Madeleines in the Air Fryer
Small French cakes with golden, crisp edges, a soft, moist centre and the characteristic hump in the middle. Butter, vanilla and fresh lemon zest fill the whole kitchen with their aroma.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Madeleineform Made of metal or silicone, that fits in the basket
- 1 Small pot
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Electric mixer
- 1 Sigte
- 1 Grater Fine
- 1 Brush
- 1 Cooling rack
Ingredients
2 eggs Room temperature
100 g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla sugar
1 lemon Organic, finely grated zest only
1 pinch salt
100 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
100 g butter Melted and cooled until lukewarm
For the tin
- 15 g butter Softened
- 1 tbsp plain flour
To serve
2 tbsp icing sugar For dusting
Instructions
Preparation
- Melt the 100 g butter in a small saucepan over low heat, and let it cool until lukewarm.
- Whisk 2 eggs, 100 g caster sugar and 2 tsp vanilla sugar with an electric whisk for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is pale, thick and fluffy.
- Finely grate the yellow zest of 1 lemon into the egg mixture, and add 1 pinch salt.
- Sift 100 g plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder over the egg mixture, and fold in gently until there are no more lumps of flour.
- Add the lukewarm butter in two batches, and fold gently until the batter is smooth and glossy.
- Chill the batter, covered, in the fridge for at least 1 hour, ideally 3 hours or overnight. The colder the batter, the more pronounced the hump will be.
- Brush the holes in the madeleine tin thoroughly with 15 g butter, and dust them with 1 tbsp plain flour. Tap off the excess flour, and place the tin in the fridge until the batter is ready to bake.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 180 °C. It needs to be fully hot when the cold batter goes in.
- Fill the holes in the cold tin about three-quarters full with the cold batter, and place the tin in the basket. Don't smooth out the batter, it will spread out on its own in the heat.
- Bake at 180 °C for 8 minutes, until the edges are golden and the hump has risen and springs back when lightly pressed. Keep the basket closed for the first 6 minutes so the hump doesn't collapse.
- Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack straight away, so they don't get soggy on the bottom, and let them cool slightly.
- Repeat with the rest of the batter, typically one more batch. Rinse the tin with cold water, dry it, brush and dust it as before, and bake at 180 °C for 8 minutes. Keep the batter chilled between batches.
To serve
- Dust the madeleines with 2 tbsp icing sugar through a sieve just before serving. They taste best warm and on the day they're made.
Notes
Tips for the perfect result:
The hump in the middle forms when cold batter meets the hot air in the air fryer. So chill the batter for at least 1 hour, ideally 3 hours or overnight, and keep both the batter and the tin cold between batches. Keep the basket closed for the first 6 minutes, or the hump may collapse. A metal tin gives the crispest edges and the biggest hump. If you're using silicone, place the tin on a small rack or tray so it doesn't bend when you lift it in and out. Serving size:
The batter makes about 18 madeleines, so 4-5 per person. With a tin for 9, you'll bake in 2 batches. With a smaller tin, it becomes 3 batches and about 24 minutes of baking time in total. A silicone tin that's too big for the basket can be trimmed to fit. Variation:
Brown the butter lightly in the saucepan until it smells nutty for a deeper flavour, or swap 1 tbsp of the sugar for honey for extra moistness. Orange zest instead of lemon zest gives a rounder, more wintery flavour, and you can dip one end of the cooled cakes in melted dark chocolate. To serve:
Serve the madeleines warm with a light dusting of icing sugar, with coffee, tea or hot cocoa. They're best on the day they're made but can be freshened up in the air fryer at 150 °C for 1-2 minutes.
The hump in the middle forms when cold batter meets the hot air in the air fryer. So chill the batter for at least 1 hour, ideally 3 hours or overnight, and keep both the batter and the tin cold between batches. Keep the basket closed for the first 6 minutes, or the hump may collapse. A metal tin gives the crispest edges and the biggest hump. If you're using silicone, place the tin on a small rack or tray so it doesn't bend when you lift it in and out. Serving size:
The batter makes about 18 madeleines, so 4-5 per person. With a tin for 9, you'll bake in 2 batches. With a smaller tin, it becomes 3 batches and about 24 minutes of baking time in total. A silicone tin that's too big for the basket can be trimmed to fit. Variation:
Brown the butter lightly in the saucepan until it smells nutty for a deeper flavour, or swap 1 tbsp of the sugar for honey for extra moistness. Orange zest instead of lemon zest gives a rounder, more wintery flavour, and you can dip one end of the cooled cakes in melted dark chocolate. To serve:
Serve the madeleines warm with a light dusting of icing sugar, with coffee, tea or hot cocoa. They're best on the day they're made but can be freshened up in the air fryer at 150 °C for 1-2 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 454kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 6gFat: 25gSaturated fat: 15gPolyunsaturated fat: 1.5gMonounsaturated fat: 7gTrans fat: 0.9gCholesterol: 162mgSodium: 314mgPotassium: 75mgFiber: 1gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 836IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 0.8mgNet carbohydrates: 51g
