CookinCityRecipes & Articles For Better Cooking At Home

Financiers- Small almond cakes

A classic french almond little cakes

Quick answerReady in 35 minutes, cook at 200°c/400°F, French cuisine.
By Jaron Kimhi··👁 1.4K views
financiers
Financiers are one of my favorite French patisserie small cakes. They have everything I'm asking for in a cake — spongy, crispy, and most importantly, a rich almond buttery flavor.

The name of this almond cake is derived from its shape, which resembles a gold bar — and gold it is!

The method for making Financiers

There are many almond cakes from various cuisines, but what makes this cake special is the combination of "beurre noisette" — butter cooked to the point where you smell intoxicating hazelnut flavors and the color changes to golden. It's created by letting the butter bubble in a small saucepan until almost burnt. There's a fine line between burnt butter and golden nutty butter, and since this is the heart of the recipe, don't take your eyes off the pan — the butter can be destroyed in seconds. financiers Mixing the beurre noisette, egg whites, sugar, and crushed almonds forms a runny batter that's best cooled before you put it in the financier molds. I prefer to use a piping bag (no need for a nozzle) to place the batter in the molds. It's not essential if you don't have one — a spoon works too, but it'll take more time and get a lot messier. Baking is short. You're not after a strong brown color — a light golden color is all that's needed. It's better for the cakes to be less crispy and keep that moist internal texture. financiers Classic financiers can have many variations — the base almond cake can absorb almost any addition. Earl Grey, sesame, espresso, chocolate, hazelnut, and more. You can add cherry, jam, or buttermilk inside them and cover them in whatever topping comes to mind. The ingredient list is small and looks simple — and it actually is — but you need to pay attention to the details if you want this cake to not just be good, but be amazing, as it should be.

Method

  1. 1

    preparing the beurre noisette· 5 minutes

    In a small saucepan cook the butter until bubbling, keep your eyes on the saucepan, we want to get to a golden brown color. when we the desired color is reached turn turn of the heat and keep aside.

    financiersfinanciersfinanciersfinanciers
  2. 2

    making the batter· 3 minutes

    In a medium saucepan, mix almond and sugar, beat the egg whites gently and add to to the sugar almond mix. place the saucepan over medium heat and stir with a wooden spoon just until the batter is combined, runny but still possible to touch with your finger, don't over heat, we don't want the eggs to break. Remove from heat and add flour and the melted butter, mix well until smooth. Place the batter in a piping bag and let cool in the fridge for 1 hour (at this stage the batter can be kept up to 24hrs refrigirated).

    financiersfinanciersfinanciersfinanciersfinanciers
  3. 3

    baking the financiers· 15 minutes

    Preheat the oven to 200°c/400°F. Fill the financier molds with the batter and bake for about 15 minutes until golden .(if using big molds bake another extra of 3-4 minutes). Allow the financiers to cool down for a few minutes before serving.

    200°c/400°Ffinanciersfinanciers
Recipe by

Jaron Kimhi

Jaron Kimhi — self-taught home cook from Tel Aviv, writing and cooking every recipe on this site himself. 20+ years of tinkering in the kitchen, leaning toward slow cooking, classic technique, and honest ingredients.

More recipes by Jaron →

You might also like

Brioche
French

Basic Brioche

⏱ 3 hrs and 10 minutes👁 866
Vanilla Omelette Soufflé
French

Sweet Vanilla Omelette Soufflé

⏱ 20-29 Minutes👁 1.2K
lemon tart
French

Lemon Meringue Tart

⏱ 12 hours👁 507
cream pufffs
French

Classic Cream Puffs

⏱ 3 hours👁 428
Categories
Cakes
Cuisines
French
Features
VegetarianOven
Tags
Frenchfinanciersalmonds

Questions & answers

Can I make the batter ahead of time?
Yes — pipe it into the bag and stash it in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking. Perfect for prepping the night before.
What can I use if I don't have financier molds?
Use a mini muffin tin instead. Just keep an eye on them — smaller cavities may bake faster than the 15-minute mark.
How do I know the beurre noisette is ready?
Watch for a golden brown color while it bubbles. Pull it off the heat the moment you hit that color — it goes from golden to burnt fast.
Why do I heat the batter on the stove instead of just mixing it cold?
That gentle heat helps combine the egg whites with the almond and sugar into a smooth, cohesive batter. Just don't let it get too hot or the egg whites will start to cook.
Do I need to adjust baking time for bigger molds?
Yes — add an extra 3 to 4 minutes if you're using larger molds, and look for that same golden color as your cue.

Nutrition per serving

64
Calories
4.3g
Total Fat
2.1g
Saturated Fat
17mg
Cholesterol
37mg
Sodium