Make your tea party, bridal shower or baby shower tres chic by whipping up this petits fours recipe. We love how pretty and elegant these tiny desserts look, with a delicate vanilla cake, subtly orange-flavored glaze and simple frosting that’s easy to pipe into fun decorations.
French dessert recipes are typically intricate and require some patience, especially petits fours, so be gentle with the fragile cakes (sponge cake is traditional for petits fours—not a dense pound cake!), and glaze the cakes a few times if needed.
What are petits fours?
A petit four is a bite-sized French confection, translating to “small oven” in French. They weren’t originally baked in small ovens, though, as the name suggests. Petit fours came about through 18th-century bread bakers, who used the residual heat of their brick ovens to bake the petits fours cakes once the daily bread was finished.
Petits Fours Ingredients
- Butter: Butter adds richness and moisture to the cake and frosting.
- Shortening: Shortening keeps the cake extra-soft after baking and helps the cake hold its shape better.
- All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour adds structure to the cake.
- Milk: Milk adds moisture and flavor to the cake and frosting.
- Egg whites: Make sure there is not a speck of yolk in your egg whites or they may not whip up into soft peaks.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Confectioners’ sugar dissolves easier into the glaze and frosting than granulated sugar would.
- Orange extract: Orange extract imparts a delicate citrus flavor in the glaze.
- Food coloring: Food coloring imparts a beautiful hue in the frosting so you can pipe fun shapes or designs.
Directions
Step 1: Make the cake batter
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.
Step 2: Bake the cake
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.
Step 3: Cut into squares
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.
Step 4: Create the glaze
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.
Step 5: Whip up the frosting
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.
Step 6: Pipe on flower decorations
Using a small star tip, pipe flowers onto the petits fours with the frosting. If desired, garnish with sugar pearls.
Petits Fours Variations
- Spread in a filling: Once baked, cut the whole cake horizontally into two layers. Spread with jam, curd, Nutella or Biscoff spread. Replace the top layer, and cut the cake into squares. Now each petit four will have a lovely layer of flavorful filling.
- Decorate with the seasons, theme or holiday: Omit the flowers, and instead pipe on pumpkins, baby shower or bridal shower-themed decor. Or make Christmas petits fours by decorating them as little presents. Design the petits fours however you wish to symbolize your gathering.
- Color the glaze: Drop in food coloring to change the glaze’s color. It’s especially helpful for identification if you’re making more than one flavor.
- Use a different extract: The orange extract in this petits fours recipe is light and delicate, but feel free to swap it for a nutty almond, floral vanilla or bright peppermint to fit the holiday season.
How to Store Petits Fours
Store petits fours in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or in the fridge for up to five days.
Petits Fours Recipe Tips
What are some popular flavors of petits fours?
Popular flavors of petits fours include lemon raspberry, strawberry champagne and chocolate.
How many petits fours per person?
If you’re making this petits fours recipe for a party, plan for each guest to have four. That should be enough to satisfy your guests, especially if you have more than one flavor on the table.
Can petits fours be made ahead of time?
Yes, you can make the cakes for the petits fours ahead of time. Bake the cakes, allow them to cool to room temperature, and wrap them tightly in storage wrap. They can last in the freezer for up to three months. When you’re ready to make the petits fours, allow the cakes to thaw slightly at room temperature, then finish them with the glaze and frosting.
