Almond financiers – French cakes with browned butter Recipe
These small French cakes made with ground almonds and browned butter are moist inside and slightly crisp around the edges. In France they’re often served with afternoon coffee or tea instead of a large cake. Their flavor is reminiscent of a cross between a cupcake and a macaron, but they’re much easier to make.
Financiers combine the intense aroma of browned butter with the delicate texture of ground almonds, giving you an elegant French-style treat from just a few simple ingredients. They’re quick to make, look impressive, and are perfect both for everyday coffee breaks and for serving to guests.
Chef's tips
Watch the butter carefully while browning – it should be golden and fragrant, not dark and burnt. For the best texture, don’t overmix the batter once the flour is added, and don’t overbake the cakes; they should stay moist inside. If you’re using metal molds, chilling them briefly in the fridge after filling can help the cakes rise more evenly.
How to serve
Serve the financiers slightly warm or at room temperature. Dust with a little powdered sugar just before serving for a patisserie-style look. They pair wonderfully with espresso, black tea, or a glass of dessert wine. For a plated dessert, serve two or three financiers with a scoop of ice cream and a few fresh berries.
Ingredients
- butter - 120 g
- egg white from size M eggs - 4 piece
- powdered sugar - 140 g
- almond flour finely ground blanched almonds - 80 g
- wheat flour type 450–550 - 50 g
- salt - 0.25 teaspoon
- vanilla extract or vanilla sugar - 1 teaspoon
- almonds flakes or slivers, for sprinkling - 20 g
- butter for greasing the molds, optional - 5 g
- wheat flour for dusting the molds, optional - 5 g
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat). Prepare a pan for small rectangular or round cakes (a muffin pan also works). Grease it lightly with butter and dust with flour, or use paper liners.
- Place the butter in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Cook for 5–7 minutes, until it smells intensely nutty and brown specks appear on the bottom. Be careful not to burn it. When it is golden brown, remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, almond flour, wheat flour, and salt.
- Pour the egg whites into a separate bowl and lightly whisk with a fork or whisk just to combine – do not beat to stiff peaks.
- Add the egg whites to the dry ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms.
- Add the vanilla extract to the slightly cooled but still liquid butter, then pour the butter in a thin stream into the almond batter, stirring constantly until the batter is smooth and glossy.
- Spoon the batter into the molds, filling them to about 3/4 full. Sprinkle the tops with flaked or slivered almonds.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes at 190°C, until the edges of the cakes are golden and the centers spring back when lightly pressed with a finger.
- Remove the pan from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then gently remove the cakes and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
Financiers are one of the most rewarding small bakes: minimal effort, maximum flavor. Once you get used to browning butter, you’ll likely start using it in other desserts too, because it adds a deep, nutty note that makes even simple recipes taste special.
