I’ve been wanting to try my hand at petit fours for a while now. They are just too cute! Layers of cake covered in jelly and frosting. Uh, yes please. Sign me up.
These are a little different than traditional petit fours. Basically, this is a super easy recipe for petit fours.We were excited to work with Ghirardelli Chocolate and play around with their peppermint bark squares as part of their “Celebrate with Squares” campaign. I thought it would be fun to use peppermint bark as the filling for these petit fours (instead of jelly or butter cream). So, just to be clear, this is chocolate bark covered in cake then drenched in more sugar.
Needless to say, I’m waaay into them and had to stop myself from eating the whole pan. I loved how these turned out! Trey and I went to a big potluck (it’s similar to Friendsgiving, hosted by our friend Jacki) and I took these to pass off onto all our friends—like little sugar-coated Christmas presents. We literally celebrated with squares. 😉
Peppermint Bark Petit Fours, makes around 27-30
For the cake: (this recipe is adapted from a cake roll recipe in Food Network magazine)
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
27-30 Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares
First, sift together the flour, baking powder and cream of tartar. In a large bowl combine the eggs, sugar, water and vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer (or stand mixer) to beat on high for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is light and airy. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture.
Cover the bottom of a jelly roll baking pan (10×15 inch with a lip) with parchment paper. Lightly spray the paper and exposed inside edges of the pan with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan, use a rubber spatula to make sure the batter is evenly distributed.
Bake at 375°F for 12-15 minutes until the edges begin to brown and pull away from the pan.
Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes then flip out onto a clean work surface covered with a little powdered sugar or wax paper. In the above photo you can see the bottom of my cake. Cut off the edges.
Use the Ghirardelli peppermint bark squares to measure and cut the cake into 27-30 squares. Slice each cake square down the center, so you can make a peppermint bark sandwich, if you will. 🙂
Now to assemble our petit squares. 1.) Add a little frosting (store bought or a favorite recipe of yours) to the bottom of each cake square. 2.) Place the peppermint bark on the frosting and press in place. 3.) Add a little more frosting on top of the bark and press the top piece of cake in place. This will help your petit fours hold together once we get to dipping them. 4.) Roll out about one pound of marzipan very thin. Place all your prepared squares close together, spray one side of the marzipan with a little water and then place the wet side on top of the cakes. Press in place. If you refrigerate this for at least an hour (or overnight) it will help it stick to the cakes better. 5.) Cut the squares apart. Use kitchen shears to trim any excess marzipan off the edges. 6.) Dip each square in your prepared poured fondant (recipe follows). If you are adding any kind of sprinkles do so while the fondant is still wet.
I tried a couple different poured fondant recipes and the one that worked best for me was from Martha Stewart.
Petit Fours Frosting
9 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I didn’t use clear and it didn’t really change my frosting color)
Combine all ingredients in a large glass bowl set over simmering water. Stir until the mixture is well combined and very thin. Hold petit fours by the top and bottom and dip each edge into the icing. Place on a cooling rack set over wax paper. Use a spoon to pour icing on the top of the cake, so the entire square is covered (except the bottoms). Continue until you have covered all the squares. If you plan to add pipped frosting wait until the frosting dries (2-3 hours or overnight).
These are pretty labor intensive but SO cute and delicious once you’re done. My favorite part was adding the pipped frosting on the tops. I also felt pretty proud walking into the party with a huge tray of these, so I highly recommend them as a party trick or to take in to the office this month. Show off a little. 🙂 Happy (early) Holidays! xo. Emma
Get our FREE recipe guide with our most popular recipes of all time!
Free Popular Recipe Guide
Our top 25 recipes of all time!
Get the Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 27-30 Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares
Petit Fours Frosting
- 9 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (I didn't use clear and it didn't really change my frosting color)
Instructions
- First, sift together the flour, baking powder and cream of tartar. In a large bowl combine the eggs, sugar, water and vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer (or stand mixer) to beat on high for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is light and airy. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture.
