Pumpkin Financiers

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Pumpkin financiers are a quick and tasty way to enjoy the flavors of fall. In just over an hour, you can have these delightful mini cakes topped with rich maple pastry cream.

Recipe At a Glance

Financiers are these delightful almond mini cakes you can whip up in about half an hour. Add some pumpkin puree (canned or homemade) and pumpkin spice, and now you’ve got pumpkin financiers – perfect for fall and winter.

They’re great on their own, but if you want to take them to the next level, you’ll need a topping. I chose maple pastry cream because maple pairs beautifully with pumpkin.

Time-wise, you’ll need around 20 minutes to make the financier batter, 15 minutes in the oven, and at least 10 minutes to cool. The maple pastry cream takes less than 20 minutes to prepare, but it needs at least 30 minutes to chill before it’s ready to pipe.

So, if you’re planning to make the whole dessert in one go, set aside at least 1 hour and 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can prep and cool the pastry cream earlier in the day or even the day before.

If you’re making pumpkin financiers for the first time, please read the ingredients notes, step-by-step instructions, and tips. If you’re familiar with the recipe, feel free to jump to the recipe card.

Ingredients Notes and Substitutes

Pumpkin Financiers

• Egg whites. The base for the mini almond cakes.
• Unsalted butter. We’ll brown the butter to infuse the cakes with its characteristic flavor and aroma.
• Sugar. Brown sugar is best, but regular will work okay in a pinch.
• Honey. Honey helps to keep the cakes super moist. To substitute, you could increase the amount of sugar. While the cakes might not be as moist, the ample amount of other liquids (egg whites, butter, pumpkin puree) in the recipe will help keep them moist.
• Pumpkin puree. Both homemade and canned pumpkin work well. If you’re using homemade, let it sit in a fine mesh strainer for 10-15 minutes before using to get rid of any excess water.
• Pumpkin pie spice. The pumpkin pie spice makes or breaks this recipe. Use your favorite brand or a homemade blend. I recommend (and use) this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction for a homemade version.
• Almond flour. Go with store-bought, or you can make it at home if you have some blanched almonds on hand.
• Cake flour. I use cake flour for the financiers based on the Hanbit Cho’s recommendation, but I’ve seen people have success with all-purpose flour as well. The recipe doesn’t use that much flour anyway, so substituting with AP flour shouldn’t be a big deal.
• Vanilla extract. Optional, but a bit helps improve the flavor.
• Baking powder. Include baking powder if you prefer your financiers fluffy and cupcake-like, or omit it for a denser texture. I always add baking powder.

Maple Pastry Cream

• Milk. Whole milk works best, but skim milk will do fine, too. Milk alternatives are an option, though the flavor will change a bit. If using a vegan milk alternative, check if it’s sweetened. If it is, reduce the maple syrup by a quarter and adjust after cooking if needed.
• Egg yolks.
• Cornstarch. Cornstarch works well here. You can also use potato starch (half the amount), but it’s trickier. See my article on cornstarch versus potato starch if you want to try potato starch.
• Maple Syrup. Any kind works, but darker maple syrup gives a richer, more robust flavor, while lighter grades are more subtle.
• Salt. A pinch of salt enhances the flavor and makes the maple stand out more.
• Vanilla extract. Vanilla extract adds to the flavor, but it’s optional.
• Unsalted butter. Plain unsalted butter is all you need.

How to Make Pumpkin Financiers

Here’s a high-level view of our game plan:

1. Cook maple pastry cream. We start with the pastry cream so it has enough time to cool before topping the financiers with it. You can make the cream earlier in the day or the day before if you like.
2. Bake pumpkin financiers. You can prep and bake the financiers soon before serving, or do that earlier in the day or even the day before. The schedule is pretty flexible here.
3. Combine. Once both the cream and financiers have cooled, it’s time to pipe the cream on top of the French almond mini cakes.

With that in mind, let’s go through the whole process.

Step 1: Make Maple Pastry Cream

(Check out my maple pastry cream article for more info about the recipe.)

