This Black Sesame and Chocolate Financier Cake looks utterly spectacular but it’s actually easy to make: if you can make muffins, you can achieve this cake! Plus, you can make the batter and even bake the cake in advance, which makes it the ultimate stress-free dessert. {Jump to Recipe}
It’s no secret I love financiers. Financiers are tiny cakes made with brown butter and powdered almonds, and I love them so much because, despite their fancy name and elegant appearance, they’re super easy to make (if you can make muffins, you can make financiers!), and they’re extremely versatile: you can make them with any type of nut and garnish them with any fresh or roasted fruits, dried fruits or citrus zest, or even chocolate chips! What’s more, you can (and should!) make financier batter in advance and it will keep in the fridge for a few days, which makes it the ultimate stress-free dessert.
For as many financiers I’ve baked, I’d never thought of baking financier batter into a cake. That revelation came to me when I attended a three-day professional pastry class with renowned chef Patrice Demers. Chef Demers demonstrated how to make 10 of his best desserts, each of which featured several components. The goal of making these desserts was to perfect specific techniques and discover new presentation ideas.
I loved all the desserts I created with my incredibly inspiring fellow chefs (I learned so much in just three days!), but one cake especially stayed with me: Chef Demers’ Black Sesame and Chocolate Financier Cake. The idea of making a financier cake alone made it worth attending the class! I also picked up a few useful tips that make financier batter better suited for a cake. I’ll be sharing these with you in this post.
