• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sift & Simmer
Matcha, tea-infused baking recipes & modern Asian favourites
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Pantry
    • Matcha 101: A Beginner's Guide
    • Hojicha 101: A Beginner's Guide
  • Subscribe
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Matcha Cherry Financiers

    Published: Sep 29, 2020 by Michelle · 18 Comments

    Share this recipe!

    • Facebook
    • Email
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    These Matcha Cherry Financiers are moist, lightly sweet, mini matcha tea cakes with a cherry studded in the centre. For simplicity, they're baked in a muffin tin and are cute petit fours, perfect for afternoon tea.

    Green matcha and cherry financiers on a round marble trivet with a bowl of cherries in the background.
    Matcha, cherries, and almonds.

    I was scrounging around in my freezer the other day and found a bag of frozen organic cherries. I had totally forgotten about them.

    Instantly, I wanted to make a tea cake with matcha and cherries.

    These Matcha Cherry Financiers are not too oily, yet still moist and delicious. 

    What are financiers?

    They're a small French almond cake traditionally made with browned butter, egg whites, powdered sugar and almond flour.

    French financiers are sweet, moist, and buttery, but they are not additionally flavoured with nuts or fruits.

    They're also baked in a small rectangular mold.

    What's the difference between a financier and friand?

    Friands, which originate from Australia and New Zealand, are also made with almond flour, egg whites, butter, and powdered sugar.

    They typically also have additional flavours added, such as coconut, chocolate, fruits or nuts.

    Although, these would theoretically be friands, there's something about the word "financier" that just sounds fancy!

    Green matcha and cherry financiers with one cut in half, exposing the inside on a small plate, more financiers in the background. t with a bowl of cherries in the background.

    Made in a muffin tin

    I'm the type of person who hates kitchen clutter and will only get utensils if they serve more than one purpose. 

    For that reason, I do not have a financier pan... but you don't need one!

    This recipe can be made in a mini muffin tin. (And if you don't have a mini, hopefully you have a regular muffin tin...!)

    Dairy free

    The first time I made financiers a few years ago, I didn't like how much butter I had to use. 

    I don't like my desserts too sweet or too oily, so I developed this recipe using coconut oil instead of butter.

    I know it's not traditional, but it still tastes amazing.

    Melted coconut oil adds moisture and just enough richness to the tea cakes.

    Is it vegan?

    Unfortunately, there are egg whites and honey in this recipe, so no, this recipe isn't vegan.

    Cut green matcha and cherry financiers on a small plate with more financiers and a bowl of cherries in the background.
    Ingredients you'll need

    For these cute matcha tea cakes, you'll need the following ingredients:

    • coconut oil: you can use either refined coconut oil (which doesn't impart a coconut taste) or regular coconut oil. We'll melt the coconut oil so it doesn't matter what temperature it's at.
    • honey: gives the cakes more moisture and flavour
    • almond extract: optional if you don't have it, but really enhances that almond flavour. Substitute vanilla extract instead if you can't find almond extract.
    • large egg whites: at room temperature, they are not whipped up.
    • almond flour: if you don't have almond flour, you can grind up whole almonds in a food processor until you achieve a powdery consistency. Sift the almond flour. If you're making your own flour, be careful not to overprocess or it will turn into nut butter. 
    • all-purpose flour: you can substitute with cake flour if you have that on hand. It will produce an even lighter cake.
    • icing /powdered sugar: sift the icing sugar to remove and clumps
    • matcha: use a high quality culinary grade matcha
    • sea salt: you can use any type that you have on hand
    • cherries: you can use either frozen pitted cherries (blot them before placing into the cakes) or fresh (be sure to pit them)

    Cut green matcha and cherry financiers on a small plate with whole financiers and a bowl of cherries to the side.
    How to make them

    This cake batter comes together quite simply.

    Preheat the oven to 350F. 

    Lightly grease a mini muffin tin with some oil. 

    Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl.

    Whisk together the melted coconut oil, honey, almond extract, and egg whites.

    Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until incorporated.

    Use a small cookie scoop to portion out the batter into the muffin wells. 

    Press a cherry into the centre of each cake. 

    Give the tray a tap to release any bubbles.

    Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes, until just lightly browned. 

    Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

    Tips & tricks

    Remember to have your egg whites at room temperature before starting.

    Don't overbake the financiers. Check on them 5 minutes beforehand to see if they're done.

    Other matcha recipes you'd like

    If you liked these Matcha Cherry Financiers, you may enjoy these other recipes:

    Sakura Cherry Blossom Matcha Doughnuts

    Matcha Lamingtons

    Mini Matcha Custard Buns

    Matcha Almond Flour Brownies

    These Matcha Cherry Financiers are so easy and simple to make.

    Little tea cakes that are part cookie, and part cake. They'd be great for an afternoon tea spread, snack, or maybe even breakfast? 

    Let me know if you try out this recipe. Tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below.

    Close up of matcha cherry financiers on a round white trivet.Close up of matcha cherry financiers on a white trivet with text overlay.

    Print Recipe
    4.84 from 6 votes

    Matcha Cherry Financiers

    A moist and lightly sweet tea cake with matcha green tea, studded with a cherry in the centre.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time18 mins
    Total Time28 mins
    Course: Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine: French
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 107kcal
    Author: Michelle

    For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.

