Best French Butter Sponge Cake Recipes

FRENCH BUTTER CAKES (MADELEINES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter and flour 12 (3 inch) madeleine molds; set aside.
• Melt butter and let cool to room temperature.
• In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and salt at high speed until light.
• Beating constantly, gradually add sugar; and continue beating at high speed until mixture is thick and pale and ribbons form in bowl when beaters are lifted, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Sift flour into egg mixture 1/3 at a time, gently folding after each addition.
• Add lemon zest and pour melted butter around edge of batter. Quickly but gently fold butter into batter. Spoon batter into molds; it will mound slightly above tops.
• Bake 14 to 17 minutes, or until cakes are golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertip.
• Use the tip of the knife to loosen madeleines from pan; invert onto rack. Immediately sprinkle warm cookies with granulated sugar. Madeleines are best eaten the day they're baked. Leftover madeleines are wonderful when dunked into coffee or tea.
• Variation: Chocolate Madeleines: Omit lemon zest. Increase sugar to 1/2 cup. Substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for 2 tablespoons of the flour; sift into batter with flour.

FRENCH BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream butter or margarine in bowl. Beat in egg yolks. Mix well.
• Sift flour and salt onto board or into large bowl. Make a well in the center. Put sugar and egg-yolk mixture in well. Mix with flour gradually until blended.
• Mix in vanilla and orange liqueur or rum. Knead dough well.
• Turn into 9x9x2-inch pan. Spread evenly with spatula. Brush with beaten egg.
• Bake 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Cool in pan. Cake keeps several weeks wrapped in foil.