Financiers are a French tea cake made with mostly almond flour. This gives them the most deliciously soft texture and nutty flavor. This recipe uses strawberries inside the financiers, and they are topped with a rhubarb and rose Swiss meringue buttercream to really stay with the seasonal flavors. The buttercream gets its seasonal flavor from roasted rhubarb puree and a rhubarb and rose simple syrup. This recipe makes more simple syrup (and puree) than you will need, so use the extras to flavor cocktails or other dessert fillings.
Why you’ll love these financiers
It’s true that making these financiers is a little bit of a multistep process. That said, they aren’t as hard as they look, and the payoff is so worth the deliciousness!
Cute and Elegant. These strawberry financiers with rhubarb and rose buttercream are petite, and perfect for any tea party or spring get-together.
Full of seasonal flavor. With lots of spring and early summer flavors packed into these bite-sized treats, they’re a wonderful celebration of seasonal produce.
Not too sweet. I often shy away from small desserts topped with buttercream for fear that they’ll be cloyingly sweet. Not only are the financiers themselves not overly sweet, but the swiss meringue buttercream (SMBC) is much more mellow in flavor than its American counterpart.
Tools you’ll need
For making the financiers, I used an 8-cup silicone mold (this one— not sponsored!). You can also use a mini muffin tin, but the bake time will vary depending on the size of the wells.
I suggest using a food processor or immersion blender for making the rhubarb and rose puree.
The SMBC requires a little bit more equipment. You will need a stand mixer to make the meringue. You can also do this with an electric hand mixer, but SMBC can take a little while to whip up so your arm may tire out quickly. I also suggest using an instant read thermometer for cooking the sugar and egg mixture, though this is not strictly necessary. You will also need a metal, or otherwise heatproof bowl for this step, since the mixture cooks over a pot of simmering water on the stove.
Ingredients you’ll need for these strawberry financiers with rhubarb and rose buttercream
These little treats are packed with seasonal ingredients!
Almond flour and extract. Almond flour gives the financiers their traditional moist texture, while the almond extract amps up the nutty flavor.
Brown butter. The brown butter in the financiers gives another dimension to the nuttiness and sweetness.
Egg whites. Eggs play an important role in both aspects of this recipe. The egg whites in the financiers help to give them their traditional soft and chewy structure. In the SMBC, the egg whites make the meringue which is the base for the smooth and creamy buttercream.
Strawberries. Strawberry halves inside the financiers add another layer of sweetness.
Rhubarb. We will use rhubarb two ways for the puree. We use roasted rhubarb for some texture and stronger rhubarb flavor. In the simple syrup, we will cook the rhubarb in the sugar syrup to impart flavor. This gives everything a slight sharpness that pairs well with the strawberries and rose.
Rose. The simple syrup used for the SMBC calls for dried rose petals. Make sure you use ones that are specifically for culinary use, so they are free of pesticides. The rose gives the buttercream a beautifully soft floral flavor.
How to make the rhubarb and rose syrup and puree
Chop 2-3 rhubarb stalks into about 3-4 inch chunks, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with sugar, and bake for about 15 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Allow to cool.
While the rhubarb is roasting, make the simple syrup. Add all the syrup ingredients to a pot and cook over medium heat until the rhubarb has fully broken down. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before adding the squeeze of lemon and straining the syrup into a clean jar.
To make the puree, add the roasted rhubarb to a food processor with about 1/4 cup of the simple syrup. Blend until smooth, adding more syrup if necessary to fully blend. Store leftover syrup in the fridge (try using it in an Empress Gin R&R!). Let the puree cool while you prepare the financiers.
How to make these financiers
The first step of making these financiers is to brown the butter. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until it gets frothy on the top, and the milk solids turn golden brown. The butter should smell nutty at this point. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 30 minutes, or until it is cool to the touch but still liquid.
Once the butter has cooled, whisk together the powdered sugar, almond and AP flours, and salt. Add the cooled butter, both extracts, and the egg whites. Mix until just combined.
Add the batter to the financier molds, filling about 3/4 of the way to the top. Follow your manufacturers instructions for greasing: if using a silicone mold, you likely do not need to grease the pans. If using a metal mold or muffin tin, lightly grease with softened butter.
