Homemade Petit Fours

Homemade petit fours are like having a little bite of buttery pound cake with a raspberry filling and tasty glaze. While they do require a few steps to make, they aren’t hard to do and they taste amazing.

The batter for these petit fours includes both butter and cream cheese so it is moist and delicious. The coating is basically a melted buttercream that Seals in the moisture and adds another layer of flavor.

The resulting little bite of cake is perfect for so many special occasions. They are perfect for baby or bridal showers, a tea party or include them as part of a wedding dessert bar.

Baking and Filling the Petit Four

I like using this batter for petit fours for several reasons. It is moist and tasty, plus it is sturdy enough to hold up to getting coated.

Be sure to use a layer of parchment paper in the bottom of your 13×18″ half sheet pan. This makes removing the cake from the pan much easier.

Torting the cake is one of the more difficult parts of the whole process, but don’t let it deter you. Follow my tips to make it easier, and don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.

First, put the cake in the freezer for about a half hour before trying to cut it. You don’t really want it frozen solid, but you want it to be a little extra firm.

Secondly, I like to cut the cake into smaller pieces before trying to cut it into layers. It’s easier to maneuver and cut if you are only working with half or quarter of the sheet cake.

You are going to cut the cake into little pieces anyway, so there is no point in trying to keep it hole. Do whatever feels comfortable to you.

Now spread a thin layer of buttercream, lemon curd or good quality jam over the bottom half of the cake and cover it with the top of the cake. Cut the cake with small cookie cutters or use a knife to cut it into squares.

Freeze the little cakes for at least a couple hours but up to several months (if tightly wrapped). Then coat them once they are completely frozen.

Coating With Petit Four Icing

There are several different ways to coat petit fours. Some people use a thinned out white chocolate.

Other bakers will use what is called poured fondant, which is not at all like the rolled fondant we are familiar with. Instead it is a thin icing made of sugar, water and corn syrup.

Instead of using either of those, I like using what is essentially a melted buttercream. I got the idea from Sugar Spun Run and of course it spoke to my frosting loving heart.

Making the icing in a double boiler allows you to adjust the temperature as needed. Whisk all of the ingredients together and adjust the consistency as needed.

It will look a little lumpy and broken, but keep mixing until it comes together. Then add a little more milk or powdered sugar as needed.

You can place a coated cake in the refrigerator for a few minutes to test the final consistency if you would like.

The consistency should be thin enough to run over the sides of the cake but thick enough to coat it. Keep adjusting the temperature or ingredients until it feels comfortable to you.

I like to take a small batch of frozen petit fours from the freezer and place one on a fork. Then I use a spoon to coat the cake in the icing.

Make sure all of the sides and corners are covered before placing the cake on a piece of wax paper to set up. If using sprinkles, do so right away while the icing is still wet.

Now allow the icing to set completely before moving the cakes. Once they are set, you can also decorate the tops with piped buttercream decorations if desired.