Magdalenas: Spanish Lemon Cupcakes

Written by
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa and Tony Sierra are freelance writers and Spanish food experts who lead culinary tours of the country.
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Lisa & Tony Sierra
Updated 06/13/19
Magdalenas

 The Spruce
  • Total: 30 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 20 mins
  • Servings: 18 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
131 Calories
7g Fat
15g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 18
Amount per serving
Calories 131
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 64mg 21%
Sodium 180mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 5%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Protein 2g
Calcium 66mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

In Spanish, magdalenas simply means "cupcakes" or "muffins." This recipe makes a sweet, lemony, and rich-tasting cake with a light and fluffy texture. It is common to enjoy them at breakfast with café con leche and they would make a great addition to a Sunday champagne brunch or tea time.

Traditionally, the cupcakes are made in the shape of a shell using a special magdalena oven tray, similar to a French madeleines pan. However, it is more common today for them to take on the basic cupcake form. Some authentic recipes call for olive oil as the fat component, but butter is used here for a finer mouthfeel.​

Although magdalena are often purchased at bakeries and even prepackaged in grocery stores today rather than baked at home, they are simple to make and there's nothing like a hot lemon cake right out of the oven. Give them a try. 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup granulated sugar (divided)
  • 4 large eggs (room-temperature)
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter (room-temperature)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Magdalenas
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  2. Position oven rack on the middle shelf and heat to 375 F. Place 18 liners into the wells of cupcake pans and set aside.

    Put liners in tin
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  3. Measure 1/4 cup sugar, place it in a small bowl, and set aside.

    Put sugar in bowl
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  4. In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the remaining 3/4 cup sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.

    Mix ingredients
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  5. In a small saucepan on the stovetop, melt the butter over medium heat. Alternatively, you can melt it in the microwave. Before adding it to the egg mixture, make sure the butter cools slightly and is not bubbling.

    Melt butter
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  6. While you continue to beat the egg mixture, slowly add the melted butter, making sure to mix thoroughly.

    Add butter
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  7. Stir in the lemon zest and milk.

    Stir in lemon
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  8. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder until thoroughly combined.

    Stir flour
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  9. While stirring the egg mixture, add the flour mixture with your other hand. Continue to stir until all ingredients are mixed well. The batter will be very thick.

    Stir in egg mixture
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  10. Using a large serving spoon or cookie scoop, place batter into the pan, filling each cupcake liner halfway. The batter will more than double in size when baked.

    Place batter in pan
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  11. Use a teaspoon to sprinkle each magdalena with a bit of the reserved sugar.

    Sprinkle with sugar
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  12. Place pans in the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the magdalenas have turned a golden color and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.

    Bake
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  13. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack before removing cupcakes from the pan to cool completely.

    Allow to cool
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  14. Serve and enjoy!

Tip

  • Make sure that your eggs, butter, milk, and any other dairy ingredients are at room temperature before beginning. When mixed together, these ingredients create an emulsion that traps air. During baking, this air expands and results in a fluffy baked good.

The Origin of Magdalenas

Magdalenas are believed to have originated in France. You can see some resemblance to madeleines, which are very popular shell-shaped butter sponge cakes.

However, there also is the story of a young Spanish girl named Magdalena who, it is said, served these little cakes to pilgrims making their journey to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. This may account for the spread of their popularity across Spain.

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