    Ingredients

    • 60 g coconut oil melted
    • 15 g honey
    • ½ teaspoon almond extract
    • (64 g) 2 large egg whites room temperature
    • 65 g almond flour
    • 33 g all-purpose flour
    • 55 g icing sugar
    • 5 g matcha
    • ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
    • 12 pitted cherries frozen or fresh
    • chopped almonds optional for garnish
    Metric | US Customary
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C.
    • Lightly grease 12 mini muffin wells.
    • Place the melted coconut oil, honey and almond extract into a small bowl.
    • Lightly whisk in the egg whites.
    • In a separate bowl, sift together the almond flour, flour, icing sugar, matcha, and sea salt.
    • Pour in the egg white mixture and stir until incorporated.
    • Fill the mini muffin wells with the batter, using a cookie scoop or spoon (filling it about ⅞ths of the way.)
    • Place a cherry in the centre of each well. (If using frozen, blot the cherry before placing it in).
    • Add a sprinkling of chopped almonds (optional).
    • Gently tap the tray to release any bubbles.
    • Bake at 350°F/177°C for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden brown, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
    • Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
    • Dust with additional icing sugar and serve immediately.
    • You can store the financiers in an airtight container for up to 2 days if you don't plan to eat them right away. (Don't dust with icing sugar if you plan to do this).

    Nutrition

    Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 4mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 21IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

    The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.

    Did you try this recipe?Mention @siftandsimmer or tag #siftandsimmer!
    « Purple Sweet Potato Buns
    Roasted Turkey Porchetta »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Never Ending Journeys

      September 30, 2020 at 10:39 am

      I've never heard of financiers before, so thanks for sharing about those. I love how you added cherries into them, and with the powdered sugar on top, they must've been delectable!

      Reply
      • Michelle

        September 30, 2020 at 2:30 pm

        Thanks so much!!

    2. 2pots2cook

      October 01, 2020 at 3:50 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely amazing ! Keeping for holidays !

      Reply
      • Michelle

        October 01, 2020 at 5:06 am

        Thank you! They're perfectly festive!

    3. Christie

      October 01, 2020 at 2:57 pm

      5 stars
      I've never heard of these before but they sound so good with the matcha and cherries Michelle! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Michelle

        October 01, 2020 at 6:40 pm

        Thanks Christie! The flavour is amazing!

    4. David @ Spiced

      October 02, 2020 at 4:26 am

      5 stars
      The colors on these financiers are amazing! And I'm sure they taste just as good! So this is the first time I've heard of friands, but I am familiar with financiers. Like you, I don't have a financier pan - although I have plenty of other crazy pans! The mini muffin tin works well for these...and it looks cool with the cherry, too. Well done, my friend, well done!

      Reply
      • Michelle

        October 02, 2020 at 9:50 am

        Thank you so much, David! 🙂

    5. Jennifer

      October 03, 2020 at 7:11 pm

      5 stars
      Loving all these matcha recipes, these were really easy to make - thank you!

      Reply
      • Michelle

        October 03, 2020 at 7:17 pm

        Glad you enjoyed them! 🙂 Thank you!

    6. Josiah - DIY Thrill

      October 04, 2020 at 3:55 pm

      These cherry financiers look like such a great treat!

      Reply
      • Michelle

        October 04, 2020 at 8:12 pm

        Thank you Josiah!

    7. Vanessa Y.

      October 04, 2020 at 7:30 pm

      Can I substitute cherry with red bean paste instead?

      Reply
      • Michelle

        October 04, 2020 at 8:13 pm

        Sure -- however, you won't need very much red bean paste for each tea cake.

    8. Heidi | The Frugal Girls

      October 05, 2020 at 3:57 pm

      5 stars
      These turned out so beautifully... talk about the ultimate bite sized bliss!

      Reply
      • Michelle

        October 05, 2020 at 9:32 pm

        Thanks Heidi!!

    9. Jess

      January 29, 2022 at 2:04 pm

      4 stars
      Hey so Im a pastry chef in england and these were good besides from my oven being too strong and overcooking it. My question is tho why coconut oil i used olive oil and do u think that burns quicker.

      Reply
      • Michelle

        January 29, 2022 at 3:52 pm

        I use coconut oil since I personally like the flavour paired with matcha but you can use any neutral vegetable oil.

        That said, olive oil does not have a high smoke point and could be an issue if baking at high temperatures, however for baking at 350F, it should be OK. Every oven is different, so your oven could run hotter than mine.

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    About Me

    My name is Michelle and Sift & Simmer is a food recipe blog featuring easy, creative and delicious recipes. I believe that the best food is made from scratch. Read More…

    Subscribe for Latest recipes

    Follow Me

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • YouTube

    Popular Recipes

    Matcha Mochi Croissants

    Matcha Candy Cane Popcorn

    Classic Matcha Chiffon Cake

    Matcha Jasmine Cake with Yuzu Curd

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    About

    Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    Subscribe for the latest recipes and updates directly to your inbox!

    Contact

    Contact

    Copyright © 2017-2023 Sift & Simmer

    All images and content are copyright protected. Do not use without prior permission.