Homemade brown butter financiers: soft inside, crisp outside
A small golden cake, crisp at the edges and tender at the heart, with that nutty aroma that comes from the butter: the financier is the simplest pastry there is, and it uses the egg whites sitting in the fridge. Here are the recipe, how to brown the butter without burning it, and the right oven settings.
- 16 financiers, 15 min preparation
- A brown butter golden, not burnt
- 12 min at 190 °C in fan mode
- Perfect for using up egg whites
Appliance and settingHob for the butter, oven 190 °C fan
Ingredients
The little cake that uses up your egg whites
Made a custard, mayonnaise or carbonara and have egg whites left over? The financier is made for them. The batter comes together in 5 minutes, no mixer needed. All the flavour comes from the brown butter : butter cooked until it turns golden and smells of toasted hazelnuts. The rest is down to the oven.
The steps
- Prepare the oven and moulds. Preheat the oven to 190 °C in fan mode. If your moulds aren't silicone, brush them with butter.
- Make the brown butter. Put the butter in a small light-coloured pan (so you can see the colour) on setting 5. It melts, foams, then crackles. Stir gently. After 4 to 6 minutes, the crackling stops, the butter turns golden and small brown specks appear on the bottom: take it off the heat straight away and pour it into a bowl to stop the cooking. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine the icing sugar, ground almonds, flour and salt.
- Add the egg whites. Pour in the unbeaten egg whites and whisk for 1 minute, just until the batter is smooth and slightly frothy.
- Add the butter. Pour in the lukewarm brown butter in a thin stream, along with its golden specks (they carry a lot of flavour), stirring as you go. Add the vanilla. The batter should be glossy and runny.
- Fill the moulds. Fill each cup three-quarters full. Add a raspberry, a few flaked almonds or chocolate chips if you like. Place the silicone moulds on the wire rack, as they'll be more stable.
- Bake. Bake on shelf 2 (middle of the oven) for 10 to 12 minutes. The financiers are ready when the edges are nicely golden and the centre springs back when lightly pressed.
- Turn out. Wait 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Let them cool before eating: the crust becomes crisp as it cools.
Appliance settings
| Step | Appliance and mode | Setting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown butter | Induction hob, small zone | Setting 5, keeping an eye on it | 4 to 6 min |
| Baking (recommended) | Oven, fan-assisted | 190 °C, rack level 2 | 10 to 12 min |
| Baking (alternative) | Oven, conventional heat | 200 °C, shelf level 2 | 12 to 14 min |
| Two moulds at the same time | Oven, fan-assisted | 180 °C, shelves 1 and 3 | 12 to 15 min |
| Large moulds (mini loaves) | Oven, fan-assisted | 180 °C, shelf level 2 | 15 to 18 min |
Fan mode browns all the small cakes evenly, even those on the bottom. In conventional mode, turn the mould halfway through baking.
Variations
- Hazelnut : replace the ground almonds with ground hazelnuts.
- Chocolate : replace 15 g of flour with 15 g of unsweetened cocoa powder, and add dark chocolate chips.
- Citrus : the zest of a lemon or orange in the batter, and a light glaze made with the juice.
- Autumn fruit : a small cube of butter-fried pear or apple on each financier before baking.
Storage
Financiers keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. They freeze very well, for up to 2 months : 5 minutes at 160 °C in fan oven will restore their crispness. Raw batter also keeps 2 days in the fridge, and it is even better after a night's rest.
For the brown butter, go by your nose as much as your eyes: as soon as it smells of toasted hazelnut, it's ready. With induction, the pan cools very quickly when you take it off the hob, but the butter keeps cooking, so pour it into a bowl straight away. And if you have time, let the batter rest overnight in the fridge: the financiers will be even more moist.
Which appliance?
For small cakes, what matters is an oven that heats evenly throughout, so that each financier browns the same way.
An oven with conventional heating and bottom heat
For pastry, choose an oven that offers conventional heating and bottom heat. Examples: Smeg SFP61TB3FR (Linea, pyrolytic, 10 modes, up to 280 °C), Beko BCBIM17604KSBMPS (pyrolytic, 3D hot air, Wi-Fi), Whirlpool OMR55RR0B (conventional heating, pizza mode, pyrolytic and hydrolysis cleaning).
From €629.99 to €759.99
A pyrolytic oven with 3D fan heat
Siemens HB574ABR3F (iQ300, 3D forced air, cookControl10) or Bosch HBA571BB4 (Series 2, Hotair 3D, AutoPilot 10).
£809.99 and £649.99
Precise induction
Smeg SIB2641D: four zones, Bridge zone and nine power levels.
599,99 €
Public prices noted on 15 October 2026: the product page is definitive, and Nimesclub members often get a reduced price.
Ovens for baking in store
SMEG SFP61TB3FR built-in oven€759.00
Built-in oven BEKO BCBIM17604KSBMPS€629.00
Built-in oven WHIRLPOOL OMR55RR0B€749.00
Built-in Oven BOSCH HBA571BB4€649.00
Built-in oven SIEMENS HB574ABR3F€543.00
Hob SMEG SIB2641D€599.00Fan oven or natural convection for your cakes? All the answers in our guide to oven functions. And for a more generous dessert, try the Belgian apple tarte Tatin.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my financiers dry?
They've been overbaked. A financier should come out of the oven as soon as the edges are golden and the centre is just set: 10 to 12 minutes is enough for small moulds. One minute too long and they toughen.
Can you make financiers without a special mould?
Yes. A mini muffin or mini loaf tin works very well. For larger moulds, allow 3 to 5 minutes' extra baking.
Should you whisk the egg whites into stiff peaks?
No, definitely not. Simply mix them with the sugar using a whisk, just to make them frothy. That's what gives the financier its dense, moist texture.
The right oven makes all the difference
Steam ovens, pyrolytic ovens, induction hobs: come and see them at our Temploux store, or ask our expert salesperson for advice.
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