This Cranberry Orange Financier Recipe yields almond financier cakes filled with a homemade cranberry orange jam and topped with a cranberry orange glaze. Most financier recipes have you bake the cakes in rectangle molds, resembling gold bars, which is where the name comes from. I baked these in a cupcake pan for the convenience of the home baker, and you could even use a mini-muffin pan for bite-size versions.
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One of my favorite things about making financier cakes is that they only call for egg whites. And unlike macarons or meringue that require pure egg whites, you can use egg whites that have a little egg yolk in them. Because I am human after all, I accidentally pop a yolk when separating whites and yolks sometimes. In my freezer you'll always find freezer bags of leftover egg whites, half are "pure" egg whites and then I always clearly mark yolk-tainted whites with "contaminated" so I know to only use them for financier cakes, or white cake. The base recipe for these sweet little cakes is adapted from David Lebovitz.
I adapted these from my wild blueberry financier, but subbed cranberries and orange juice and orange zest for all instances of blueberry. Not only are cranberry and orange both winter produce, but they complement each other so well. I also use this flavor combo in my jam sandwich cookies, and it pairs incredibly with the matcha version of the shortbread.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- These golden brown cakes stay moist for days.
- The sweet cake and glaze pairs well with the tart cranberry.
- This is a great recipe to use up leftover egg whites!
Ingredients
- Almond flour, also called almond meal, is the base of the cakes. It adds subtle almond flavor and a nice texture. My favorite brand is Blue Diamond almond flour, because it has a really fine texture.
- Unsalted butter is browned to add nutty flavor depth from the toasted milk solids. I also line the pan with softened butter for easy release.
- Egg whites provide structure and moisture. Large eggs are standard, but you can use any size egg if you are measuring in grams.
- Granulated sugar sweetens the cakes and jam.
- Powdered sugar sweetens the glaze.
- Cranberries and oranges flavor the jam and the glaze. I used fresh cranberries, but frozen will work here too.
- Kosher salt balances the overall flavor profile. I used kosher salt. If using table salt, reduce the amount by half.
- A bit of all-purpose flour helps with structure.
- Almond extract boosts the almond flavor in the cakes. Feel free to omit or swap for vanilla extract, if desired.
- Heavy cream adds moisture to the glaze. You can also swap for milk or water here. Start with less and add more as you go.
- Corn syrup gives the glaze a sheen.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and variations
Here's how to customize this cranberry orange financier recipe to your liking:
- No glaze — leave off the glaze without issue.
- Another pan — use a traditional rectangular molds financier pan, or mini muffin pan. I used a cupcake pan with straight sides, but a traditional cupcake/muffin pan will work as well. I do not recommend using a regular large cake pans.
- Another berry — swap cranberries for raspberries, blueberries or blackberries without issue.
- Another citrus — swap the orange zest for lemon zest or lime without issue. If you swap the juice, you'll want to taste it and add more sugar or it could be too tart.
- Garnish ideas — garnish with sprinkles, chocolate curls or sliced almonds.
- Store-bought jam — use store-bought jam instead of making your own. You'll need ½ cup (~4 oz) of jam.
- Hazelnut flour — use hazelnut flour in place of almond flour, if desired.
- Cupcake liners — use cupcake liners in the muffin tins, if desired. Just be sure to spray them with oil so the cakes release from the papers.
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This recipe has not been tested with any substitutions or variations. If you try any, please let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
How to make This Cranberry Orange Financier Recipe Step-By-Step
Step 1: In a small pot, combine the cranberries, sugar, orange zest and juice and kosher salt. Cook until jammy over medium heat for 10-20 minutes, depending on your burner strength, stirring occasionally and keeping an eye on it. My gas burner took 20 minutes. My portable induction cooktop took barely 10 minutes.
Step 2: Set aside 1 tablespoon of the jam for the glaze. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Step 3: Add the butter to a medium pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the milk solids brown. This can take 5-8 minutes. Keep a close eye as it can go from brown to burnt quickly. Promptly remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof small bowl. Be sure to keep all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan for extra flavor. Let cool for five minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: almond flour, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour and kosher salt. Add the egg whites and almond extract to the large mixing bowl. Whisk until combined. Add the browned butter and whisk just until combined.
