➤ story by EMILY JOHNSON • photo by GRUBBANA STUDIOS
If you’re hosting an under-the-sea mermaid themed party, or perhaps a “Sea You Soon” baby shower, a nautical dessert can really tie it all together. Starfish shaped cookies or ocean blue cupcakes can be tasty options, but if you want to serve something a bit more elevated and unique, a homemade batch of clamshell madeleines will certainly do the job.
Tips for Baking and Decorating Seashell Madeleines
Best Type of Pan: Technically you can use a traditional madeleine cake pan to make this beachy treat, but we recommend looking for one that has deeper scalloped edges — or better yet, one that actually has seashell shaped cavities. This gives the dessert a more realistic effect right out of the oven.
Seashell Madeleine Pan (Set of 2)
Best Presentation: Even if your madeleines are already seashell-shaped, adding a pearl sprinkle to each one creates the perfect finishing touch. We recommend serving the final product on a bed of turbinado sugar or brown sugar to resemble a sandy beach.
Best Frosting: Flavoring the frosting with coconut or pineapple extract can subtly reinforce the coastal theme without overpowering the dessert. It’s also best to use a more stable frosting, such as buttercream, since it’ll be sandwiched between two madeleines. Softer/lighter frosting may not hold its shape as well or may get absorbed into the cake.
Can you use cake mix in a madeleine pan?
Despite the fancy French name, Madeleines are essentially sponge cake baked in a special mold, so if you don’t want to bake this dessert entirely from scratch, you can easily use store-bought cake mix instead. Just make sure not to overfill the pan since the batter may rise more than a traditional madeleine. You want to make sure it retains that seashell shape!
Edible Pearl Ocean Sprinkles (from $9)
Tropical Flavoring Extracts Set of 4 (from $9)
Seashell Madeleine Pan Set of 2 (from $19)
Madeleine Seashell Sandwich Cookies
These nautical treats are styled to look like open clam shells resting on a sandy beach, complete with a hidden pearl.
Ingredients
- For the Madeleines (24 individual madeleines)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Melted butter and extra flour for prepping the pan - For the Buttercream
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
1–2 tbsp heavy cream or whole milk
1 tsp clear vanilla extract (to keep the color crisp)
A tiny drop of sky blue gel food coloring - For Assembly and Serving
12 white edible sugar pearl sprinkles
2 tbsp powdered sugar, for dusting
1 cup turbinado sugar (coarse raw sugar), for the presentation platter
Directions
- Make the Madeleine Batter
• In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to beat the eggs and granulated sugar together on high speed for about 5 minutes. The mixture should become thick, pale, and fall in ribbons when the whisk is lifted.
• Beat in the vanilla extract.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture using a rubber spatula just until combined. Do not overmix, or you will lose the trapped air.
• Pour the melted, cooled butter down the side of the bowl. • • Gently fold until the butter is fully incorporated and the batter is smooth.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Chilling the batter is crucial for getting that signature madeleine “hump”). - Bake the Madeleines
• Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Generously brush a standard 12-count madeleine pan with melted butter and dust lightly with flour, shaking off the excess.
• Drop about 1 tablespoon of the chilled batter into the center of each madeleine cavity. Do not spread the batter out; it will expand on its own in the oven.
• Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the tops spring back lightly when touched.
Immediately invert the pan onto a wire cooling rack. Let the madeleines cool completely before assembling.
• Repeat the process to bake the remaining 12 madeleines to give you the 24 halves needed for the sandwiches. - Prepare the Buttercream
• In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes until completely smooth and creamy.
• Cream in the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and clear vanilla extract on low speed until combined, then increase to high speed and beat for another 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
• Add a tiny drop of sky blue gel food coloring. Mix thoroughly, adjusting until you achieve a soft, pastel ocean-blue hue.
• Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip (such as a Wilton 1M). - Assemble the Clamshells
• Pair up your cooled madeleines. Take one madeleine to serve as the bottom shell (placed flat-side down on your work surface).
• Pipe a generous, swirling star of blue buttercream onto the wider end of the madeleine, leaving the narrower “hinge” end with just a thin layer of frosting.
• Place a single white sugar pearl sprinkle right into the center-front of the piped buttercream so it sits nestled like a pearl in an oyster.
• Take a second madeleine to serve as the top shell. Angle it so the ribbed side faces up and press the narrower end into the back hinge of the frosting. Prop the front of the shell up on the buttercream so it stays open at a slight angle. - Style and Serve
• Pour the coarse turbinado sugar onto your serving platter and spread it out evenly to mimic a bed of textured beach sand.
• Place a fine-mesh sieve over the assembled cookies and lightly dust the tops of the shells with powdered sugar for a sea-foam effect.
• Arrange the completed clamshell sandwiches beautifully across the turbinado sugar sand. Serve immediately.
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