Go Back
–+ servings
Financier cake base cut on cooling rack

Financier Cake Base (Brown Butter Almond Cake Base)

A light brown butter almond cake base that slices into two layers — the perfect egg white sponge for custard-filled cakes.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Almond Flour, Brown Butter, Egg Whites, Financier, Layer Cake
Servings: 1 8-inch cake base
Calories: 1922kcal
Author: Marcin Skrzypiec

Ingredients

  • 5 egg whites ~140g
  • 8 tbsp butter 113g, plus a bit more for greasing the pan
  • 7 tbsp sugar 87.5g
  • 1⅓ tbsp honey 28g
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract optional
  • ¾ cup almond flour 72g
  • 9 tbsp cake flour 56g
  • ½ tsp baking powder optional
  • powdered sugar for dusting the pan

Instructions

  • Preheat. Set the oven to 390°F (200°C).
  • Brown the butter. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it turns golden brown and smells nutty — about 5–10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool it quickly by setting the bowl in cold water.
    8 tbsp butter
  • Mix egg whites and sugar. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together just until a little foam forms on the surface. You're not whipping them — just combining.
    5 egg whites, 7 tbsp sugar
  • Add honey and vanilla. Stir in the honey and vanilla extract until incorporated.
    1⅓ tbsp honey, ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • Add dry ingredients. Sift the almond flour, cake flour, and baking powder together, then mix into the wet ingredients until smooth.
    ¾ cup almond flour, 9 tbsp cake flour, ½ tsp baking powder
  • Add the brown butter. Pour in the cooled brown butter, including the browned bits at the bottom — they carry a lot of flavor. Make sure the butter isn't too hot before adding or it may cook the egg whites.
  • Prepare the pan. Line the bottom of an 8-inch pan with parchment. Grease the sides with butter and dust with powdered sugar for easy release.
    powdered sugar
  • Fill the pan. Pour the batter in — it will be fairly fluid.
  • Bake. Place in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 360°F (180°C). Bake for 13–15 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the center is set.
  • Cool. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes before removing.

Notes

  • Yields one 8-inch round cake base you can cut in half.
  • Macros are for the full batch (1 cake). Vanilla extract and baking powder excluded from macro calculation (optional, negligible). Butter for greasing excluded.

Nutrition

Calories: 1922kcal | Carbohydrates: 169.2g | Protein: 36.1g | Fat: 128.2g | Fiber: 8.4g
Tried this recipe?Comment below or tag your snaps @definitelynotachefblog or #madewithdnac!