Chocolate Orange Madeleines

Name: Chocolate Orange Madeleines
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour, sifted; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon salt; ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature; ¼ cup (55g) brown sugar; ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature; 1 teaspoon pure chocolate extract, see notes for substitute; zest of one orange; 2 tablespoons orange juice, preferably homemade; powdered sugar for dusting; ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, at room temperature; ¼ cup (40g) dark chocolate chunks or chips

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These chocolate orange madeleines are classic, light & airy french madeleines. They are extremely easy to make and are ready in no time. These delicate, little sea-shell shaped sponge cakes are sweet, buttery, and so delicious. The shells are orange flavored dipped in a shiny chocolate glaze and dusted with powdered sugar. These madeleines have slightly crisp edges with a soft melt in your mouth crumb throughout. They are so fluffy & go very well with a cup of your evening tea or coffee!

Chocolate glazed orange madeleines on a white plate with a brown rim.

Ingredients you’ll need to make these madeleines:

All-purpose flour: I highly recommend weighing all your ingredients using a kitchen scale for accurate recipe results. If you’re using cups, don’t scoop your cup into the flour. Spoon the flour into your cup and level it off with the back of a knife.
Unsalted butter: It is very important to have your butter at room temperature. You can ensure this by lightly pressing your finger on the block of butter. It should slightly leave an imprint. I also prefer to use unsalted butter because salted butters have varying amounts of salt content in them and it is always a good idea to add it on your own and avoid your bakes from being too salty.
Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds more softness and moisture to your cake along with also helping the madeleines to hold their shape and structure.
Eggs: Use large eggs and bring them to room temperature before mixing in. Eggs strengthen the binding of your bakes and also add moisture. Having your eggs at room temperature makes it easier to incorporate them and allow them to mix thoroughly in your madeleine batter. A good way of doing this is by letting them sit in a bowl filled with room temperature water for around 10 minutes or until they come down to room temperature.
Extra egg yolk: This extra egg yolk helps to add moisture and softness to achieve that soft crumb along with having slightly crisp edges.
Chocolate extract: You must use a pure & high quality extract in your recipes. This helps to add a rich flavor to your baked goods. I have added a chocolate extract here to complement with the chocolate glaze of the madeleines and blend well with the orange. However, feel free to substitute it with vanilla extract.
Orange zest: Citrus zests are known to add more flavor and fragrance to your bakes. You must not leave them out.
Orange juice: In my experience, homemade orange juice gives an incredibly better flavor than store bought orange juice. I highly recommend that you put in those few extra minutes and use homemade orange juice for a rich, preservatives-free flavor.
Chocolate: I highly recommend using good quality baking chocolate chips or chocolate bars (I use callebaut) to ensure the best flavor. This will also help you get a very silky and shiny chocolate ganache glaze.
Powdered sugar: You will need some for dusting on top of baked and glazed madeleines.

Madeleine batter transferred ti a piping bag ready to be piped into pan.

Piping orange madeleine batter into sea shell shaped madeleine pan.

Piped orange madeleine batter into sea shell shaped madeleine pan.

Some Notes:

Are madeleines cookies or a cake?

Although many think that madeleines are French shell shaped cookies, they are actually cake. The batter is typically baked in a shell-shaped mould and the finished product is often decorated with confectioners’ sugar or some type of glaze. They are very similar to light & airy sponge cakes.

How long are madeleines good for?

Personally, I think Madeleines are best served within one hour of baking them. They lose moisture quite quickly, so I do not suggest making them ahead of time. But you can always make the batter ahead of time and bake off fresh batches as needed. I love baking them for brunch because they’re so good with a cup of coffee or tea.

How do you achieve the traditional madeleine “hump” ?

The madeleine hump is it’s true mark of success and can be achieved by refrigerating the batter atleast 1 hour before you bake it. This step is usually skipped out by most but makes a lot of difference and results in madeleines which are more beautifully detailed.

Orange madeleines ready to be glazed with chocolate on a white marble

Chocolate glazed orange madeleines on a white marble

Other Cake recipes you may like:

Some other tips to make this recipe:

You must ensure that you chill your madeleine batter for at-least 1 hour before baking them. This helps to give the madeleines the beautifully detailed texture of the sea-shell they have.
You should always sift your dry ingredients together before making madeleines as it helps them get that light & airy texture.
Madeleines are best served within one hour of baking them. They lose moisture quite quickly, so you shouldn’t bake them ahead of time. But you can always make the batter ahead of time and bake off fresh batches as needed.
If you don’t have a chocolate extract, you can always substitute it with a pure vanilla extract instead. However I don’t recommend omitting extracts as they help a lot in enhancing the flavor of your bakes.
I highly recommend investing in an oven thermometer and a kitchen scale. Baking at accurate temperatures and weighing your ingredients correctly ensure that you can replicate the recipes perfectly and enjoy the best flavors.

Happy Baking!