What French small shell-shaped sponge cake is a classic tea treat?

The French small shell-shaped sponge cake traditionally served with tea is a madeleine.

Madeleines are petite sponge cakes associated especially with Commercy and Liverdun in Lorraine, northeastern France. Their characteristic ridged shell shape comes from baking the batter in pans with shell-shaped depressions. Traditional recipes use flour, sugar, eggs, and often finely ground almonds; lemon zest is another familiar flavoring.

The cake's origin is surrounded by competing stories rather than one fully proven invention. One famous account credits a cook named Madeleine Paulmier in the 18th century, while other traditions connect the cake to pilgrims traveling toward Santiago de Compostela. Culinary writers also associate the form with Jean Avice, a pastry chef who worked in the kitchens of Talleyrand.

Madeleines became commercially important in the 19th century, helped by production in Commercy and sales through railway stations. They are also famous in literature: Marcel Proust used the taste of a madeleine dipped in tea to trigger an involuntary childhood memory. A financier is another small French cake, but it is denser and more almond-rich, while a canelé has a dark, caramelized crust and custardy center.