My Go with the Madeleine Cake Mold
Alright, so I finally got my hands on one of those madeleine cake molds. You know, the ones with the shell shapes. Always saw those fancy little cakes and figured, how hard could it be? Got a decent non-stick one, felt sturdy enough.
First thing, the batter. Mixed up the eggs, sugar, flour, melted butter – the usual stuff. Smelled good. The recipe said to chill the batter. Seriously chill it. Like, for a good hour or two. Okay, fine. Into the fridge it went. Patience isn’t my strong suit when I want cake, but I followed the rules this time.
Next up, prepping the mold itself. Even though it said non-stick, I wasn’t taking chances. Melted some butter, brushed every single little groove. Then dusted it with flour, tapping out the extra. Felt like I was prepping for surgery, not baking cookies. This part is messy, get ready for flour everywhere.
Batter was cold. Spooned it into the molds. Didn’t fill them too full, maybe two-thirds? Read somewhere that helps get the famous hump on the back. Shoved the tray into a hot oven. Now, the waiting game. Watched through the oven door like a hawk.
They puffed up! And yeah, most of them got that little bump. Felt pretty pleased about that. Took them out, golden brown edges. The tricky part? Getting them out of the mold. Let them sit for like, a minute, maybe two. Then, holding my breath, I gave the pan a sharp tap on the counter. Most of them popped right out! A couple needed a little gentle persuasion with a small spatula, but they didn’t break. Success!
What I Learned
- Chilling the batter is NOT optional. Don’t skip this. The temperature difference between cold batter and hot pan helps create the hump.
- Grease AND flour the pan. Even if it’s non-stick. Butter works best for flavour, I think. Don’t be stingy, get in all the corners.
- Don’t overfill the molds. Leave space for them to rise.
- Tap them out quickly after they come out of the oven. Don’t let them cool completely in the pan, or they might stick.
So yeah, the madeleine mold. It works. But you gotta follow the steps. It’s not difficult, just a bit fussy compared to throwing batter onto a cookie sheet. The little shell cakes are pretty neat though, gotta admit. Worth the little bit of extra work, especially when they slide right out of the properly prepped pan. Cleaning wasn’t too bad either, just soapy water and a soft brush. Happy I got it.
