Expert: Elyse Grau - 11/26/2008

Question
Hello,
I was wondering if you had any tips on baking madeleines in a gas oven...I use the same recipe that my sister does, and hers always come out flawless;mine are delicious but usually have slight burning at the edges and are flat or deflated.  Is this because I have a gas oven?(she has electric)I don't open the oven to peek, yet they are nowhere near the pretty little things we see in bakeries. Thankyou for any advice.

Answer
Sue:
I'm not sure how much help I can be on this, I've never made Madelines (too rich for me!). A few things to look at come to mind though.
One, since the browning is around the edges only, I wonder if you might be using too much butter in the pan. Second, your oven temperature might not be accurate - try baking them 25 degrees lower and see if that helps. Also, what kind of pan are you using? I've never seen a Madeline pan that wasn't shiny aluminum, but dark pans will give a darker crust.

I'm thinking the oven temperature is the most likely, as the cakes may be baking on the outside too quickly to allow the steam to escape, which may be what is causing them to deflate. I'd look at the ingredients, too. Are you using cake flour? Is your batter at room temperature before you bake? Is the sugar dissolved completely?

I'm sorry I don't have a definitive answer for you. I don't think it is a difference between gas and electric though, I've used both and haven't had to change how I bake. That said however, different ovens do bake differently. Some hold the heat better, some are more accurate, that sort of thing.

Best of luck to you, and I'm sure they still taste good even if they are not quite perfect!

Elyse