Madeleine de Proust is a charming new bakery and patisserie on Lygon Street, completely and unabashedly devoted to the art of crafting fine madeleines. The traditional French sponge cake has long enamoured sweet tooths the world over, from author Marcel Proust's passage on the nostalgic powers of the dessert in his early 20th-century novel In Search of Lost Time to its newly revived presence on menus around Melbourne.
At this cute new shop in Carlton, former Attica head pastry chef Hyoju Park and her partner Rong Yao Soh are taking things up a notch and spinning a modern riff on the madeleine. Global influences and personal stories are baked into each pretty creation, showing just how versatile these humble shell-shaped sponges can be. Think bright colours, shimmery gold accents, jammy fillings and A-grade ingredients such as housemade pistachio paste, white Valrhona chocolate, Market Lane coffee, Ecuadorian cacao ganache and leatherwood honey.
As for the cakes themselves, Madeine de Proust's recipe is spot-on. Thanks to the chef duo's patisserie pedigree and background in Michelin-starred kitchens, you can anticipate a light and fluffy sponge made from local butter and ultra-light flour imported from Japan. The signature corn madeleine is already a firm favourite: brown butter sponge filled with cream cheese, buttery corn and topped with a popcorn ganache and husk made from corn-infused chocolate.
For more information, head to the website. Madeleine de Proust is open Wednesday to Sunday, from 10am until 5pm.
