Chocolate Dipped Madeleines

Perfectly shaped fragrant and buttery madeleines coated in a layer of dark chocolate, these French cakes are perfect with a cup of coffee or tea

What is a madeleine?

Madeleines are a traditional French cake originating from Commercy and Liverdon, both small towns in France. Traditionally baked in the shape of a scalloped shell, these cakes are usually light and buttery and characterized by the hump on the back of each cake.

These days there are so many different variations from fruity flavours like lemon and raspberry to variations like these… dipped in chocolate! Either way these delicate French cakes are an absolute treat and you’re gonna love them.

How to achieve the perfect bump

A good madeleine is characterised by the height of the hump that forms on the back of the shell. While they will still taste amazing without it, the hump indicates that the cake has a good amount of rise, and will be light and fluffy. Here are a couple of tips to help you achieve that hump.

Use warm brown butter

Making sure your brown butter is at the right temperature is super important for a couple of reasons.

If the butter is too hot it can cause your eggs to scramble, causing your cakes to be gummy and clumpy in texture.

If your butter has cooled too much the cakes won’t be as fluffy. The warm butter interacts with the flour to break down gluten and help the madeleines rise higher and have a lighter texture.

The ideal temperature of your butter should be around 60 degrees, however, it doesn’t need to be exact. As long as it isn’t scorching hot, and not cooled then it’ll be fine!

Chill your batter overnight

The most important step to the hump is chilling the batter. Chilling the batter does a couple of things:

• It allows the gluten in the flour to relax, allowing it to rise higher and to a softer texture
• The butter has time to chill and firm up
• More flavour can be developed
• The batter has time to fully chill, allowing the batter to bake up with a hump!

The trick to achieving the hump is in the temperature of the batter. The temperature difference between the chilled batter and the hot oven gives the madeleines a boost as they bake for the perfect hump.

The longer you chill your batter the better. While you can bake them after 2 hours of chilling, the hump won’t be as high and prominent. I always have the best results chilling the batter overnight.

Chill your madeleine tin

The most important tip for the perfect hump is having a temperature difference, so having a chilled tin will help give you a higher bump.

I like to grease my tin with butter and flour before placing it in the freezer to chill at the same time as the madeleine batter is chilling.

This ensures that the mould is icy cold before it gets filled with batter!

Fill your mould 3/4 of the way

Ensuring that you don’t overfill your moulds is also crucial. If you fill the moulds with too much batter the batter will overflow as it bakes and the top will even out, rather than rise up to form the hump. Only fill each mould half to three-quarters of the way as the batter will rise and expand a decent amount.

Bake at an initial high temperature

Placing your chilled tray in a very hot oven is what causes the hump to form.

Preheat your oven to 220C/430F and bake your madeleines at a high temperature for 5 minutes, before reducing the temperature to 180C/355F and baking for the remainder of the time. This gives the madeleines the boost they need for a tall hump.

How to coat your madeleines

When it comes to coating your madeleines in chocolate it is important that you choose the right kind of chocolate. If you don’t use the right kind of chocolate, or you don’t work with your chocolate properly, the chocolate won’t set and have a shiny surface.

If you are looking for an easy fuss-free solution use compound chocolate. Compound chocolate is made from vegetable oils rather than cocoa butter. This means that it sets at room temperature without the need for tempering.

If you know how to temper chocolate then go for couverture chocolate. Coverture chocolate is made from a higher percentage of cocoa butter and tastes better than compound chocolate. However, it is harder to work with as it has to be tempered. If not it won’t set, and you’ll have a very messy situation…

How to fill the mould

Make sure you have washed your madeleine mould thoroughly with dishwashing liquid and warm water. Grease can mess with the appearance of your chocolate coating.

Then fill each cavity of your tray halfway with melted chocolate. Don’t be tempted to add more than half, otherwise, the chocolate will overflow once the madeleine is added.

Once the tray is filled, give it a good couple of taps on your countertop to release any air bubbles that may have formed. Then go ahead and gently place your madeleines into the tray.

Press on them lightly until you notice the melted chocolate below come to the edge of the mould. Then allow them to set at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Setting your chocolate at room temperature rather than the fridge helps give the chocolate a shiny finish.

Once set place the assembled madeleines in the freezer. This helps the chocolate shrink away from the edges of the mould and come out smoothly.

Additional Tips

Use Brown Butter for More Depth

Browning the butter before adding it enhances the nutty flavor, making the madeleines taste even richer.

Double-Coat with Chocolate

After dipping in chocolate, let it set, then dip again for a thicker and more indulgent coating.

Use High-Quality Cocoa Powder

Opt for Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a smoother, less acidic chocolate flavor.

Variations of Chocolate Madeleines

Mocha Chocolate Madeleines

Add 1 tsp espresso powder for a coffee-infused twist.

Orange Chocolate Madeleines

Add zest of one orange for a bright, citrusy contrast to the deep chocolate.

Nutty Chocolate Madeleines

Fold in chopped hazelnuts or almonds to add texture and crunch.

Serving Suggestions

Chocolate-Dipped with Toppings

Dip in chocolate, then top with crushed pistachios, sea salt, or freeze-dried raspberries for extra flavor.

With Ice Cream

Serve warm with vanilla or caramel ice cream for a dreamy dessert pairing.

Parisian Breakfast Style

Pair with a café au lait or hot chocolate for an authentic French café experience.

Chocolate Dipped Madeleines

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Perfectly shaped fragrant and buttery madeleines coated in a layer of dark chocolate, these French cakes are perfect with a cup of coffee or tea

• Author: Catherine Zhang
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 12 minutes
• Total Time: 42 minutes
• Yield: 16 Madeleines 1x
• Category: cake
• Method: Easy
• Cuisine: French

Ingredients

Units MUS Scale 1x2x3x

Madeleines

• 2 Large eggs
• 125g White sugar (1/2 cup 2 tbsp)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 120g All-purpose flour (1 cup)
• 1 3/4 tsp Baking powder
• 135g Unsalted butter

Chocolate Coating

• 200g Melted dark chocolate, compound (or tempered couverture)

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Instructions

Madeleines

1. Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and fragrant
2. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl to cool
3. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together in a large bowl
4. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt
5. Whisk until smooth
6. Add the cooled, but still warm, brown butter to the batter and whisk until smooth
7. Cover with cling wrap and chill in the fridge overnight, or a minimum of 3 hours
8. Grease the madeleine tray with butter and lightly dust with flour, and place in the freezer until ready to be filled
9. Preheat the oven to 220C/430F
10. Remove the batter from the fridge and fill a piping bag with the chilled batter
11. Fill each cavity of the chilled madeleine tray 3/4 of the way with batter
12. Bake the madeleines for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180C/355F and bake for a further 7 minutes
13. Remove from the oven and unmould immediately

Assembly

1. Clean the madeleine thoroughly and dry completely
2. Fill each cavity of the mould 1/2 way with melted chocolate and tap the mould on the countertop to release any airbubbles
3. Press the madeleines into the chocolate and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to set
4. Transfer the madeleines to the freezer for 15 minutes to help the unmould
5. Remove them from the pan and enjoy!

Catherine Zhang

My name is Catherine, a food blogger and dessert lover. If I look familiar you may have seen me on NETFLIX's Zumbo’s Just Desserts S2! As an Australian-Chinese pastry chef and recipe developer I share recipes and tips on desserts inspired by amazing flavours, fresh produce and of course my Asian background.

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