Cookware & bakeware · Bakeware

Madeleine tray

A baking tray with rows of shallow, scallop-shell moulds for French madeleines.

Specialist · No power needed · 1 recipe

What it is

A metal or silicone tray, usually with 9, 12 or 20 ridged shell-shaped hollows; mini versions make bite-sized cakes. Light-coloured metal trays give the classic golden ridges; dark non-stick ones brown faster.

What it’s for: Shaping and quickly baking small sponge cakes with a ridged shell base and a domed hump.

How to use it

Brush the moulds with melted butter, dust with flour and tap out the excess; chill the tray.
Pipe or spoon cold batter into each shell until about three-quarters full, without spreading it.
Bake in a hot oven until domed and golden at the edges.
Tap the cakes out straight away and cool them on a rack.

Good to know

Tasks: baking madeleines, baking small shell-shaped financiers and sponge cakes
Cooking methods: Oven-baked
Materials: tinned steel, non-stick steel, aluminium, silicone
Care and cleaning: Wash by hand and dry thoroughly, using a soft brush in the ridges. Silicone trays need a baking tray underneath for support.
Limitations: Only one size and shape; madeleines stick in poorly greased or scratched moulds.

Safety

Use oven gloves; thin metal trays heat and cool fast.

If you don’t have one

Muffin tin — A shallow bun or mini muffin tin bakes the same batter, without the shell shape.

Equipment guide

How it works: Shallow scallop-shaped moulds give a large surface area for the small amount of batter, so the edges set and brown quickly. A hot oven and chilled batter create the temperature contrast that pushes up the characteristic hump.

Material	Good	Watch out
Tinned steel	Traditional; browns well for crisp edges.	Rusts if not dried.
Non-stick (PTFE or ceramic sol-gel coating on aluminium)	Eggs, fish and pancakes release with little fat; easy to clean; forgiving for beginners.	Coatings wear out (ceramic often faster than PTFE); PTFE should not be heated empty or above about 260 °C; poor at building fond; needs non-metal utensils.
Silicone	Flexible, so bakes pop out; non-stick; does not rust.	Poor heat conductor, so browning is weak; floppy when full and needs a tray underneath.

Standard madeleine tray: Usually 12 shells.
Mini madeleine tray: Bite-sized shells.

Buying guidance

Starting out: A metal non-stick tray, greased and floured anyway.