Description
This classic French Financier recipe features moist, buttery almond cakes known for their delicate crumb and rich flavor. Made with browned butter, almond flour, and a light cake flour base, these small cakes are perfect for an elegant tea time treat or dessert. The batter is chilled to enhance the flavor before baking to a golden finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Butter
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter
Dry Ingredients
- 6 1/2 tbsp cake flour
- 7 1/2 tbsp almond flour
- 1/8 tsp baking powder
Wet Ingredients
- 3 egg whites
- 7 tbsp castor sugar
- 2 tsp honey
Instructions
- Make brown butter: In a medium light-colored frying pan or skillet, melt the butter over low-medium heat. Stir constantly as it foams to prevent milk solids from sticking and burning. Continue heating until the butter turns a golden brown color and emits a nutty aroma, then remove from heat.
- Strain and cool butter: Immediately strain the browned butter into a heatproof bowl to stop it from cooking further. Allow it to cool completely before using.
- Prepare egg mixture: In a large bowl, lightly whisk the egg whites to break them down. Add the castor sugar and honey, then whisk for 3 minutes until the sugar dissolves fully and the mixture is smooth.
- Add dry ingredients: Sift together the cake flour, almond flour, and baking powder. Gradually whisk this into the egg-sugar mixture until completely combined.
- Incorporate brown butter: Add the cooled brown butter to the batter and whisk until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Chill batter: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the batter for at least 1 hour or overnight to develop flavor and improve texture. This step is recommended but can be skipped if needed.
- Preheat oven and prepare molds: Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Generously grease financier molds with butter to prevent sticking.
- Ready the batter: Remove the batter from the fridge. Use a spatula to loosen and gently mix it before baking.
- Fill molds and bake: Transfer the batter to a piping bag and pipe into the molds, filling each about 80-90% full. Alternatively, spoon the batter into the molds. Bake until golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean, usually around 15-20 minutes.
Notes
- Using a light-colored pan for browning butter helps monitor the color closely and avoid burning.
- Chilling the batter enhances the flavor by allowing the flours to hydrate and meld with the browned butter.
- Greasing the molds well ensures easy release after baking.
- Financiers are best enjoyed fresh but can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
- These delicate cakes can be garnished with sliced almonds or a dusting of powdered sugar if desired.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: financier, French almond cake, browned butter, almond flour cake, classic French dessert
