Spanish Magdalenas Recipe – Delicious Spanish Cupcakes

They’re light, fluffy, and zesty. Want to know how to make Spanish Cupcakes at home? Check out our Spanish Magdalenas Recipe.

While mixing the eggs and sugar can be a tedious task, it will just be a breeze once you add in the oil and the zest. Combine your sifted flour, yeast, and salt. Add in both mixtures and divide them into portions.

Do a cold rest by placing the dough in the refrigerator for about half an hour before baking. Once popped in the oven and baked for 15 minutes, you have authentic Spanish Magdalenas ready to be enjoyed!

Read also: Traditional Spanish Desserts

Difference Between a Muffin, a Cupcake and a Magdalena

Is it a muffin, a cupcake, or a Spanish Magdalena?

It is quite easy to get confused among these three, as they can sometimes look so similar. Especially when you place your magdalenas on a paper mold, you could not quite tell the difference between that and a cupcake – or a muffin, in some cases.

What is a muffin?

A muffin is a type of English sweet cake. You often see it served with English tea accompanied with whipped cream, butter, and jam. Among the three being compared with each other, a muffin contains more butter than oil.

When making a muffin, you tend to skip the sifting of the flour. This step is not necessary because you’ll end up with a totally different texture if you do so. Aside from that, you mix and bake the muffin dough straight out of prep.

What is a cupcake?

A cupcake is literally a small cake. It is your regular cake recipe but divided into small portions and cooked in small liners. 

When making a cupcake, you have no reason to let the dough rest for a bit in the refrigerator. You bake it, let it cool down, pipe some frosting on it, and finish with more decoratives. 

And what about a Magdalena?

While this Spanish word directly translates to “cupcake” in English, a Magdalena is not your regular small cake. It is actually France’s madeleines piped in cupcake molds rather than its traditional shell-shaped trays.

When making a Magdalena, you have to rest the dough before placing it on paper liners and baking the portions. After it has been baked, the magdalenas need nothing more than a sprinkle of sugar – and you’re done!

A muffin, a cupcake, and a Magdalena may look the same – treat them even as cousins – but take one bite, and you’ll surely know the difference.

Tips to prepare Spanish Magdalenas

• Make it a point to use quality ingredients for your Spanish Magdalenas recipe. When you begin to skimp on essential ingredients such as butter, oil or flour, your taste testers will be able to tell.
• Do you want to know the secret behind fluffy Spanish cupcakes? As you beat the ingredients altogether, it is better to use a whisk. If you have an electric mixer, it will help you immensely! Why do you need these? You have to bring a lot of air to the mixture so that when you place the dough in the oven, it will grow and rise.
• Do not skip the cold resting of the dough. You need to do it so that the yeast will be activated. Make sure to keep your dough in the fridge for at least half an hour.
• As you rest your dough, use the time to preheat your oven. This ensures that once you open the oven and place your tray inside, the cold magdalenas will cook directly and will not lose volume in the process.

Ingredients Spanish Magdalenas

• 200 grams of eggs (about 4 eggs)
• 1 cup (200 grams) of sugar
• 7/8 cups (200 milliliters) of extra virgin olive oil with a mild flavor
• 1 cup (220 grams) of wheat flour
• One sachet of chemical yeast or baking powder, about 16 grams
• Lemon zest
• Paper molds

Step-by-step instructions to prepare Spanish Magdalenas

1. Start by cracking four fresh eggs in a bowl. Add in 1 cup of sugar. With a whisk or an electric mixer, mix the eggs and sugar for eight minutes. If you do not have a whisk or an electric mixer at home, a fork will do; you just have to beat the mixture very well.

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2. Gradually add oil to the mixture. Continue whisking as you add in all of the oil

3. Add in the lemon zest.

4. Sift your flour with a sieve. Add in the yeast and a pinch of salt.

5. Mix your wet mixture with your dry mixture. This time, do not beat so much, so you do not lose the air in the dough. Mix only until well incorporated.

6. Line your cupcake baking tray with paper molds. Pour the dough into the mold. Try to distribute the mixture evenly among all the paper molds. 

7. Place the whole tray inside the refrigerator. Let the dough rest for at least half an hour to 40 minutes, allowing the dough to cool down.

8. Preheat your oven to 430 Degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius). 

9. After resting the dough, take the tray off the refrigerator. Sprinkle some sugar on top of each portion. Turn the heat down to 390 Degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) and pop the tray in the oven. Bake the Spanish cupcakes for about 15 minutes, resisting the desire to open the oven door and check them. 

10. After 15 minutes, take the tray out of the oven. Pierce the middle of one Spanish cupcake with a toothpick to check its doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are done. If not, place them back in the oven for another minute or two.

11. Let your Spanish magdalenas cool down before serving them.

Frequently Asked Questions about Spanish Magdalenas

Spanish Magdalenas Recipe