Belula

Financier Cake (French Almond Cakes)

Financier cake is small, rich, delicious, and flavoured with almonds. Traditionally shaped in the form of a gold ingot, this financier recipe is easy and quick to put together.

Belula June 16, 2015 April 14, 2021
Stacked almond financier cakes on top of marble platter with some small financiers around it.

Financiers are one of my favourite French pastry classics. During my first year living in Paris, my neighbourhood bakery had the best ones: airy, buttery, and moist. Perfect treat to eat on the go. And that is exactly what I did almost every day on way back home from pastry school! The happiest times. I loved them even more when I learned that these French almond cakes were so easy to make. You can be sitting down with a cup of coffee having delicious financiers in about 30 minutes from now. Go pre-heat the oven 😉.

What is a Financier Cake?

Financiers are small French almond cakes flavoured with almonds and brown butter. They are exquisite. They are traditionally baked in rectangular moulds, and that is where their name is derived from: because of their resemblance to a gold ingot.

Stacked almond financier cakes on top of marble platter with some small financiers around it, as seen from above.
Three small financier cake on a small white plate and a part of a wire rack in the bottom left corner.

What will you need to make this financier recipe?

This recipe is so easy to make, all you need is one bowl and 30 minutes from start to finish! And a few other things:

  • Utensils: a bowl and a whisk
  • Usual suspects: flour, powdered sugar, baking powder.
  • Almond flour, for that special taste.
  • Brown butter: for the extra nutty flavour. In French it is known as "beurre noisette" which translates to hazelnut butter, because it kind of smells like hazelnut once it has browned.
  • Egg Whites. I tend to use old egg whites; this is great example of a what to do with leftover egg whites. You can also try this Pavlova recipe!
  • Sliced almonds to decorate these small cakes.
  • Financier pan. If you don't have one, a small muffin pan will do the trick. In this occasion, I went with the muffin option, because I love a round shape!
Ingredients to make the financier cake.
The financier cake on a round wire rack placed in a circular manner as seen from above.
Stacked almond financier cakes on top of marble platter with some small financiers around it seen from the side.

How To Make Financiers?

  • Prepare all your ingredients before starting. This includes making brown butter and separating the egg whites from the egg yolks.
  • You can watch how to separate egg whites here.
  • To make brown butter: in a small casserole melt the butter until it has attained a nice brown colour and it smells like hazelnut (in French it is called "beurre noisette" – literally hazelnut butter). When browning the butter, be attentive. The line between brown butter and burnt butter is very slim (if your butter burns, the financiers will have a bitter aftertaste). If you want (I prefer to do so, but it's not life altering!) you can strain the brown butter to get rid of any impurities it might have.
  • And the rest is easy: in a bowl whisk all the dry ingredients (almond flour, flour, baking powder and powdered sugar) together. Add the egg whites and whisk until they have incorporated into the batter. Finally whisk in the brown butter.

Yes. You are done. Believe it! Now the baking part.

Brown butter in a white bowl.
All the dry ingredients inside a grey bowl with some sliced almonds on a plate on top of the frame and egg whites in a bowl next to it.
All the dry ingredients whisked together inside a grey bowl with some sliced almonds on a plate on top of the frame and egg whites in a bowl next to it and a whisk inside the bowl.
All the dry ingredients whisked together inside a grey bowl plus the egg whites, with some sliced almonds on a plate on top of the frame and egg whites in a bowl next to it and a whisk inside the bowl.
The financier cake batter in a grey bowl with a whisk inside it plus the added brown butter before mixing it in.
The financier cake batter in a grey bowl ready to be transferred to the pan with a rubber spatula on the side and beige linen underneath.

How to Bake these small French almond cakes?

Baking financiers is straight forward:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (360 F).
  • Thoroughly butter the financier pan (or the muffin pan if you are using this option) using a brush and melted butter. This is especially important as financiers stick to the pan.
  • Transfer the financier cake batter to a piping bag and fill in the pan to ¾ of the rim. It will look empty, but it's perfect. Don’t go overboard with the filling.
  • Add some sliced almonds on top of every financier.
  • Bake until golden. About 12 minutes.

Note: Time is just to guide you, it's not exact. Each oven is different. And each mould is also different. Get to know your material, the 12 minutes are a guide.

You know the financiers are ready if you insert a skewer at the centre and it comes out clean.

A blue mini muffin pan filled with the French almond cakes with a piping bag on the side and a plate holding sliced almonds on the side.
Stacked almond financier cakes on top of marble platter with some small financiers around it.

Can Financiers Be Made Gluten Free?

Most definitely these French almond cakes can be altered and made gluten free. You need to replace the all-purpose flour by a gluten free flour mix. And voila you have a gluten free cake.

Variations to this Financier recipe

You can make these into raspberry financiers by simply replacing the sliced almonds by raspberries. After you have filled the moulds, place one raspberry at the centre of each almond cake and press gently to insert. Bake as instructed in the recipe.

You can also replace the almond flour by hazelnut flour and make these hazelnut financiers.

Almond financier cakes and raspberry financier cakes randomly placed on top of a white surface.
One raspberry financier cake seen from above.

Freezing Financiers

French almond cakes can be frozen for up to 2 months, wrapped in plastic wrap and safely stored in a freezer bag or an airtight container.

