Inspired by mojito, nearby summer and the seashell shape of the butter French cakes
The summer is just around the corner and so is the appreciation for the summery flavors. Which flavors do you associate with the hot sunny days? Tangy lime, refreshing mint, icy lemonade are the synonyms of summer for me. Mojito cocktail, virgin or with a splash of rum, is a quintessence of the summer flavors. In anticipation of all these tastes coming my way (mouth) I got inspired by the recipe of French madeleine cakes shaped like sea shells. Today I am presenting the result of my inspiration: Madeleine Almond Cakes with Key Lime Mint curd. In my very humble opinion, they are delicious. Please try them sometimes this summer and tell me what you think.
French Madeleine Butter Cakes with Key Lime Mint Filling
Ingredients
For the curd
Key limes – 8 (yields ~ 1/3 cup of juice)
Mint, fresh leaves – 12-15
Sugar, white – 2 tablespoons
Sugar, brown – 3 tablespoons
Eggs, large – 2
Flour, all-purpose – 2 tablespoons
Salt – pinch
Butter, unsalted – 1/4 cup (65 ml/60 g)
For the butter cakes
Eggs, large – 2
Egg white – 1
Sugar, white – 1/3 cup
Butter, unsalted – 1/4 cup (65 ml/60 g)
Lemon, zest – 3 teaspoons
Key lime, zest – 1 teaspoon
Flour, all-purpose unbleached – 1/2 cups
Almonds, sliced – 1/2 cup
Directions
Making the filling
- Grate a teaspoon of key lime zest for the madeleine dough and set aside for later.
- Squeeze juice of key limes into a cup and then pour it into the heavy saucepan through the sieve.
- Add mint leaves and brown sugar to the key lime juice and heat the juice up until sugar dissolves. Once sugar dissolves set aside and let the juice cool down. Keep the mint leaves in juice for now.
- Beat the eggs with sugar, flour, and salt until they become more pale and thicker.
- Pour the key lime juice through the sieve into the eggs. Beat the mixture.
- Remove all the mint leaves from the heavy saucepan. Pour the egg/key lime juice mixture back into the saucepan.
- Bring the saucepan with its content to medium high temperature while constantly mixing the soon to be curd until it thickens. Once the curd becomes thick (3-4 min) remove the saucepan from the heat. (do not worry about the lumps). Keep mixing for a a minute or so. Then gradually add butter piece by piece. Keep mixing until the butter melts and incorporates well.
- Beat the curd using the electrical mixer until it becomes smooth (2-3 min).
- The curd is ready and needs to be cooled down. Place it in the fridge for one hour or so.
Making the cakes
- Beat eggs, sugar and salt until the eggs become thick and white.
- Fold in the flour, gently mix with eggs using the spatula.
- Add cooled down melted butter and gently incorporate it in the cake batter using the spatula.
- In the end add lemon and lime zest and nuts. Gently mix the batter.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Put a tablespoon of the cake batter in each mold (one tablespoon per large madeleine mold) and bake the cakes for 12-14 min until golden. Brush the molds with melted butter and sprinkle with some flour if you use the metal madeleine pan. No need to do that with the silicon molds.
- Gently take out the baked madeleines and place the new portion of the batter into the pan.
Making the seashells
- Let the baked madeleine cakes cool down. You will get around 20 individual cakes.
- Take the filling out of the fridge and spread the curd generously on two madeleine cakes (on the flat side).
- Stick the two cakes together creating the closed sea shell with the filling inside.
- Continue with the rest of the madeleine cakes.
- Place on the plate, dust with some sugar powder and serve (or place to the fridge until ready to serve. Dust with sugar powder prior to serving).
- Enjoy and share your feedback in the comments or via social media!
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