Gently press one half of a strawberry into each of the financiers, and bake until a toothpick comes out clean. In a silicone mold, they likely won’t get too dark, so be careful not to over bake them or they will be dry. Cool on a wire rack while you prepare the puree and buttercream.
How to make the swiss meringue buttercream
If you’re like me when I first started baking, you might find swiss meringue buttercream a little daunting. I promise it is not as hard as it sounds to make. My favorite part about it is that most issues you might run into are easily fixed by adjusting the temperature, which we will go into in the troubleshooting section. SMBC is very user friendly because the end result is quite stable, even at room temperature.
Before beginning, make sure your stand mixer bowl and metal bowl are clean and free of any grease. This can affect how the meringue whips up.
When separating your eggs, separate the first egg white into one bowl, and then pour the egg white into the mixing bowl. Repeat with the remaining eggs. This way, if an egg breaks, you don’t ruin the whole batch. Add all the egg whites and sugar to the metal mixing bowl.
Add an inch or two of water to a saucepan over medium heat, and set your metal bowl with the eggs and sugar on top of the saucepan. The bottom of the bowl should NOT be touching the water. Whisk the sugar and egg mixture constantly until the mixture thins out and the sugar has dissolved, about 4-5 minutes. It should be frothy on the top, and register at 160°F on an instant read thermometer. You can also check this with your finger. Carefully dip your finger into the mixture- it will be hot, but not too hot. You should not feel any grains of sugar. Remove from heat and pour the mixture into your stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment.
Whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form and the meringue is no longer hot to the touch. This can take about 10-15 minutes, or even longer on humid days. If you still are not reaching stiff peaks at this point, place the whole bowl into the fridge for about 15 minutes, and then start whipping again. I like to take the butter out at this point, so that it is slightly softened but not warm.
Once you reach stiff peaks, switch to a paddle attachment. Make sure the meringue and bowl both feel cool to the touch before proceeding to the next step, or the butter will melt. If too warm, let sit at room temperature to cool, or place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Add the butter a tablespoon at a time, making sure that it is fully incorporated before adding the next piece. Once all the butter has been incorporated, add the vanilla, and slowly add the 5 tbsp of cooled rhubarb puree, along with any food coloring if you like. The buttercream should be very fluffy and smooth.
To assemble the financiers, simply pipe the cooled cakes with buttercream and sprinkle with rose petals.
Troubleshooting SMBC
Swiss meringue buttercream is probably my favorite buttercream to make, but it can present some challenges. Typically, these issues are easily fixed with adjustments to the temperature. Here are some tips for how to fix common issues:
My SMBC is thin and runny. This happens when the meringue is too warm and the butter melts. Place the whole mixer bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes before resuming beating again. If it is still too thin, place in the fridge for 15 minutes more. Any longer than 15 minute increments and the butter may firm up too much.
My SMBC is too thick or has split. If at any point your buttercream is too thick, or looks curdled or separated, place your mixer bowl (if heat proof) back over the pot of simmering water that we used for the sugar and egg mixture. Gently heat until the edges of the SMBC start to melt, but the middle is still solid. Take off the heat and start beating together again until smooth. I have found that sometimes the SMBC in this recipe splits a little bit when you add the rhubarb puree, but it is easily fixed by this trick.
Sometimes you may need to use both of these troubleshooting steps on one batch of SMBC. Be patient and don’t panic! Follow these steps and you can fix your buttercream easily.
How to store these financiers
These financiers can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container, topped with the SMBC for 1-2 days, or up to 5 days in the fridge.
Other spring recipes you’ll love
In the mood for spring desserts? Here’s some other ideas:
Double Lemon Cake with Marionberry Compote
Cara Cara Orange Cake with Kumquat Thyme Marmalade
Use the leftover simple syrup to make an Empress Gin R&R!
I hope you enjoy these Strawberry Financiers with Rhubarb and Rose Buttercream! Be sure to tag me on instagram so I can see your creations, and leave me a comment below! Your feedback helps other home cooks and bakers who are giving this recipe a try, and I love hearing about what you made!
