Espresso Brown Butter Madeleines
I love a good classic madeleine, but these Espresso Brown Butter Madeleines are so fun! Not only will you love their sweet, nutty flavor but also the warm espresso aroma running through your kitchen. So let’s get into why they are the most delicious little cakes.
Classic Madeleines
- They’re a french butter cake typically baked in shell-shaped mould. How whimsical is that!
- They’re perfect for dipping with coffee, or even as a little night cap.
- They’re traditionally made with almond flour, but my recipe is egg and tree nut free.
Kitchen Tools
I try not to complicate my recipes with lots of obscure equipment that you can’t use for other things but this is one of those recipes that DESERVES the extra 5 minutes it takes for you to order madeleine pans. The pan will ensure that your madeleines have that distinctive scalloped shape. A note on the pans, they are typically non-stick but I still prefer to butter my pan before adding the batter to ensure the little cakes come out as clean as possible. We want to do everything we can to ensure they come out unharmed!
Ingredients
In this section, I’m talking about the hero ingredients for this recipe. Meaning, these ingredients make this recipe special and where the flavors come from. For a complete list of ingredients, see the recipe card below.
- European style cultured butter: There are two schools of thought when it comes to butter for baking. There are those who swear by European style cultured butter for everything. And then there are those who couldn’t tell you the difference between the two. I’m somewhere in the middle where I make it a point to shell out the extra few dollars when I know butter is going to be a focal point in the recipe. So for example, I probably wouldn’t fret over using it in a german chocolate cake because there are so many other flavors in there. But if I were making a pound cake or these Espresso Brown Butter Madeleines, I would definitely prioritize the European style cultured butter. Once you try it, you’ll understand how much more vibrant the flavor is! But don’t worry if you just don’t have it on hand. I’ve gone plenty of times with the uncultured butter and this recipe stills turns out great.
- Espresso ground coffee: The espresso or coffee flavor is obviously very important here. Typically, you’ll find that baking recipes call for instant coffee powder or espresso powder. But I like to use espresso ground coffee because of its stronger flavor and the slight grainy texture. I’ve been using the Cafe Bustelo brand in baking for years.
I hope you enjoyed learning about the best espresso brown butter madeleines! If you try this recipe out, I would love to see your creation – tag me on Instagram @cherrycreekbakes. And don’t forget to let me know your thoughts in the comments below and give it a star rating.
Espresso Brown Butter Madeleines
Ingredients
- 70 g unsalted butter
- 140 g all purpose Flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp and an extra pinch salt
- 2 Tbsp espresso powder or instant coffee
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder (optional)
- 120 ml or 1/2 cup milk room temperature
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Grease Madeline pan with butter
- Melt butter in a shallow pan until browned, about 5 minutes. Set aside to bring to room temperature
- In a medium bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients – AP flour, baking powder, salt, espresso powder, cinnamon powder. Set aside
- In a large bowl, combine milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk in the melted browned butter until well combined
- Add the dry mix to the wet mix and gently stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Ladle the batter evenly into the Madeleine pan
- Bake for 10 – 12 minutes; a toothpick tester should come out clean
- After baking, let rest in the pan for about 5 minutes and then turn onto cooling rack to cool completely
