Financiers (French Almond Cakes)
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These Financiers are little French almond cakes with crisp golden edges, a moist, tender center, and deep brown-butter flavor. No special pan required, and you can mix the batter in one bowl.
When I first made these delightful little cakes in pastry school, I was charmed by their simplicity. But when I started testing my own recipe (a smaller batch than the huge number my pastry course recipe made), I realized that a great financier recipe is harder than it looks! My first several batches were way too dense, and didn’t have the deep almond flavor I wanted.
I added some vanilla extract along with the almond extract, perfected my brown butter technique, and determined that yes, you do need to sift the dry ingredients. Now, this is one of my favorite recipes for when you need just a little sweet treat. I share all the tips you’ll need below!
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Ingredients
- Butter: Unsalted is my default so I can control the salt, but salted works if you skip the added extra pinch in the recipe.
- Almond Flour: Blanched, finely ground almond flour works best.
- All-Purpose Flour: This helps build the cake's structure since almond flour alone won't give you the texture you want. For a gluten-free version, swap in a good 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend.
- Powdered Sugar: Using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar keeps the the texture delicate.
- Egg Whites: Room temperature egg whites give you a fluffier texture because they allow the proteins to trap more air. Got leftover yolks? Save them for pastry cream or crème brûlée.
- Vanilla Extract and Almond Extract: Using both is my little upgrade for depth of flavor (which adds to what you get from the browned butter).
- Sliced Almonds: You can use plain almonds or buy pre-toasted almonds. Or, toast them lightly yourself before adding to the muffin tin.
How to Make Financiers
French financiers may look elegant, but they're surprisingly simple to make. Follow these easy steps for buttery almond cakes with crisp edges and tender centers.
- Melt 7 tablespoons butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Stir constantly for 5 to 8 minutes until the foam subsides and golden-brown flecks appear on the bottom. It should smell rich and nutty. Pour the browned butter, including the flecks, into a bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Sift 1 cup almond flour, ½ cup all-purpose flour, and 1 ½ cups powdered sugar onto a piece of parchment paper, then pour into a mixing bowl.
- Stir in 4 room-temperature large egg whites, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract, the cooled browned butter, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Mix just until smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate the batter for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Generously grease a mini muffin pan with softened butter. Transfer the batter to a piping bag and fill each muffin cup no more than ¾ full. Sprinkle the tops evenly with 3 tablespoons sliced almonds.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the batter no longer looks wet anywhere and the edges are golden brown. Don't overbake.
- Let the financiers cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack.
Storage Tips
Store cooled financiers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They're best the day they're baked, when the edges are still crisp.
To freeze, layer them in an airtight container for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature. The unbaked batter also keeps, covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days, so you can pipe and bake to order.
Recipe FAQs for Financiers
Financiers are small French almond cakes made with almond flour, egg whites, and browned butter. They're named for their traditional rectangular shape, said to resemble gold bars. The browned butter (beurre noisette) is what gives them their distinctive nutty flavor.
No. The traditional rectangular molds are lovely, but a mini muffin tin gives you the same crisp edges and tender center without buying special equipment.
Chilling the batter firms up the butter and hydrates the flours, which helps the financiers hold their shape and bake up with the right texture.
Of course you don’t NEED to, but I will tell you that I did a side-by-side test comparing sifted and unsifted dry ingredients, and the texture on the cakes where I sifted the ingredients was much lighter and fluffier.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
- Note that browned butter can go from nutty to burnt fast. Pull it off the heat the moment it smells toasty and the flecks are golden brown. If you do overheat the browned butter, don’t scrape any burned bits from the bottom of the pan into the batter.
- Financiers stick if the pan isn't well buttered. Coat every cup generously for clean edges and an easy release.
- Don't over bake. This is the difference between moist financiers and dry ones. Take them out as soon as the centers set and the edges turn golden.
- Want to get creative with your flavors? You can press berries into the tops instead of almonds. Or add orange or lemon zest for a bright tweak on the original.
Other French Baking Recipes You’ll Love
Financiers are one of those small French bakes that feel fancy but come together easily. If you like these, you might want to try some of my other favorite French cakes and cookies:
If you try this Financiers recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to me.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I’d love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this Almond Financiers recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I’d love to see your results!
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Financiers (French Almond Cakes)
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons butter plus more for greasing the pan
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 4 large egg whites room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
Instructions
- Melt butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium-low heat. Keep it moving and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes, until the foam subsides and you see golden-brown flecks on the bottom. It should have a fragrant nutty aroma.
- Pour it into a bowl, scraping in any flecks, and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Sift the almond flour, all-purpose flour, and powdered sugar together into a large bowl.
- Stir in the egg whites, vanilla extract, almond extract, the cooled browned butter, and salt. Mix just until smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate the batter for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Generously grease a mini muffin tin with softened butter.
- Scrape the batter into a piping bag and pipe into the muffin cups, filling each no more than ¾ full.
- Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the tops.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the batter no longer looks wet anywhere and the edges are golden brown. Don't overbake.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack.
Notes
- Storage: Airtight at room temperature up to 3 days, or freeze up to 2 months. Batter keeps 2 days in the fridge.
- Don't overbake, or they'll dry out. Pull them the moment the centers set.
- Grease the pan generously for clean edges and easy release.
Nutrition
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