1. Boil the milk mixture. Combine the milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt in a pot, then whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

2. Prep yolks. While the milk is heating, whisk the yolks in a large bowl, then mix in the cornstarch. If it’s too thick, whisk in a tablespoon of the milk mixture you’re warming up to loosen it up. Set aside.

3. Temper eggs. When the milk starts bubbling, remove it from the heat. Gradually pour a few tablespoons of hot liquid into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to avoid curdling. Repeat this 3-4 times until most or all of the milk is incorporated, keeping the whisk moving throughout.

4. Cook until thick and bubbly. Return the mixture to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens noticeably and begins to bubble. This typically takes 2-4 minutes, depending on your pot and heat. Don’t rush—it helps prevent the yolks from curdling.

5. Take off the heat and whisk. Once thickened, remove from the heat and continue whisking for about a minute to push it just past its maximum thickness.
6. Stir in butter. Add the butter and stir until fully melted and incorporated.

7. Taste test. Sample the cream (careful, it’s hot) and adjust with more salt if needed, or add granulated sugar if the maple syrup isn’t sweet enough.
8. Strain if needed. For a silky-smooth consistency or if you see bits of cooked egg, press the cream through a mesh strainer to catch any lumps.
9. Cover and chill. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool at room temperature then refrigerate if not using soon. Divide the pastry cream into a couple of plates if you want to cool it down more quickly.

Step 2: Make Pumpkin Financiers

1. Preheat oven. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
2. Brown butter. Begin by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the butter becomes golden brown and gives off a nutty aroma. Depending on the heat, the browning process usually takes 5 to 10 minutes once the butter has melted. Initially, you’ll hear a sizzling sound, followed by bubbling and then a crackling noise. That’s when you should pay close attention to the butter as it should be ready (brown and smelling nutty) soon. Once browned, remove from heat, place in a bowl of cold water, and cool until it’s no longer hot.

3. Mix egg whites and sugar. Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl and whisk until combined. You don’t need to whip the whites – a good stir that makes a tiny bit of foam is good enough.
4. Add honey and vanilla. Pour the honey and vanilla extract into the bowl and mix everything.

5. Add pumpkin puree. Add the pumpkin and stir it.

6. Add dry ingredients. Sift and mix together the almond flour, cake flour, pumpkin spice, and baking powder. Then, add the mixed ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine.

7. Add butter. Pour the brown butter into the bowl, including all the dark bits on the bottom of the pot, and stir to combine. Make sure the butter isn’t super hot so it doesn’t cook the whites.

8. Prepare the pan. For the financiers to come off the pan, you need to grease the mold with butter. I usually cut a small knob of butter and then spread it around the interior surface of the pan using my fingers. If your pan isn’t non-stick, dust it with AP flour or white sugar to make a non-stick layer. Cover everything and tap out any excess that doesn’t stick to the butter.

9. Fill molds. Spoon or pour the batter into the molds, filling each to about three-quarters full. Depending on the size of your muffin tin, this should yield between 8 to 12 financiers.
10. Bake. Place the pan in the preheated oven and immediately lower the temperature to 360°F (180°C). Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until the edges begin to brown and the centers are set. If you need another test for doneness, insert a toothpick into a financier; it should come out dry.

11. Cool. Allow the financiers to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before removing. To ease removal, gently run a silicone spatula around each cake, then invert the pan onto a wire rack to release the cakes. Let them cool for at least another couple of minutes before piping.

Step 3: Combine.

1. Whisk pastry cream. If it’s been in the fridge, the pastry cream will be stiff like pudding. Don’t worry—this is normal. Break it up with a fork, then whisk for a minute or two until smooth. It’s now ready for piping.

2. Pipe the financiers. Transfer the pastry cream into a piping bag or syringe and pipe the mini cakes.
3. Serve. If not serving immediately, cover and refrigerate the cakes. Let them warm up at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving for best results.

Tips

• Simplify the topping. Instead of maple pastry cream, you can opt for something quicker, like a powdered sugar glaze, maple glaze, or even just a dusting of powdered sugar. That’ll cut down the prep time to around 45 minutes.
• Plan ahead. You can prepare both the pastry cream and financiers in advance, then pipe the cream on top just before serving. Keep the financiers sealed at room temperature and the pastry cream in the fridge.

