Our petits fours recipe creates traditional intricate and delicate mini cakes that look straight out of a boulangerie.
Instructions
1
Make the cake batter
2
Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer and cream the butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Beat in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, and gently fold them into the batter. Editor’s Tip: This step requires a lot of mixing, but try not to overmix once the dry ingredients are added. Otherwise, the cake will come out tough and dense.
3
Bake the cake
4
Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan, and let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Editor’s Tip: Add a delicious filling to these petits fours. Cut the cake horizontally, and spread curd or jam on one layer. Top with the plain player to sandwich the filling.
5
Cut into squares
6
Cut a thin slice off each side of the cake to remove the crust. Cut the cake into 1-1/4-inch squares. Arrange the squares 1/2 inch apart on a rack in a 15x10x1-inch pan.
7
Create the glaze
8
In a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, water and orange extract. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat everything together on low speed just until blended. Beat the mixture on high until it’s smooth. Using a spoon, apply the glaze evenly over the tops and sides of cake squares, allowing excess to drip off. Let the petits fours dry. Repeat if necessary to thoroughly coat the squares. Let the glaze dry completely.
9
Whip up the frosting
10
In a small bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter, shortening and vanilla. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Place 1/3 cup frosting in each of two bowls. Tint one pink and one green. Leave the remaining frosting in the small bowl plain.
11
Pipe on flower decorations
12
Using a small star tip, pipe flowers onto the petits fours with the frosting. If desired, garnish with sugar pearls.