- Cover the bottom of a jelly roll baking pan (10×15 inch with a lip) with parchment paper. Lightly spray the paper and exposed inside edges of the pan with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan, use a rubber spatula to make sure the batter is evenly distributed.
- Bake at 375°F for 12-15 minutes until the edges begin to brown and pull away from the pan.
- Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes then flip out onto a clean work surface covered with a little powdered sugar or wax paper. In the above photo you can see the bottom of my cake. Cut off the edges.
- Use peppermint bark squares to measure and cut the cake into 27-30 squares. Slice each cake square down the center, so you can make a peppermint bark sandwich, if you will.
- Now to assemble our petit squares. 1.) Add a little frosting (store bought or a favorite recipe of yours) to the bottom of each cake square. 2.) Place the peppermint bark on the frosting and press in place. 3.) Add a little more frosting on top of the bark and press the top piece of cake in place. This will help your petit fours hold together once we get to dipping them. 4.) Roll out about one pound of marzipan very thin. Place all your prepared squares close together, spray one side of the marzipan with a little water and then place the wet side on top of the cakes. Press in place. If you refrigerate this for at least an hour (or overnight) it will help it stick to the cakes better. 5.) Cut the squares apart. Use kitchen shears to trim any excess marzipan off the edges. 6.) Dip each square in your prepared poured fondant (recipe follows). If you are adding any kind of sprinkles do so while the fondant is still wet.
- Combine all ingredients in a large glass bowl set over simmering water. Stir until the mixture is well combined and very thin. Hold petit fours by the top and bottom and dip each edge into the icing. Place on a cooling rack set over wax paper. Use a spoon to pour icing on the top of the cake, so the entire square is covered (except the bottoms). Continue until you have covered all the squares. If you plan to add pipped frosting wait until the frosting dries (2-3 hours or overnight).
Credits // Author and Photos: Emma Chapman.
These are so cute! I love the little ones that look like presents!
This looks incredibly delicious
these look amazing!
xxoo,
nikki
www.dreaminneon.blogspot.com
Thanks for sharing! Gonna try it this weekends! ^^
Http://mackeytan.blogspot.sg
These look amazing and I’ve been looking for an easier recipe to make them! Look forward to trying this so thanks for sharing!! 🙂
Lulu xx
http://luluslittlewonderland.blogspot.com
Oh, these are so adorable. I’ve enjoyed eating petit fours, but have never considered baking them myself. It always seems so complicated, but this method doesn’t seem too bad! Cutest holiday treat? I think so!
Allison
www.alliray.com
I’m so excited for this collaboration with Ghiradelli! Their chocolates are phenomenal. These look like cake sandwiches – so sugary and sweet. The different textures would be lovely on the tongue.
M.
Oh my gosh! These are adorable! I’ve been trying to put together a baking list for this year–if I have enough time, I might have to attempt these. 🙂
Lisa | http://www.careofmke.com
These are so cute – like a cross between home made sweets and little cakes. I would be very smug if I could pull them off as well as you have here. Fabulous idea!
Vicky
http://aroundandaroundandupsidedown.blogspot.co.uk/
Yum! Do you think these will mail well??
Cuuuute!
These look so delicious and fairly simple to make. I’m not sure the chocolates would make them into my cake. I love those!
These are beautiful! And so festive!
Can you come to my house and cook for me??? These are SO pretty and look delicious!!!
oh god, how I wish I had some of these right now! They look abolutely delicious! ♥
Wowie these look amazing!! <3 xoxo
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrownofCreationShop
I love these, they’re adorably festive. I have a major sweet tooth, so they look like they taste like heaven!
Yummy. Very nice inspiration.
xx
http://www.fashiondenis.com/
Delish and yummy. Can’t wait to devour all and every Christmas cookie that comes my way.
http://thinkworkandgo.blogspot.com/
Looks so yummy! thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂 x
http://www.lornaswishingwell.blogspot.co.uk