Petit Fours

Name: Petit Fours
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 70 - 84
Ingredients: Cooking spray; 2 1/2 c. (300 g.) all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder; 3/4 tsp. kosher salt; 1 3/4 c. (350 g.) granulated sugar; 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened; 1/2 c. (4 oz.) cream cheese, softened; 4 large eggs, room temperature; 1 tbsp. almond extract; 1/3 c. (80 mL.) whole milk; 1/2 c. rainbow sprinkles; 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature; 1/4 tsp. kosher salt; 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 1 1/2 c. (180 g.) confectioners' sugar, divided; 3/4 c. raspberry jam; 2/3 c. corn syrup; 16 1/2 c. (1,980 g.) confectioners' sugar; 5 tsp. almond extract; 1/2 tsp. kosher salt; Food coloring, for icing (optional)

By Taylor Ann SpencerPublished: Feb 21, 2023

Be the first to review!

Jump to recipe

PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER

Hoping to make some homemade edible gifts that are sure to impress? Make petit fours. Featuring confetti cake layered with raspberry jam and buttercream and covered in a shiny white glaze, these stunning mini cakes will delight anyone who receives them.

Petit fours were invented in the 19th century, when French bakers discovered that they could capitalize on the residual heat of their bread oven’s cool-down setting (also known as “petit four,” or small oven) to bake small treats to sell. These delicacies have since been refined into a variety of small exquisite pastries, now sold all over the world. The tiny glazed cakes that we think of as petit fours are just one of these types, specifically called petit fours glace.

While petit fours may appear tricky to make, the process is actually very straightforward. There are a few tips, however, which will make your life MUCH easier along the way to petit four perfection.

- Always be chilling. These cakes will be easiest to work with if they’re completely cold. Chill the cake slabs before you fill and stack them, then chill the stacked cake again before attempting to cut it into squares. Finally, for best results, I recommend freezing the cake squares completely before glazing. If you’re tempted to skip one of these chilling periods, DON’T. The cake layers will slide apart, the jam will ooze out, and your buttercream will melt when you try to glaze it… less than ideal.
- Cut the squares with a serrated knife. A regular chef’s knife is ideal for cutting the cake into strips, but if you use a chef’s knife to cut the strips into squares, the jam tends to squirt out from between the cake layers. For this step, I recommend using a serrated knife and even small sawing motions to cut your cake into neat squares.
- Keep the glaze warm with a double-boiler. This glaze is designed to harden into a shell as it cools, which is great once it’s coating the petit fours, but not exactly desirable when it’s in the bowl and you’re trying to use it. To keep it at the ideal pourable consistency, keep the glaze in a bowl set over a small pot containing 1" hot water that’s warmed over very low heat (this is known as a double boiler). The steam from the water should warm the glaze just enough to keep the consistency smooth. If the water gets too cold, you can turn up the heat under the pot just a bit. If the glaze seems to be getting too hot (hot enough to melt the buttercream on the cake), turn it off entirely. It takes some monitoring, but it’s definitely worthwhile.

Made these? Let us know in the comments below.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Yields:: 70 - 84
Prep Time:: 10 mins
Total Time:: 4 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

Confetti Cake

Cooking spray
2 1/2 c.
(300 g.) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp.
baking powder
3/4 tsp.
kosher salt
1 3/4 c.
(350 g.) granulated sugar
1 c.
(2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c.
(4 oz.) cream cheese, softened
4
large eggs, room temperature
1 tbsp.
almond extract
1/3 c.
(80 mL.) whole milk
1/2 c.
rainbow sprinkles

Buttercream

3/4 c.
(1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 tsp.
kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 c.
(180 g.) confectioners' sugar, divided

Assembly

3/4 c.
raspberry jam
2/3 c.
corn syrup
16 1/2 c.
(1,980 g.) confectioners' sugar
5 tsp.
almond extract
1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
Food coloring, for icing (optional)

Directions

Confetti cake
1. Step 1Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 2 (13"-by-9") metal pans with cooking spray and line with parchment, leaving an overhang on both long sides. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Step 2In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in another large bowl using a handheld mixer), beat granulated sugar, butter, and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until white and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add eggs one at a time, beating on medium after each addition, until incorporated, then add almond extract and beat until combined (mixture may look curdled).
3. Step 3Add milk and half of dry ingredients and beat on low speed just until combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in remaining dry ingredients and sprinkles.
4. Step 4Divide batter between prepared pans, spreading with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth top.
5. Step 5Bake cake until risen and firm to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes, then refrigerate until cold, about 20 minutes longer.
6. Step 6Make Ahead: Cakes can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool, then wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Buttercream
In a medium bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and salt until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add vanilla and half of confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth, then add remaining confectioners' sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes more. Set aside until ready to use.
Assembly
1. Step 1Line a baking sheet with parchment. Remove chilled cakes from pans and peel off parchment. Place 1 cake on prepared sheet and spread top with jam. Arrange second cake over top side down, then spread top with buttercream. Refrigerate stacked cake until solid, at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
2. Step 2Transfer stacked cake to a cutting board. Using a sharp chef’s knife, trim 1/2" off each short side and 1/2" off each long side. Cut cake into approximately 12 (1"-wide) strips. Rotate cutting board 90° (so long sides of strips are facing you). Using a serrated knife and small gentle sawing motions, cut each strip into 7 to 8 (1") squares. Place squares on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze at least 30 minutes before glazing.
3. Step 3Meanwhile, set a wire rack inside a large baking sheet. Fill a medium pot with 1" water and heat over medium heat until simmering, then remove from heat.
4. Step 4Set a large heatproof bowl over pot of hot water (bowl shouldn’t touch water) and whisk corn syrup and 1 1/4 cups hot water in bowl until corn syrup is dissolved. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until a smooth, thick, pourable consistency forms (mixture should be thick, but if it’s too thick, add more hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached). Whisk in almond extract and salt.
5. Step 5If desired, transfer 1/2 cup warmed glaze to a small bowl and add food coloring. Transfer glaze to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
6. Step 6Remove petit fours from refrigerator. Place one of the petit fours on a flat slotted spatula or fish spatula. Holding over glaze bowl, spoon glaze over until covered. Set glazed petit four on prepared rack. Repeat with remaining petit fours. (If glaze starts to cool and harden, turn on heat under pot and whisk until it reaches the desired consistency. If this doesn’t work and it seems to dry out, add hot water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.) Drizzle glazed petit fours with reserved colored glaze, if desired.
7. Step 7Let icing set until firm, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.