To defrost: let it sit, wrapped, 1 hour at room temperature. Then remove the plastic wrap and enjoy!

The ingredients used in all recipes on this site are measured using the metric system. I use a scale to be precise with my measurements and ensure good results. If you would also like to use a scale, here are some: USA, Canada, UK, Australia, France.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 12 servings
Nutrition: 106 cal
Cuisine: French

Ingredients

  • Powdered Sugar 130 g
  • All-purpose Flour 50 g
  • Almond Flour 50 g
  • Baking Powder 4 g
  • Egg Whites 130 g
  • Butter (unsalted) 70 g
  • Sliced Almonds (for decoration)

Procedure

  • 1. Prepare your ingredients: Make the brown butter by melting the butter until it has attained a nice brown colour and it smells like hazelnut. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks.
  • 2. Make the financier cake batter: In a bowl mix the almond flour, the flour, the baking powder, and powdered sugar. Add the egg whites and whisk until they have incorporated into the batter. Whisk in the brown butter.
  • 3. Prepare to bake the French almond cakes: Pre-heat the oven to 180 C°. Butter your moulds using melted butter. Using a piping bag fill the moulds with the financier batter up to ¾. Leave a space between the rim of the mould and the batter. Add some sliced almonds on top of every financier.
  • 4. Bake the financiers: Bake until golden. About 12 minutes. Remove from the pan and let them cool down at room temperature over a wire rack. Enjoy!
If you made this recipe I would really appreciate it if you leave a rating or comment below! Also, if you share on social media please use #cookwithbelula, I would love to see what you create!
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12 Comments
Sofia June 16, 2015

Que ricor estos financiers!!!
Voy a probar de hacerlos!!!

Belén Gowland
Belula June 24, 2015

Hi Sofi, I hope you try them soon!! If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact me!

Clara June 17, 2015

Deliciosoooos!!!!

Belén Gowland
Belula June 24, 2015

:)

Gladys bain June 17, 2015

I tried some in French backery on Talcahuano and Paraguay! (In town) Absolutely delicious!

Belén Gowland
Belula June 24, 2015

Hi Gladys, I agree with you! Financiers are delicious :) Although I don't know this bakery, what's it called?

Gladys bain June 25, 2015

Belu, cant remember name of place, but very good products! Much better than the to French guys Who Cook in Gourmet ! The ir croissants aré absolutely delicious, as well as macarrons,,,All the best with tour cooking. Will try your recipe!

Belén Gowland
Belula March 05, 2016

Hola GLadys! Thank you for the tip :) Did you end up trying the recipe?

OSINULU Bimbo August 23, 2015

I love it so much

Belén Gowland
Belula September 02, 2015

:)

Sofia March 02, 2017

Belennnnn really easy to cook and delicious!!!! Perfect for breakfast as soon as they come out of the oven!!!!!

Belén Gowland
Belula March 04, 2017

Ahhh Sofi! So happy you liked the financiers :) It makes me happy to know you are baking recipes from the blog! :)

Ana January 02, 2021

They were really easy to make and delicious!! I’ll for sure keep this recipe within my favorites. Thanks!

Belén Gowland
Belula January 11, 2021

Hi Ana!
Financiers are delicious treats! So happy you are keeping the recipe within your favorites :) Thank you!!

Rose T April 14, 2021

Love your recipes .... can you add the US measurements as well? This would really help.

Belén Gowland
Belula January 18, 2022

Hi Rose,
Sorry for the late response!
And very happy to hear you like my recipes! I can't add this into the website (as I don't have this functionality!), but I hear this is a trusted website for conversions:
https://www.thecalculatorsite.com/cooking/cups-grams.php
Hope this helps!
Have a nice day :)

Purple Nguyen September 28, 2021

Should I rebake the financier after defrosting? Thank for your help plz

Belén Gowland
Belula January 18, 2022

Hi Purple,
You can pop them back in a very hot oven for 5 minutes if you find they are kind of sticky after defrosting them!
Hope this helps!

Irasema Biggs November 05, 2021

Hello, a silly question. Do I use regular muffin pans or the mini. Thank you

Belén Gowland
Belula November 05, 2021

Hi!! There are no silly questions ;) I made these in mini muffin pans. However you can use a big one if you prefer. Note that the baking time will change ! Happy baking!

Micha December 08, 2021

You make every recipe so simple and easy to follow. Love the financiers, they are delicious and perfect!
Thanks!

Belén Gowland
Belula January 18, 2022

Hi Micha,
Ohhh the best comment to receive ever! Thank you, so happy you find my recipes easy to follow! And also glad you enjoyed the financiers, they are one of my soft spots too :)

Catherine February 07, 2022

I’d love to make these for a tea party, but one of the guests cannot have gluten - how would you recommend altering the recipes?
Thank you for sharing such a lovely recipe, and for any suggestions you might have!

Belén Gowland
Belula February 07, 2022

Hi Catherine,
This is a great question. And yes, you can make these financiers GF! My sister and sister in law are both Celiac, so I have tested this myself!
Simply replace the flour amount by GF store-bought flour. I heard Bob Red's Mill has a good ready to use mix.
Hope this helps! Would love to know how they turn out, if you make them!

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