French Fridays: Double Chocolate Financier Loaf Cake

Slices of chocolate financier loaf cake on a plate with a glass of milk and coloured pencil crayons in the background.

This post is sponsored by Cuisipro.

If you read this blog often, you’ll know what a huge financier fan I am (see: here for other financier recipes). I love them because they sound (and often look) fancy, they don’t use many ingredients, the ingredients they do use are pantry and fridge staples and they don’t need any special equipment. Of course, if you are making them the traditional way, you’d use a special mold shaped like a gold bar.

What is a financier?

Essentially it’s a small a tea cake made with almond meal and only a small quantity of all-purpose flour. A financier is a little more substantial than a madeleine. Because they only contain a little bit of flour, they are easy to make gluten-free.

Why are they called “financiers”?

Financiers are a popular after-school (or anytime!) snack in France, typically small rectangular-shaped tea cakes made with almond flour. A version of them was originally baked in an oval shape by nuns of the Order of the Visitation and the cakes were called visitandines.

A clever baker working in Paris’s financial district in the 19th century saw how these cakes could be easily eaten on the go, and thought this would appeal to his busy banker clientele. He shaped the cakes like gold bars and named them financiers as a nod to both his clientele and the surrounding district.

They now come in various shapes, including rectangles and ovals. For individual cakes, I always use a mini muffin pan because they work well to give you a good crunchy exterior/ fluffy interior ratio.

What’s better than a financier? A full-sized financier!

Here, we’re making a full-sized financier loaf that serves 6-8 and retains the lovely crunch exterior and fluffy interior really well. And, coincidentally, it’s the right shape too! It comes together in just a few minutes so you can go from craving a fancy chocolate cake to enjoying one in just over an hour!

Simple cleanup!

One of the things I love about financiers is how fast they are to make and how little equipment they use. Recently, Cuisipro asked me if I’d like to give some of their products a spin in the kitchen and it was the perfect occasion to develop this recipe – I mean – look at that lovely loaf pan,!!

Cuisipro mixing bowls, loaf pan and measuring cups and spoons on a kitchen counter.

The Cuisipro mission and values:

To design and create quality products that bring joy, pleasure and inspiration when preparing, cooking & serving culinary delights;

Having a passion & love for food, for cooking and for sharing. Design that attracts your eye. Function that rewards your hand. Quality that endures.

As soon as I saw that loaf pan, I knew I wanted to create a full-sized financier – it’s the PERFECT shape and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before!

And those measuring cups and spoons with an oval design? Perfect for accessing packaging with smaller openings – and especially perfect for little hands learning how to “scoop and sweep” dry ingredients.

Tips and tricks for making a full-sized financier

Lined Cuisipro loaf pan.

1. Even if your loaf pan is non-stick, I still prefer to line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang which will act as “handles” when it’s time to remove the cake from the pan.

2. Do your mise en place before you get started because these come together quickly. You’ll need two bowls, one smaller, one medium-sized, measuring cups and spoons and a small jug for melting butter. Electric beaters, a small whisk and a rubber spatula round out the equipment.

3. Try to smooth the batter out in the loaf pan before you bake it. This will ensure an even bake and evenly browned crispy edges (arguably the best bit!).

4. Do take the time to cool this in the pan and then on the wire rack before you cut into it! As it cools, the edges will crisp up (again, arguably the best bit!).

Sliced chocolate financier cake on a cutting board.

Yield: 6-8

Double Chocolate Financier Loaf Cake

Sliced chocolate financier cake on a cutting board.

Easy double chocolate financier cake.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons (85g) salted butter
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (38g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (50g) ground almonds (almond meal or almond flour*)
  • 1/4 cup (25g) cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/3 cup (66g) semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400˚F. Lightly grease an 8-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on each side to help remove the loaf when it’s baked.
  2. Melt the butter (either in a small pot on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave for about 1 minutes). Set aside to cool.
    In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks with electric beaters (approx. 2 minutes on high).
  3. Whisk the sugar, flour, ground almonds, cocoa powder and baking powder in a small bowl.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the egg whites and use a rubber spatula to gently fold until the dry ingredients are just combined.
  5. Add the cooled, melted butter to the batter and use a rubber spatula to gently mix until the butter is completely incorporated.
  6. Fold in the chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.
  7. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan, using a rubber spatula to smooth the top as best you can.
  8. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the centre is slightly puffed and the edges are crispy and coming away from the pan. There may be cracks in the top of the loaf. A toothpick inserted into the centre of the loaf should come out fairly clean.
  9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the loaf pan on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes.
  10. Remove the loaf from the loaf pan using the parchment paper to lift it out and place on a wire cooling rack and allow to come to room temperature.

Notes

Will keep for 2-3 days, tightly wrapped in foil or plastic wrap or in an airtight container.



did you make this recipe?

please leave a comment or review on the blog or share a photo and tag me on Instagram @eatlivtravwrite !

Result?

A moist, not-too-dense loaf that’s crispy on the outside and that keeps well for a few days – perfect for after-school snacks! Bake the loaf on Sunday and you’ll be set for the week!

 

Slices of chocolate financier loaf cake on a plate.

Other financier recipes you might enjoy

 

Check out Cuisipro.com for all your baking essentials!

 

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Books by Mardi Michels.

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Disclosure: I received financial compensation and products from Cuisipro in exchange for recipe development. This post was not reviewed prior to publication. All opinions expressed are my own.
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Please note: This post contains affiliate links. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This means that if you click over and purchase something, I will receive a very small percentage of the purchase price (at no extra cost to you). Thank you in advance!

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2 thoughts on “French Fridays: Double Chocolate Financier Loaf Cake”

  1. Never mind La Gouter – this made for a week’s worth of very nice (and not-too-sweet) dessert at work! And yep, love that slight crusty exterior.

    Now when can we see a full-size lemon version with drizzle? 😉

    Reply

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