MAGDALENAS—EVOCATIVE LITTLE CAKES

 

Magdalena with linden-flower tea.

If Proust had been named Pérez, he might have recalled dipping a magdalena, rather than a madeleine, into his tia’s cup of tila (linden-flower tea). The magdalena is Spain’s rendition of this little tea cake. 

A magdalena resembles a small muffin or a cupcake in size. Proust’s madeleine was baked in a small scalloped mold, but  nowadays magdalenas are generally round or square.

French madeleines are confected with butter, but the magdalena is made with oil, preferably extra virgin olive. It’s not as cakey as a cupcake, nor is it ever frosted. A magdalena is not as dense as a muffin and would not normally have anything such as raisins, blueberries or chopped nuts incorporated. It is basically a tiny sponge cake, scented with lemon zest.

In Spain, magdalenas are served for breakfast—lovely dipped in café con leche, milky tea or chocolate—or for merienda, afternoon snack, with a cup of tea. The Proustian memory is of his aunt dipping a madeleine into an aromatic tisane of tilleul (linden flower, lime blossom, tila in Spanish). Any herb tea or chai goes with magdalenas. Serve them with sweet wine or liqueurs as well. Magdalenas also make a good base for desserts—add fruit and whipped cream or a dollop of rich yogurt for a shortcake shortcut.  

Not cupcakes, not muffins. These are magdalenas, small sponge cakes that make perfect snacks. 

Not overly sweet, the little cakes are scented with lemon zest.

Just right for a coffee break, a gluten-free magdalena. To dunk or not to dunk?

Use magdalenas as the base for desserts--on the left, with sliced strawberry and Greek yogurt; on the right, with sliced mango and caramel syrup. Yes, that is a giant strawberry in the foreground.

I’ve made two different batches of magdalenas. The second recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free. While these did not pouf up so high as the regular version, with wheat flour, they were equally delicious.

Lemon-Scented Tea Cakes

Magdalenas

A mild-flavored olive oil, such as Arbequina, is good for these delicate cakes, but any extra virgin olive oil is fine. 

Although not traditional, I have added a pinch of saffron, infused in the milk, to the batter. It adds a subtle flavor and golden color.   

Two important tips to making these little cakes. One, beat the eggs and sugar until they are thickened and pale, four or five minutes with electric mixer or whisk. And, secondly, allow the batter to chill at least four hours before baking.

Chilling the batter makes a puffier cake.

The experiment: I divided one batch of magdalena  batter in half. I baked off one half (eight cakes) immediately. I chilled the remaining batter 4 hours before baking eight more cakes. The second batch, from chilled batter (the cake pictured on the left), rose a half-inch higher than the first (pictured on the right).  I don't know why, but chilling the batter  produces cakes that are nicely domed. (The gluten-free cakes, not pictured here, were chilled before baking, but did not pouf up as high as the regular ones.)  I suggest chilling the batter  for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours before baking. 

Makes 16 (2 ½-inch) cakes

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup milk

Pinch of saffron threads (optional)

3 large eggs

¾ cup + 1 teaspoon sugar

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Combine the milk and saffron, if using.

Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl for one minute. Add the ¾ cup of sugar and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is pale and thick and increased in volume, 3 minutes. Beat in the milk with saffron, then the oil. On low speed, beat in the sifted flour.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate the batter for 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Place cupcake liners or muffin papers (cápsulas para magdalenas) in muffin trays. Remove batter from the refrigerator. 

Sprinkle on sugar before baking.

Fill the liners ¾ full. Sprinkle tops with a little sugar. 

Place the tray(s) in the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 400ºF. Bake 15 minutes without opening the oven. Test the cakes for doneness. They should feel springy when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Return them to the oven until lightly golden, about 3 minutes more.

Cool the trays on a rack 5 minutes. Carefully remove the cakes from the trays and cool completely on a rack. The cakes keep in an air-tight container up to a week.

Gluten-Free Tea Cakes

Magdalenas sin Gluten

I used a mix (total 1 ¾ cups, about 7.5 ounces) of rice flour and cornstarch (cornflour) in place of all-purpose wheat flour. You could use any gluten-free cake flour. I added almond flour for a little texture. 

I used a non-caloric sweetener especially for baking (King Arthur® Baking Sugar Alternative). This product, which I have not found in Spain, has a mix of ingredients that, like sugar, adds volume and bulk as well as sweetness to baked goods.  

On a whim, I mixed about ½ teaspoon of dried linden flowers (from a tila tea bag) with the flour. I did not notice the flavor in the finished magdalenas whatsoever, so I’ve not included that ingredient in the recipe. I think it would require a larger quantity of the dry leaves or else a strong infusion. 

Two kinds of gluten-free flour.

Makes 10 (2 ½-inch cakes).

¾ cup rice flour

1 cup cornstarch

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt 

1/3 cup almond flour (unsweetened)

3 eggs

¾ cup sweetener for baking or sugar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup almond milk (unsweetened)

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Sift together the rice flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Stir in the almond flour. Set the dry ingredients aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs in a bowl until they are pale and increased in volume, 4 minutes. Beat in the sweetener or sugar. Beat in the oil and the milk. Add the lemon zest. Fold in the dry ingredients until batter is smooth. Cover and chill the batter at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line muffin cups with liners. Remove the batter from the refrigerator. Fill muffin cups ¾ full. Place them in the oven and reduce oven temperature to 375ºF. Bake about 18 minutes until cakes are lightly golden and springy when pressed lightly.

Cool the muffin cups on a rack 5 minutes. Remove the cakes and cool completely on a rack. Store the cakes in an air-tight container.

The gluten-free magdalenas did not pouf up as much as the regular ones, even though the batter was chilled. 

More recipes for gluten-free and sugar-free baked goods:

Chocolate-Almond Cake.

Almond Torte.

Applesauce-Prune Spice Cake.