I was recently looking for an easy and quick recipe to make some comfort cakes with a high yield. One of the better kitchen gadgets I use is the Tefal “Cake Factory”. A counter top oven with preset programmes for your favorite cakes and of course the ‘manual’ setting for the more adventurous.

Tefal make many silicone trays for the various cakes and I had recently purchased a madeleine tray. 

The madeleine or petite madeleine is a traditional small cake from Commercy and Liverdun, two communes of the Lorraine region in northeastern France. Madeleines are very small sponge cakes with a distinctive shell-like shape acquired from being baked in pans with shell-shaped depressions.

I was quite taken with the idea of a small sweet, light accompaniment to my mid-morning coffee, or ‘eleveneses’ as mamgu (grandmother) would say. For the most part I can’t face a breakfast whether continental or Welsh, mid-week. The older I get I have become a more brunch type person.

Madeleines are small but rich so it is better to have 1 or 2 and stop! Unfortunately they are very moorish so be warned.

My preferred version involves almonds though you can flavour them however you please.

Ingredients (12-16 yield)

• 2 free-range eggs
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• 100g butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus extra for greasing
• 100g ground almonds
• 2 drops almond flavouring
• 2 drops yellow food coloring (optional)

Method

Melt the butter and allow to cool, then mix gently for a minute or two with the sugar until combined. Next add all the other ingredients and mix until you have a very stiff batter & rest for at least 20 minutes.

Whilst the batter rests, grease with buttery 1cal a madeleine tray (small round trays will do but use silicone), and preheat the oven to 200c.

If you wish to finish the madeleine with flaked almonds, then now is the time scatter a few in each mould.

Using two spoons, cleanly fill each depression to almost full, allow some room for raising.

Bake for a minimum of 10 minutes (extra if you like a richer color) and turn out on to a baking tray.

Allow to cool and enjoy.

A little extra?

You can decorate these wonderful light cakes further. Try a half covered chocolate gauche.

Take a 100g bar of chocolate and melt in the microwave in bursts. Add spoonfuls of double cream whilst whisking with a fork. The chocolate needs to be as stiff as the original batter so don’t go over board with the cream. 

When you have the consistency simply dip approximately 1/2 the madeleine in the ganache and allow to set on a wire tray.

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