Financier — little brown-butter almond cakes shaped like gold bars

i. Origin & history

The financier has an older ancestor: the visitandine, a small almond and egg-white cake said to have been made by the nuns of the Order of the Visitation in eastern France, in or around Nancy, in the seventeenth century. Nuns used large quantities of egg yolks in their confectionery and for other purposes, and the visitandine was an elegant way to use the leftover whites. These cakes were usually round or boat-shaped.

The financier as we know it is usually credited to a Parisian pâtissier named Lasne, whose shop near the Bourse, the Paris stock exchange, was frequented by bankers and brokers in the late nineteenth century. The story goes that he baked the almond cake in small rectangular moulds so that it resembled a gold ingot, and named it after his clientele — financiers — who could eat it quickly, without cutlery and without soiling their hands or suits. Like many pastry origin stories, the details are hard to verify, but the name and shape have been fixed ever since.

Over the twentieth century the financier became a standard of French pâtisserie, sold by every bakery and favoured by restaurant kitchens, which often serve tiny financiers among the mignardises with coffee. It is still the classic way for pastry chefs to use up the egg whites left over from custards, ice creams and pastry creams.

In Japan, financiers became one of the most popular French cakes, sold in elegant boxes as gifts, and they are made around the world in countless flavours.

ii. What browned butter does — and why the whites are not whipped

The defining flavour of a financier comes from beurre noisette, literally "hazelnut butter". Butter is about 80% fat, 15–18% water and a few per cent milk solids — proteins and sugars. When it is heated past melting, the water boils off, and then the milk solids sink and begin to brown through the Maillard reaction, producing a deep, nutty, toffee-like aroma. Stopped at a golden-brown stage, it gives the financier its signature flavour; taken too far, it burns and turns bitter.

Unlike in a meringue or sponge, the egg whites are not whipped. They are simply stirred into the dry ingredients, sometimes lightly frothed with a fork. Financiers are not meant to be airy; the whites bind the batter and, as they set in the oven, give the cake its characteristic springy, slightly chewy texture. Whipping them would make a dry, cakey, domed financier.

The browned butter is added warm — around 45–50 °C — and stirred in until the batter is smooth and glossy. Resting the batter in the fridge for at least an hour, and ideally overnight, allows the flour and almonds to hydrate and the flavours to develop. Rested batter bakes with a better rise, a smoother top and more evenly caramelised edges.

Finally, financiers bake hot and fast. A hot oven sets the outside quickly, so the sugar caramelises into a thin, crisp crust against the buttered mould, while the inside stays moist. Metal moulds conduct heat best and give the crispest edges; silicone moulds give softer sides.

iii. Ingredients

Makes 18 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust

• 150 g unsalted butter, plus extra for the moulds
• 100 g ground almonds
• 150 g icing sugar
• 60 g plain flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 180 g egg whites (about 6), at room temperature
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 lemon or orange, finely grated zest (optional)

Ground almonds are the base; blanched almonds give a pale, delicate financier, while ground hazelnuts or pistachios give nutty variations. Icing sugar dissolves instantly into the unwhipped whites and gives a smooth batter. A spoonful of honey keeps the cakes moist for longer and helps the edges caramelise. Egg whites left over from other recipes are perfect, and whites that have been frozen and thawed work just as well. For gluten-free financiers, replace the flour with the same weight of rice flour or extra ground almonds.

iv. Method

1. Melt the butter in a light-coloured pan over a medium heat. Let it foam and sizzle, swirling the pan, until the milk solids at the bottom turn golden brown and it smells of toasted nuts, about 5–7 minutes. Pour immediately into a bowl, scraping in the brown specks, and cool to about 45 °C.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the ground almonds, icing sugar, flour and salt together.
3. Add the egg whites and stir with a whisk until smooth, without trying to incorporate air. Stir in the honey, vanilla and zest.
4. Pour in the warm browned butter in three additions, stirring until the batter is smooth and glossy. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
5. Heat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F), fan 180 °C. Brush 18 financier moulds (or mini-muffin tins) generously with soft butter and set them on a baking tray.
6. Spoon or pipe the batter into the moulds, filling them three-quarters full.
7. Bake for 10–14 minutes, until risen, golden brown at the edges and springy in the middle; a small dome with a slight crack along the top is typical.
8. Cool in the moulds for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

v. Tips & common mistakes

• Watch the butter closely. It goes from golden to burnt in seconds. A light-coloured pan lets you see the colour; pour it out as soon as it smells nutty.
• Keep the brown bits. The browned milk solids carry most of the flavour. Scrape them into the bowl.
• Do not whip the whites. Stir them in. Whipped whites make the cakes dry and cake-like.
• Rest the batter. An hour in the fridge gives a better texture; overnight gives a better flavour.
• Butter the moulds well. Generous buttering gives the caramelised, crisp edges and clean release.
• Bake hot and short. Low ovens give pale, soft financiers without the signature crust.

vi. Variations

Popular variations press a raspberry, a few blueberries, a slice of apricot or a piece of pear into each financier before baking. Pistachio financiers replace half the almonds with ground pistachios; hazelnut financiers use ground hazelnuts; chocolate financiers replace 20 g of flour with cocoa or add chopped chocolate; and matcha financiers, popular in Japan, add a teaspoon of matcha. The round, older visitandine uses a very similar batter.

For other almond cakes and biscuits on DessertCat, see the almond tart, the macarons, the Sienese ricciarelli and the honey almond cake. The gâteau de Savoie is another classic French cake built on egg whites.

vii. Serving & storage

Financiers are at their best on the day they are baked, while the edges are still crisp, but they remain good for several days. Serve them warm or at room temperature with coffee or tea, alongside a fruit dessert or sorbet, or as petits fours after dinner. They need no icing or decoration.

Keep financiers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days; refresh them for 3–4 minutes in a 180 °C oven to re-crisp the edges. The batter keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, so you can bake a few fresh at a time. Baked financiers freeze well for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature and warm briefly before serving.

ix. More from French

• Macarons — almond meringue sandwiches
• Almond Tart — tarte aux amandes
• Gâteau de Savoie — airy Savoy sponge
• Dacquoise — nut meringue layer cake
• Ricciarelli — Sienese almond biscuits
• Honey Almond Cake — honey-glazed almond cake