Sweet Seashell Madeleines to Enjoy Along the Seashore

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Whisk in eggs and vanilla until mixture is smooth.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Add pearl sprinkles atop ganache to complete seashell madeleines!

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!