Miniature Cake Petits Fours
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A petit four can be virtually any miniature sweet thing-never more than a bite or two-usually served after dinner with coffee. Professional pastry chefs divide petits fours into two types: dry petits fours, which are really just miniature cookies, and fresh petits fours, which are miniature cakes or tarts. The miniature cakes are presented here, and two other fresh petits fours can be found in chapter 2-one kind consists of miniature pastry shells cooked with afruit filling, the other uses prebaked shells as holders for fruit curds, raw fruits, and white and dark chocolate ganache. These luxurious miniature cakes are time consuming to make, but delightful to look at and fun to eat-theyre perfect for an elegant party. An almond paste sponge cake is used here, but any sheet cake will do; the finished cake should be about 3/8 inch thick. Fondant is the classic icing for these kinds of petits fours, and apricot glaze is the classic filling. Buttercream is used to seal the tops and sides of the petits fours before theyre coated with fondant. Petits fours are iced by dipping them individually in fondant or by pouring the fondant over the petits fours arranged on a cake rack set over a sheet pan. Both methods are shown here. Classic recipes for petits fours call for brushing the cake with simple syrup flavored with some kind of spirit, but this isn't essential.
ingredients
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serves: 80
Simple syrup (optional)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 cup or more kirsch or other spirit
1 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons water
1 almond paste sponge cake
1/2 cup buttercream (optional)
3 cups liquid fondant
Food coloring (optional)
2 tablespoons colored royal icing (optional)
Nutrition Facts
Miniature Cake Petits Fours
Servings Per Recipe: 80
Amount per Serving
Calories: 76
- Total Fat: 0.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 16.1 mg
- Sodium: 24.2 mg
- Total Carbs: 17.6 g
- Dietary Fiber: 0 g
- Sugars: 10.9 g
- Protein: 0.7 g
preparation
1. To make the simple syrup, dissolve the sugar in the water and let cool. Flavor to taste with kirsch. Heat the apricot preserves with the 2 tablespoons water in a saucepan and stir until smooth. Strain and let cool slightly.
2. Trim any crusty places off the surface of the cake with a serrated knife, then trim it so it measures 10 by 16 inches.
3. Cut it into two 8 by 10-inch rectangles. Brush one of the rectangles liberally with some of the simple syrup. Spread half of the apricot glaze over the rectangle.
4. Place the other rectangle on top.
5. Trim the edges so they're even.
6. Brush the top rectangle with simple syrup and spread over the rest of the apricot glaze. Spread the buttercream in a thin layer over the cake.
7. Cut the cake into 1-inch-wide strips. Transfer the strips to a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
8. If you have any buttercream left, use it to coat the sides of the strips.
9. Cut across the strips to make 1-inch cubes.
10. If necessary, thin the fondant by heating it in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water; if it’s still too thick, thin it with water, 1 teaspoon at a time. It should flow in a steady stream from a spoon. Color the fondant with food coloring. (Use the tip of a knife dipped in a drop of food coloring for greater control-a whole drop is sometimes too much.)
11. Coat the petits fours with fondant by dipping them in a bowl of fondant.
12. Transfer the petits fours back to the cake rack.
13. 13.You can also pour the fondant over the petits fours arranged on the cake rack set over a sheet pan. If you’re pouring the fondant, reuse the fondant that drips off onto the sheet pan. Let the petits fours sit for 20 minutes for the fondant to harden. If the coating is too thin, you can coat them again.
14. Use a paper cone to decorate with colored royal icing. The petits fours can be stored in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days; don't refrigerate.
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