edges are crisp and the centres are soft.

Vanilla Sugar Tip

To make your own, add a clean, dry scraped vanilla pod to a jar of caster sugar and leave it to infuse. Give it a shake now and then. Use it to dust these madeleines or sweeten tea. For the most fragrant sugar, use a completely dry pod.

Serving and Storage

Madeleines are best on the day they’re baked. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Warm them briefly in a low oven to refresh the edges.

Find the right bean for your baking in our Madagascar vanilla bean collection.