Step 4: Fill the buttered muffin tin cavities until a little over half full, reserving a small quantity of the financier batter to cover the jam. Add about 1 teaspoon of jam to each cavity. Cover with the remaining batter. Bake for 20-24 minutes or until deeply golden brown. Remove from the oven and carefully flip onto a cooling rack so the tops cool flat (optional).
Step 5: Gently heat together the cream and the reserved tablespoon of cranberry orange jam. Pass through a fine mesh sieve to remove the jam pulp. Whisk together the powdered sugar, almond extract, corn syrup and strained cream in a medium bowl. Add more powdered sugar or water/extract, if needed. You want a thicker consistency so it doesn’t drip too much.
Step 6: Pipe or spoon over the cooled financier. Garnish with chopped toasted almonds, cranberry halves, or as desired.
Top tips
- Separate your eggs while cold and then let the egg whites come to room temperature for easier mixing. Eggs separate easier while cold, but ingredients mix in easier while all at the same temperature.
- Use a light colored pan when browning the butter so you can see when the milk solids change color. If you use a dark/nonstick pan you won't be able to tell as easily when it's ready.
- If you need a recipe to use up the leftover egg yolks, try ice cream or vanilla pastry cream!
Recipe FAQs
Store financier cakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
This is not recommended. You need a bit of all-purpose flour to achieve the correct texture
The name financier comes from the how the cakes are traditionally baked in rectangle molds. Their golden exterior and molded shape is reminiscent of bars of gold. Another story is that the cake was popular in the financial district of Paris because the dense cakes fared well in the pockets of Paris stock exchange workers for long periods.
More recipes you'll love
Lastly, if you make this Cranberry Orange Financier Recipe be sure to leave a comment or give it a rating. I love to see when people make my recipes, so please tag me @youthsweets on Instagram if you post!
📖 Recipe
Cranberry Orange Financier Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Cranberry orange jam
- 2 cups cranberries (206g)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (71g)
- 1 medium orange zested, about 1 tbsp
- 1 medium orange juiced, about ¼ cup
- Pinch kosher salt
Financier
- 1 ½ cups almond flour (167g)
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar (270g)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (68g)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt half if using table salt
- 6 large egg whites (183g)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 9 tablespoon unsalted butter (126g)
Cranberry glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar (132g)
- 2-3 tablespoon heavy cream (44g)
- ½ teaspoon corn syrup (5g)
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
Do ahead
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 12-cavity muffin tin with room temperature butter generously.
Make the jam
- In a small pot, combine the cranberries, sugar, orange zest and juice and kosher salt. Cook until jammy over medium heat for 10-20 minutes, depending on your burner strength, stirring occasionally and keeping an eye on it. My gas burner took 20 minutes. My portable induction cooktop took barely 10 minutes.
- Set aside 1 tablespoon of the jam for the glaze. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Brown the butter
- Add the butter to a medium pot* over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the milk solids brown. This can take 5-8 minutes. Keep a close eye as it can go from brown to burnt quickly. Promptly remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Let cool for five minutes.
Make the financier batter
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: almond flour, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour and kosher salt. Add the egg whites and almond extract. Whisk until combined.
- Add the browned butter and whisk just until combined.
Bake
- Fill the muffin tin cavities until just over half full, reserving just enough batter to cover the jam. Add about 1 teaspoon of jam to each cavity. Cover with the remaining batter.
- Bake for 20-24 minutes or until deeply golden brown. Remove from the oven and carefully flip onto a cooling rack so the tops cool flat (optional).
Make the glaze
- Gently heat together the cream and the reserved tablespoon of cranberry orange jam. Pass through a fine mesh sieve to remove the jam pulp. Whisk together the powdered sugar, almond extract, corn syrup and strained cream. Add more powdered sugar or water/extract, if needed. You want a thicker consistency so it doesn’t drip too much.
- Pipe or spoon over the cooled financier. Garnish with chopped toasted almonds, or as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published 12/08/2025.
