Classic batter (750 g)
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 125 g icing sugar
- 90 g plain flour
- 90 g almond powder
- 140 g egg whites (4 whites)
- 1 pinch fleur de sel
Caramel version (J. Cagnes)
- 180 g unsalted butter
- 325 g icing sugar
- 150 g almond powder
- 62.5 g almond paste
- 125 g plain flour
- 30 g honey
- 225 g egg whites
Caramel filling
- 225 g caster sugar
- 225 g heavy cream (35%)
- 2 g salt
The financier is one of the simplest French pastries and one of the easiest to get wrong. Everything rests on the beurre noisette — brown it properly and the rest follows. Use unwhipped egg whites, mix minimally, and pull them from the oven the moment they're set. The caramel version by Jeffrey Cagnes adds a layer of complexity worth the extra work.
Method
Classic batter
- Brown the butter over medium heat until the milk solids turn golden and smell of hazelnuts. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
- Whisk all dry ingredients together. Add the egg whites (not whipped) and the browned butter. Mix until just smooth.
- Pour into buttered moulds. Bake at 200°C for 10–12 min until the edges are golden and the centre springs back gently.
Caramel version — batter
- Make beurre noisette with all the butter. In a bowl, combine icing sugar, almond powder, almond paste, flour, honey, and egg whites.
- Strain the browned butter through a sieve into the mixture. Stir to combine.
- Pour into buttered and floured moulds (optionally dusted with cassonade). Bake at 180°C for 18 min. Cool completely before filling.
- Fill with caramel using a piping bag. Top with hazelnuts and dust with icing sugar.
Caramel
- Caramelise the sugar in three additions in a saucepan, stirring as needed to prevent hot spots.
- Warm the cream separately. Deglaze the caramel with the warm cream gradually — stir carefully to avoid splashing.
- Add salt. Blend with a hand blender until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag.
Almond paste
- Toast almonds 15 min at 175°C. Cool, then remove skins.
- Blend: first it becomes powder, then progressively a thick paste. For use in financiers, blend until very smooth.
Background
The financier's defining characteristic is the beurre noisette — butter cooked past melted until the water evaporates and the milk solids caramelise. This is not an optional step: the nuttiness is the entire flavour backbone of the cake. Stop too early and the financier tastes flat.
Egg whites are used unwhipped, which is unusual. This is deliberate — it keeps the batter dense and produces the moist, fudgy crumb the financier is known for. Whipping them in would make it airy, which is wrong for this cake.
The high baking temperature (200°C) creates a lightly crisped exterior while the inside stays soft. The small rectangular mould is traditional but not obligatory — the shape affects the ratio of crust to interior, which is part of the appeal.
Mistakes I've Made
- Under-browning the butter. The nutty flavour is the whole point. Don't stop at melted — keep going until it smells of hazelnuts and the milk solids are visibly golden.
- Over-mixing. Once the wet and dry ingredients combine, mix just enough to incorporate. Overworking develops gluten and toughens the crumb.
- Overbaking. These dry out very quickly past done. Check at 10 min. They should spring back gently but still feel moist at the centre.
Sources
- Financiers —
- Financiers Caramel —