Madeleines originated in Commercy and Liverdun, two communes in Lorraine, France. Lorraine is a historic region in northeastern France, now largely incorporated into the modern administrative region of Grand Est.
The madeleine is a small sponge cake recognized by its shell-like shape, created by baking génoise-style batter in grooved molds. Traditional recipes may include butter, eggs, sugar, flour, almonds, and lemon zest.
Stories about its invention vary. One popular legend credits Madeleine Paulmier, a cook associated with Stanislaus I, Duke of Lorraine, in the 18th century. The tale is famous, but historians do not regard every detail as firmly established.
Commercy became especially famous for commercial madeleines. The railway helped spread them nationally: from 1852, sellers could offer cakes to passengers on the Paris–Strasbourg line. Liverdun developed its own madeleine tradition later, so the two towns are related but not interchangeable origins.