This recipe and design is the result of a wonderful collaboration with Dan from @dansbakelab. An Easter showstopper to grace the most decadent Easter spread, made of easter bun inspired spiced madeleines dipped in pastel tinted white chocolate and shaped into an egg like dome.

This madeleine recipe is adapted from the basic french madeleine recipe by Ferrandi. I used a beautiful scallop shaped mould but any madeleine tray will look stunning. Try to find a non stick version which is particularly handy for the chocolate dipping part of the recipe.

Makes approximately 40 Madeleines. Extra batches can be made depending on the size of the mould to cover.

Your will need:

One madeleine tray (or several)

A large round easter egg mould/form or use bowls or rounded cakes pans (or whatever is on hand and food safe) to create an egg shape then cover the lot in foil. Stand on a cup or vessel for stability (this later becomes the cake stand)

Ingredients:

220g cake flour
1 generous tsp cinnamon
½ - 1 teaspoon ground cardamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon sea salt
8g baking powder
2 large eggs
145g raw caster sugar
20g honey or golden syrup
100ml warm milk
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
finely grated zest of one organic orange
270g butter, melted and cooled.
extra butter to grease the madeleine trays.
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300g white chocolate melts or couverture chocolate (tempered)
Chocolate food colouring ( We used Colour Mill brand food colouring in eucalyptus, mustard, dusk, peach, rust and concrete)
Grey petal dust and rose spirit or vodka
cold spray if you have it. otherwise use choc melts to stick the madeleines as they set more quickly.

Method:

Sift together dry ingredients.
Gently beat the eggs with the sugar, honey, milk and vanilla until combined.
Stir in the flour and spice mixture until smooth using a whisk.
Add orange zest and melted butter and stir until combined.
Allow the mixture to chill, covered for 4 hours or even overnight.
When ready to bake:
Grease a madeleine tray with melted butter and pipe or spoon in the mixture until ¾ full.
Bake at 180 deg C for 11 minutes until just browned and the middles have peaked.
Cool the madeleines on a rack.
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Temper the chocolate or melt the choc melts. Divide the melted chocolate into small bowls and colour using a chocolate oil based food colour in your desired shades.
Use the same madeleine tray that has been cleaned and dried for the next part.
Place a tablespoon of chocolate in the shell of each madeleine mould. A non stick coating helps to release the madeleines once they are set. Spread the chocolate up the sides of the mould using the back of a spoon.
Take a madeleine cake and press it lightly, shell side down, onto the chocolate in the mould. (make sure it’s the same orientation as when it was baked so that it lines up with the scallop pattern)
Once all are filled, chill in the freezer for 5 minutes or until set and then unmould and repeat for all the cakes.
Mix petal dust with rose spirit or vodka until runny and flick onto the chocolate using a food safe paint brush for a speckle effect.

To assemble the madeleine egg:

Use extra melted choc melts (candy melts) as glue.
Cover your egg shaped mould in foil and place onto a stand to secure (such as a small bowl or vessel. (we used a mortar an pestle as the bottom and a dolly varden tin on top to make our egg shape.
Starting at the top, spoon some chocolate onto the cake side of the madeleine and arrange the madeleines around the mould waiting until they are secure before moving to the next cake. We used cold spray to set out chocolate quickly. A cotton glove would also help to keep the shiny chocolate pristine.
Keep going until the egg is covered and you are happy with the design.
Congratulation - that’s it.
Store your masterpiece in a cool place. The cakes are best eaten fresh.