Financier

Financier is a small French cake that is sometimes erroneously mistaken for a pastry since it is similar to a sponge cake. The cakes are baked in moulds and shaped to look like golden bricks known as lingot in French. Financiers are usually made with almond flour, almonds, egg whites, brown butter, and sugar. The dessert was originally invented in the 19th century by a pastry chef named Lasne. As most of his clients were brokers who didn't want to stain their fingers, he invented this moist sponge cake, shaped it to look like a brick of gold, and financier was born.