Sweet Seashell Madeleines to Enjoy Along the Seashore

These charming seashell-shaped madeleines make a dreamy treat for beach fanatics and dessert enthusiasts alike.

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Image Credit: Bianca Fernandez

Making madeleines—dainty and sweet French butter cakes—might sound intimidating, but the process has actually never been simpler. In fact, our easy recipe for homemade madeleines is pretty much fuss-free. What's more, these seashell-inspired pastel madeleines are loaded with charm, making them an ideal sweet treat for both beach lovers and dessert enthusiasts.

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You'll only need basic pantry ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour and salt. Flavor madeleines with extracts or zests; in this recipe, we used lemon zest and juice. The resulting crumb is beautifully light and pairs perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee. To make matters easier, there's no need for a stand mixer or to refrigerate madeleine batter before baking. The mixture comes together within minutes and yields perfectly buttery, lemony sponge cakes.

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If you're ready to make a splash with seashell-inspired madeleines, read on!

Quick Recipe Overview

SERVING SIZE‌: ‌12 seashell madeleines

‌PREP TIME‌:‌‌ 15 minutes

‌‌COOK TIME‌:‌ 9-12 minutes

‌‌‌DECORATING TIME‌: ‌20 minutes

‌‌TOTAL TIME‌:‌ 45–50 minutes

Part 1: Make Madeleines

Things You'll Need

  • Seashell madeleine mold

  • Pastry brush

  • Large mixing bowl

  • Whisk

  • Sifter

  • Rubber spatula

  • Small cookie scoop (1.5 Tbsp.)

  • Cooling rack

  • 1 Tbsp. butter, melted

  • 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

  • 1 stick (8 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted

  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

  • 1/4 cup (50 g) brown sugar, tightly packed

  • Juice and zest of 1 medium lemon

  • 2 large eggs, room temperature

  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

  • 1 1/4 cup (160 g) all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 tsp. salt

Image Credit: Bianca Fernandez

Tip

To create scallop shapes, we used a madeleine pan from Amazon. After baking, we coated pans with candy melts. The process is simple: Put madeleines back in and then pop them right out of the mold!

1. Prepare baking pan

Image Credit: Bianca Fernandez

Using pastry brush, lightly brush melted butter into each cavity. Sprinkle on all-purpose flour. Preheat oven to 375°F.

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2. Massage lemon zest and sugars

Image Credit: Bianca Fernandez

In a large bowl, combine lemon zest and sugars. Using your fingers, rub zest and sugar together. This releases essential oils from lemon zest into sugar, amplifying the citrus flavor.

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3. Mix in eggs and vanilla

Image Credit: Bianca Fernandez

Whisk in eggs and vanilla until mixture is smooth.

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4. Whisk in melted butter and lemon juice

Image Credit: Bianca Fernandez

Add in melted butter and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth.

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5. Sift in dry ingredients

Image Credit: Bianca Fernandez

Using a sifter, sift in dry ingredients. Fold batter using a rubber spatula until no dry spots remain.

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Tip

If batter is lumpy, pass it through the sifter into another bowl.

6. Scoop batter into pan

Image Credit: Bianca Fernandez

Using small cookie scoop, add about 1.5 Tbsp. of batter into each madeleine cavity.

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7. Bake madeleines

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Bake madeleines for 9-12 minutes or until their signature bump appears on top and edges are golden brown. Madeleines should spring back when poked. Flip madeleines out of pan and onto a cooling rack.

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Allow mold to cool before brushing on a new layer of butter and sprinkling on flour. Bake remaining madeleine batter.

Part 2: Make White Chocolate Ganache

Things You'll Need

  • Small microwave-safe bowl

  • Rubber spatula

  • Piping bag

  • 1/3 cup white chocolate chips

  • 2 Tbsp. heavy cream

1. Combine white chocolate and heavy cream

Image Credit: Bianca Fernandez

Combine white chocolate and heavy cream in a small microwave-safe bowl.

2. Heat until melted

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Heat in microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between until melted.

Cover ganache with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thick enough to pipe. Check ganache after 30 minutes and then every 5-10 minutes. Transfer to piping bag and cut a medium tip.

Part 3: Decorate Madeleines

Things You'll Need

  • Seashell madeleines

  • 5 small microwave-safe bowls

  • Spoon

  • Small piping bag

  • Toothpick

  • Candy melts (purple, pink, blue, red)

  • 2 Tbsp. milk chocolate, melted

  • Pearl sprinkles

1. Spoon melted candy melts into madeleine pans

Image Credit: Bianca Fernandez

Melt candy melts in 30-second increments, stirring in between. Spread melted candy melts one at a time into cavities.

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Tip

If you don't have candy melts, you can use melted white chocolate and dye them with oil-based food coloring.

2. Top chocolate with madeleines

Image Credit: Bianca Fernandez

Gently add baked madeleines atop melted candy melts.

Freeze madeleine pan for about 10 minutes. Invert and tap tray hard onto wire rack or work surface until madeleines pop out.

3. Decorate shells with faces

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Melt milk chocolate and then transfer to piping bag. Snip off a small tip with scissors. Use this for eyes and smiles. Draw on blush using red candy melts and a toothpick.

Allow chocolate to set. This will take about 15 minutes.

Tip

You can speed up the setting process by popping madeleines in the freezer for 5 minutes.

4. Pipe on ganache

Image Credit: Bianca Fernandez

Match shells by color and then flip one over. Pipe ganache on bottom side of one madeleine and then place matching madeleine on top.

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5. Add sprinkles

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Add pearl sprinkles atop ganache to complete seashell madeleines!

Image Credit: Bianca Fernandez

Enjoy these little cakes with friends and a nice cup of tea. Store madeleines in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Have you ever seen such adorable treats? If you're looking for us, we'll be unwinding with a handful of seashells along the seashore. Seashell madeleines, that is!

If you can't get enough sweetness, be sure to check out our cheesecake beach buckets recipe.

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