MAKES 18 TO 20 MADELEINES
INGREDIENTS:
- 140g (1 cup) plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 100g (½ cup) sugar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 145g (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
- Softened unsalted butter and flour, for the pans
METHOD:
Sift the flour and baking powder into a small bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until just combined. Whisk in the honey and salt. Add the flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Add half of the melted butter and the orange blossom water and whisk until combined. Then add the remaining butter and whisk again. The batter should be thick but drizzle-able. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the batter and refrigerate for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
When ready to bake the madeleines, set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 220°C. Butter two 12-cavity madeleine pans with 7.5cm moulds and then dust them with flour, tapping out any excess.
Remove the batter from the refrigerator and briefly beat it with a rubber spatula until creamy again. Transfer he mixture to a piping bag and cut the end so it has a 13mm diameter opening. Pipe the batter into the prepared madeleine moulds until they are three-quarters full, so they don’t overflow in the oven. Put the ans in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes.
Remove the pans from the refrigerator and bake for 4 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature, without opening the oven door, to 190°C and bake until the madeleines are lightly golden on top and the dome springs back when lightly pressed, about 5 minutes.
Let the madeleines cool briefly in the pans on a wire rack, then flip them upside down and remove the pan. Flip the madeleines so they are right-side up to make sure the domes aren’t deflated. Serve warm. Madeleines are best enjoyed right out of the oven or the day they’re baked, but they keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.
Edited recipe extract from Cake from Lucie by Lucie Franc de Ferriere, published by Hardie Grant Books. In stores nationally from 12 May 2026.
Photography: Lucia Bell-Epstein
