Lemon Poppy Seed Madeleines

These delightful French Lemon Poppy Seed Madeleines combine the perfect soft buttery sponge interior with a crisp, scalloped-shaped exterior. Flavoured with zesty lemon and dipped in a tangy lemon glaze, I’ve added just the right amount of poppy seeds for some textural crunch. Packed full of flavour, these elegant little delicacies make the perfect afternoon accompaniment to your tea.

With a French Mum, I grew up knowing about these classic French beauties called Madeleines. We would often buy them from the store to enjoy at home (admittedly, they weren’t homemade, but I still loved them!) It was on trips to France to visit my Grandmother that I could truly appreciate just how delicious these traditional French little cakes were. Served in cafes throughout France, they are as common as chocolate chip cookies in America.

But Madeleines do have a reputation for being tricky. Lucky for you, I've practised a lot and developed some delicious versions like my Triple Chocolate Madeleines, Brown Butter Espresso Madeleines and Classic Orange Madeleines. In addition to providing you with a delicious Madeleine recipe, I include invaluable tips and tricks to help you master these in next to no time. I've also written a comprehensive guide all about How To Make Madeleines.

For my recipe today I’ve tapped into seasonal lemons, but admittedly you can use any of the citrus fruits available like orange, limes or grapefruits. I created these Lemon Madeleines with lemon zest in the batter and accompanied the zest with poppy seeds to provide a crunch. Lemon and poppy seeds pair beautifully in your bakes and in particular in these Madeleines. Once dipped in the tangy lemon glaze, your taste buds come alive when biting down into these Madeleines.

Ingredients needed

The ingredients needed for these Lemon Poppyseed Madeleines are basic everyday fridge or pantry ingredients that you'll most likely have on hand. I always have lemons rolling around my fridge drawer and there's usually a half-finished packet of poppy seeds in the pantry!

• Butter: Helps add flavour and add moisture to the Madeleines. I prefer unsalted butter, but if you use salted then omit the salt in the recipe. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool to room temperature.
• Eggs: Use large eggs. Make sure to whip these with the sugar for five minutes to aerate them adequately.
• Caster Sugar: Use granulated sugar if you cannot find caster sugar. I find caster sugar dissolves that bit easier when whipping with the eggs, but the taste will be the same if you don't have it.
• Lemon Zest: I add this when whipping the eggs and sugar at the start of the recipe as it helps release the oils from the zest into the batter. Go one step further and rub the zest into the sugar before adding the eggs.
• Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed always. Hopefully, that is a given, considering you have added lemon zest. Fresh juice adds moisture but also the tangy lemon taste.
• Plain Flour (all-purpose): Don’t use self-raising flour. The tender crumb of the Madeleines comes from the small amount of baking powder and aeration of the whipped eggs. These two, plus the thermal shock created by the heat difference, is enough to cause the Madeleines to rise.
• Poppy Seeds: These add the perfect amount of crunch to the delicate sponge, which creates an interesting contrast. If you don't have any on hand, then omit them and you'll have delicious French Lemon Madeleines.
• Baking Powder: You only need a small amount to help the sponge become light in texture.
• Salt: Use fine table salt. Only add if using unsalted butter.
• Lemon Glaze: A combination of powdered icing sugar and lemon juice, the glaze adds a sweet, tangy coating to the outside of the Madeleines.

Step-by-step instructions

*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*

The technique used to make this sponge batter is unlike a regular batter where you would normally cream together the sugar and butter, then add in the eggs followed by the dry ingredients. Let me explain further and take you step by step through the process so you can understand the exact method to make these Lemon Poppy Seed Madeleines with ultimate success.

Make the lemon madeleines batter

1. Whip the eggs, sugar and lemon zest. To create a light and airy genoise sponge - the eggs and sugar need to be whipped until pale and airy, and a ribbon of mixture forms when the stand mixer whisk is lifted up. (Image 1 & 2) This is a super important part of the process, so don't scrimp on the time!

TIP: Rub the lemon zest into the sugar until the oils have been released and the sugar is moistened. Then add the lemon sugar to the eggs and whip. This extra simple step elevates the lemon flavour.

Next, add in the flavouring. In our recipe today, the flavouring is freshly squeezed lemon juice. (Vanilla extract, orange blossom water or orange juice are alternative flavourings). Also, add in the poppy seeds and stir the mixture until combined. (Image 3 & 4)

2. Sift dry ingredients into the batter. I'm all about shortcuts, and sifting the dry ingredients into separate bowls feels like dirtying another bowl for no reason. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt directly over the top of the whipped eggs. (Image 5) Gently fold the dry ingredients into the whipped eggs until a few streaks remain.

3. Pour in the melted butter (Image 6) and fold it in so as not to knock out all the lovely air incorporated earlier on.

Once the batter is made, cover the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate. The flour is able to hydrate, and the butter has time to chill. Between 1-2 hours is ideal. When the cold batter hits the warm oven, steam is created, which helps the batter to rise to result in fluffy madeleines with a signature hump.

TIP: Want Madeleines for breakfast?! Yes, please!! By preparing the batter the day before and refrigerating overnight the next day, you'll have fresh madeleines in 15 minutes or under! A great option for breakfast or quick afternoon tea.

TIP: Step closer to achieving that hump. Place Madeleines pans in the refrigerator along with the batter. Cold pans help with the 'hump’ formation.

Prepare the madeleine pan for baking

4. Prepare the Madeleine pans. Melt a tablespoon of butter and use a pastry brush to work that butter into all the nooks of the shell mould. (Image 7) Then dust lightly all over with flour and tap out the excess. (Image 8) This helps give the outside of the Madeleines a crispy exterior but also stops them from sticking. Very important!

Spoon batter into pans. Once the batter has chilled for the required amount of time, remove the batter from the fridge and give it a quick stir. Divide the batter into the deepest part of the 12 large shell moulds. (Image 9)

Once in the mould, don’t flatten out the batter or tidy it up. (Image 10) The oven's heat will allow the batter to fill each depression in the mould and allow the signature ‘hump’ on the back of the madeleine to rise.

Now bake and decorate!

5. Bake the madeleines for 10 to 12 minutes- but everyone's oven runs differently, so keep an eye on them. My oven has a hot spot, so I tend to rotate the pans at the 8-minute mark. They are done when the middle is puffed up and springs back when gently pressed.

6. Turn out onto wire rack. Once baked, set the madeleines pan onto a wire rack for two minutes to cool slightly, then tap the pan to dislodge the madeleines. This usually does the trick of releasing them. If you find they need a helping hand, then run a butter knife around the edge, and this will pop them right out. (Image 11) You'll see your madeleines have amazing humps - this is normal and the signature 'look' - they are meant to be there! (Image 12)

7. Dip in the lemon glaze. Make the lemon glaze by sifting the powdered icing sugar into a bowl and adding 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. (Image 13) Whisk it together until smooth. The glaze should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. 

Once the Madeleines are cooled, then dip the scallop side into the glaze and lift it out, letting any excess drip off. (Image 14) Set onto the wire rack or baking paper and leave for the glaze to set...or just tuck in right away!!! Repeat with the remaining Madeleines— alternatively, dust with powdered icing sugar. They really are best eaten as soon as possible!

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