Sweet Tiers Petit Fours

Celebrate in French flair with these tasty-sized desserts! Petit Fours are perfect for a bridal shower, an afternoon tea party, or just because. And they couldn't be easier to whip up – so let the celebrating begin!

Ingredients

The Cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
• 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ cups butter room temperature (339g)
• 2 ¼ cups sugar (450g)
• 8 oz cream cheese room temperature (226g)
• 5 large eggs room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla (10mL)
• ½ cup milk room temperature (120mL) 

Vanilla Buttercream:

• ¾ cup butter room temperature (170g)
• 3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp milk or cream room temperature (15mL)
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 jar raspberry jam

The Coating:

• 8 oz white chocolate chopped (226g)
• ¼ cup corn syrup (60mL)
• 3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar (420g)
• ⅓ cup hot water more if needed (80mL)

Method

The Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a half baking sheet (12”x17”) with parchment paper. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, whisk together and set aside.
2. Cream the butter in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl if using an electric hand mixer. Add the sugar and then mix on high until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl down as needed. Add the cream cheese and mix until combined.
3. Drop the eggs in one at a time while mixing on medium speed, scrape the bowl down at least once, and then mix in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in three batches alternating with the milk, mixing until almost combined. Finish batter off with a spatula, folding in any unmixed bits of flour or butter.’
4. Pour into a lined baking sheet and smooth into an even layer. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any larger air bubbles, and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until the center is springy to the touch. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack, peel paper off, and set aside to cool completely.

The Buttercream:

1. While the cake cools, cream the room temperature butter and salt, then add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla while mixing on low. Scrape the bowl down as needed, then drizzle in the milk or cream a tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. If you want to decorate the petit fours with buttercream flowers, you may want to add an extra 1/4 cup of butter and a cup of powdered sugar to the frosting recipe.

Assembly

1. Cut the cake into two rectangles (this helps the pieces be more manageable to cut and handle), then cut each down the middle with a serrated knife. Open the cake and spread a thin layer of the buttercream on one half and a very thin layer of raspberry jam (you can use any jam or lemon curd for the filling) on the other. Sandwich the cake layers together, so you have two-layer cakes with raspberry jam and buttercream in the middle. Place onto a baking sheet, then cover and freeze for about 30 minutes or until firm.
2. Cut the edges of the frozen cake, then cut into 1.25-1.5 inch cubes and place them on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Return to the freezer to chill while you make the coating.

The Coating and Decorating:

1. While the petit fours freeze, melt the chopped white chocolate in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring occasionally. While the chocolate melts, sift the confectioners’ sugar into a large bowl and then add the hot water and corn syrup, folding together with a spatula until combined. Stir in the melted white chocolate until smooth if the consistency of the fondant is a bit thick, you can mix in more hot water a teaspoon at a time.
2. Remove the cake cubes from the freezer, place one on a fork then dip the bottom into the fondant. Lift and spoon more fondant over the top until the sides are coated. Tap the fork on the bowl's edge to remove excess fondant, then return to the wire cooling rack (still over a baking sheet) to set. Repeat the process for the remaining cubes. The petit fours will take an hour or two to set.
3. Decorate with a drizzle of melted white chocolate, icing, or you can use the remaining buttercream to pipe little roses on top using a small petal tip (102) and leaf tip (349).

Notes

• I make a cutting guide for the cake by marking a piece of paper at 1.25-inch intervals. Use the guide to make little cuts to help you slice perfect, uniform squares.
• You can fill the petit fours with jam, lemon curd, marzipan, or even caramel. Just make sure you use any filling sparingly, as the layers will slide around and weep if overfilled.
• If you don't want to make a large quantity of petit fours, then wrap and freeze the extra cake. You can make more, or enjoy the cake as is later.
• Freezing the cake really helps get clean cuts; if you are not confident cutting the cake down the middle to make the layers, then freeze the cake first.
• Do not skip transferring the petit fours that you are not currently coating into the freezer. Since the cake can slip and slide around when at room temperature, it's much easier to coat a petit four when it has just come out of the freezer.
• If you are not using a scale to measure your flour, be sure to fluff your flour with a spoon before spooning it into your cups and leveling it off with a knife. This method is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the cup.
• Make sure your butter, eggs, milk, and cream cheese are at room temperature to ensure everything is mixed and bakes evenly.
• Do not add all of the wet and dry ingredients together at once for the cake batter. When you alternate adding the wet and dry ingredients into the creamed butter, it ensures that the batter can be mixed evenly without accidentally over-mixing.
• When melting the white chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water, you must not allow any water to go inside the bowl. The chocolate will seize and not melt smoothly.
• I used white chocolate bars for melting. White chocolate chips do not melt as smoothly. White chocolate also burns in the microwave so take the extra step and use the double boiler method of melting your chocolate.

 Parings:

If you're throwing a tea party, your choice of brew can be the difference between success and failure! Keep it light with simple flavors that don't overwhelm - berries & cream for a younger crowd or something more sophisticated for your mature crowd like Earl Grey are good options. Or why not browse our extensive tea 🍵 selection to create an unforgettable blend? Whatever tickles your fancy will have guests sipping in style.

Pair with Apple Flavored Tea, or Berries and Cream Flavored Tea or a traditional Earl Grey.

.Apple Flavored Tea: Apple flavored tea is certain to satisfy any individual tastes! Sweet and delicious, just like the apple itself. This gently infused flavored tea can be enjoyed hot or cold, sweetened or plain, but it is always delicious! 

Berries and Cream Flavored Tea: Our award-winning Blueberries and Cream flavored tea is an all-time favorite. The tangy sweetness of blueberries smoothed out with a touch of cream essence is sure to bring a smile to your face during the day or night.

Earl Grey: Flavored with the oil of bergamot, a pear-shaped citrus that is grown near the Mediterranean, Earl Grey tea is a blended black tea that has an exotic complexity and aroma that is both distinctive and delightful.