Financier cake

Melt the butter in a saucepan until it starts to foam. Cook for a further 4 minutes until the butter is golden brown, and smells slightly nutty. Remove from the heat.

Combine the icing sugar, ground almonds and plain flour in a mixing bowl. Then stir in the egg whites. Gradually add the heated butter until you have a smooth mixture. Leave to chill in the fridge, covered, for around 1 hour.

Heat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Butter a baking tray with 12 rectangular moulds. Spoon the batter into the moulds, and then use a knife to scrape off any excess. Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top and then bake for around 16 minutes until golden and firm to touch.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Then turn out from the moulds onto a wire rack. You can add a dusting of icing sugar to serve.

Tips & tricks

In the recipe above, we’ve shared a classic approach to the financier, with a rectangular shape that sets it apart from its sister bakes like the madeleine. However, if you can’t get your hands on a rectangular mould, then you can use muffin moulds for a less traditional (but just as tasty) shape. There’s also generally no need to butter the moulds as the recipe has a hefty inclusion of butter, so they should slip out fairly easily after cooking.

For the butter, make sure you’re aiming for a light browning and be careful not to burn it. In French this technique is known as ‘beurre noisette’, literally meaning ‘brown butter’ so keep a close eye on the butter during this process for the desired colour and outcome.

It’s also best to stick to the basic ingredient list above as closely as possible. Almond meal won’t be able to be substituted for almond flour, for example. We have a helpful page here explaining the difference between the two and why almond flour works better for recipes of this kind.

How to serve it

Usually a financiers dessert can be happily enjoyed as it comes out of the oven, with a light dusting of icing sugar for a more professional finish. However, a financier does often form the base of many French layer cakes. You can find more inspiration here with our collection of classic French dessert recipes, if you’d like to explore more showstopping options.

Origins of the recipe

Financiers are said to have started their journey with the Holy Mary Visitandine Nuns in Lorraine, likely around the 17th Century. The nuns used egg yolks to mix their paint at this time, so financiers were a handy way to use up leftover egg whites. At the time of their creation they were known as visitandines. Financiers adopted their current namesake when a pastry chef, who was working near Paris’ financial district, spotted an opportunity to adapt the shape to resemble a gold bar, and named them instead ‘le Financier’ to appeal to local financial workers. 

Whilst similar to a madeleine there are a few subtle differences. Madeleines are made with both egg yolks and egg whites, and tend to be less moist as they’re mixed with less butter than a financier. A madeleine recipe also includes baking powder to help this little cake achieve its humped shape, again different to the rectangular slab of a financier. 

Storage

Though best enjoyed fresh from the oven as part of a French-inspired afternoon tea, you can keep financiers in an airtight container for up to three days.