• Adjust baking time. Baking time will vary depending on whether you use a financier mold, regular muffin tin, or mini muffin tin. A mini muffin tin or financier mold will need about 10 to 12 minutes, while a regular muffin tin will take 13 to 15 minutes. Look for light browning around the edges and a set top to know they’re ready.

Storage

You can store these pumpkin financiers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Make sure the container is sealed tightly so they don’t absorb any smells and dry out.

Pumpkin Financiers

Pumpkin financiers are a quick and tasty way to enjoy the flavors of fall. In just over an hour, you can have these delightful mini cakes topped with rich maple pastry cream.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Assembly: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: Almond Cakes, Financiers, Maple, Maple Syrup, Pumpkin

Servings: 10 pumpkin financiers

Author: Marcin Skrzypiec

Equipment

• Whisk
• Food scale
• Muffin tin

Ingredients

Pumpkin financiers:

• 5 oz egg whites 141 g, about 4 to 5 egg whites
• 7 tbsp butter 100 g, plus a bit more for greasing the pan
• 1/2 cup brown sugar 106 g
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract optional
• 1 oz honey 28g or about 1 1/3 tbsp
• 2.5 oz almond flour 70g
• 2.5 oz cake flour 70g
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree 56g
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Maple pastry cream:

• 1 1/4 cups milk ~300g
• 3 egg yolks medium or large, about 45-50 g
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch ~25g
• 3 1/3 tablespoons maple syrup dark robust preferred, about 69g
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter ~19g

Instructions

Maple Pastry Cream:

• Heat milk mixture. Combine milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt in a pot. Whisk until smooth and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
  1 1/4 cups milk, 3 1/3 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, pinch of salt
• Prep yolks and cornstarch. Whisk yolks in a bowl, then add cornstarch. If it thick like paste, whisk in a tablespoon of the hot milk mixture to loosen.
  3 egg yolks, 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Temper eggs. Gradually whisk hot milk (in small amounts) into the yolk mixture to prevent curdling.
• Thicken cream. Pour the mixture back into the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly (2-4 minutes).
• Whisk off heat. Remove from heat and whisk for about a minute until the cream is smooth.
• Add butter. Stir in butter until fully incorporated.
  1 1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Adjust. Taste and adjust salt or sweetness (by adding regular sugar) if needed.
• Strain. Strain if there are any lumps.
• Chill. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate (covered) if not using soon.

Pumpkin Financiers:

• Preheat oven. Preheat to 390°F (200°C).
• Brown butter. Melt and brown butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and nutty. Remove from heat and cool in cold water until no longer hot.
  7 tbsp butter
• Mix egg whites and sugar. Whisk together egg whites and sugar until just combined.
  5 oz egg whites, 1/2 cup brown sugar
• Add honey and vanilla. Stir in honey and vanilla extract.
  1 oz honey, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Add pumpkin puree. Mix in the pumpkin puree.
  1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• Add dry ingredients. Sift almond flour, cake flour, pumpkin spice, and baking powder. Combine with the wet mixture.
  2.5 oz almond flour, 2.5 oz cake flour, 1 tsp pumpkin spice, 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Add butter. Stir in cooled brown butter, including all dark bits.
• Prepare the pan. Grease the molds and, if your pan isn't non-stick, dust with flour or sugar for easy removal.
• Fill molds. Spoon batter into molds, filling each three-quarters full.
• Bake. Lower oven temperature to 360°F (180°C), place the pan in the oven, and bake for 13-15 minutes until the edges brown and centers are set.
• Cool. Let financiers cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan, then release and finish cooling on a wire rack.

Combine:

• Whisk pastry cream. If cold, break up and whisk the pastry cream until smooth.
• Pipe. Fill a piping bag and pipe the pastry cream onto the financiers.
• Serve. Refrigerate if not serving immediately. Let the cakes warm up for 30 minutes if serving from the fridge.

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