I’ve been on a pound cake kick lately. Last weekend I made two of them. One plain and another with strawberries. They both turned out really yummy.
Then, this weekend I wanted to try my hand at petit fours. You know … adorable, tiny layered cakes filled with fruit or frosting and covered in poured fondant or icing. They can be made from sponge cakes, genoise cakes, or pound cakes. Ding. Ding. Ding. That means more pound cake for me. I decided to go the whole nine yards. Little layers, syrup, marzipan… Looking back, I think my kitchen wishes I went the easy way. I should have just sliced 1-inch thick pieces from the pound cake loaf and then then cut out tiny cakes with a cutter. But no … that would be too easy.
Okay, before we get to the petit fours, let me tell you about the two pound cake loaves.
First up. Cream Cheese Pound Cake.
I couldn’t wait to slice into it.
Perfect.
Oh my… help me.
And the top… I could tunnel right through this thing.
But first, a little cream cheese icing.
Yes, it was as good as it looks.
The recipe made enough for two loaves, so on the second one I added some strawberries.
It was pretty fantastic, too.
Every last piece of it.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake = YUM!
Here’s the recipe:
Toss the fruit with flour to help keep them from sinking to the bottom of the pan.Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Ingredients
Pound Cake
Cream Cheese Icing
Instructions
Notes
First, let me say… these were a lot of work. I’m glad I tried them, but a lot of work. Thank goodness they tasted great.
If you want to see a fantastic tutorial, check out this one from veganyumyum. Not only is it a really great step-by-step guide, but her photographs are also beautiful.
Line a jelly roll pan
with parchment paper. You’ll need two sheets to lay sideways so you can lift the cake out when it’s done. Use some butter and coat the paper. Then dust with flour.
I used the pound cake recipe above, minus the milk and strawberries and baked at 350 for about 30 minutes. Also, I accidentally omitted the milk. Turns out that was probably a good thing, because the cake baked right up to the edge of the pan. It might have spilled over with the milk.
After the cake is baked and cooled, trim off the outer edges and then cut it into eight equal sections. Next, use a serrated knife and cut the height of each section in half. Turn each layer cut side up and apply a small amount of syrup. I used a spray bottle, but you can also brush it on. Don’t saturate it though. Then spread on a thin layer of warmed raspberry jam so that you can still see the cake through the jam. Stack the sections three layers high. (three layers of cake and two layers of filling.) Four would have made it too tall, based on the pound cake recipe used here.
Syrup = 1 cup sugar plus 2 cups water. Bring to a boil for approximately 3 minutes. Let cool.
Now, for marzipan. I finally found a reason to use this stuff. It has an almond flavor and is pretty tasty. Marzipan sometimes goes on the top layer of the petit four and I think really helps when you pour the icing on. Roll out the marzipan in a super thin layer. Then place it on top of each section of layered cake. Add simple syrup first to help the marzipan stick. Trim off any marzipan that overlaps the cake sections. Wrap each section in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, cut the sections in small squares. Each three-layer cake section will give you 12 petit fours. And you can get at least 5 three-layer sections. That’s a lot of little cakes. (After the icing dried, I drizzled on some melted chocolate and added a few fondant flowers for decoration.)
The next day, dip these in poured fondant and place on a wire rack. Set a cookie sheet underneath to catch the drippings.
What I used for the poured fondant = 2 lb bag (@7.5 cups) powdered sugar, 1/2 cup light corn syrup, 1/3 cup water, 1 tsp vanilla extract. Heat on low and stir until everything is completely combined.
Pouring didn’t work so much for me. I dipped each of the four sides and then spooned a little over the top. This was by far the trickiest part. Getting the consistency right, covering the cakes smoothly. I made a HUGE gigantic mess.
Here’s a peek…
Again, I suggest visiting veganyumyum for a great how-to as I have no actual photos of the dipping, dripping, pouring or cursing.
I managed to get several out that looked pretty decent, though.
But by the end, I was out of icing, out of my mind and still had a bunch of uncovered little cakes. They stayed that way, too. I’ve convinced myself they taste better uncovered.
Petit fours. Been there. Done that.
i tried the cheesecake pound cake, came out beautiful!
skipped the icing b/c it was already too sweet for my family. thanks :)
Iti – it's thick and hardens pretty quickly
we just made your pound cake with chocolate chips and it turned out so great! thank you for the recipe.
Just wanna tell you that flouring the strawberry works 8D)b they are floating >.<
They look amazing and I bet they are just as good! You're the best!
Hi there,
I always love your creation. I have your blog on my link. By the way the pound cake and petit fours are so beautiful. May I know what is the texture of the liquid fondant because we have a humid temperature here in Singapore.
I had a similar experience when i tried these a while back. they seemed like a great idea and the ones that actually survived the whole process were good but i have to say that they are a bit more of a pain in the butt then they are worth.
Looks like the perfect start to a wonderful trifle!
I've had it for a while, it's just a regular cookie rack. I can't remember where I found it.
Sorry.
Petit fours are delicious. I have always been a big pound cake fan. This is something I don't think I'd attempt my own, but I love seeing the results of someone else's adventure.
You'll probably never read this comment b/c it's #188 – but just in case I have to ask. Where did you get the screen that the petit fours are drying on? I've been looking for something like that for making truffles and other chocolate-dipped goodies!
I LOVE petit fours, and these look delicious. Not sure I have the patience for making the itty-bitty delicacies myself, though!
Anonymous – regular chocolate with shortening added can work.
living2thetruth – take a look at this link. It's a pretty cute approach.
http://cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com/2008/02/minnie-mouse-cupcake.html
micki – That's hilarious.
kbriggs – not sure what you mean
Nichole – here you go
http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2008/09/cupcakes-and-cameras.html
Utterly Lost – yes.
QaMcTariRod – thanks –
hildy – no ice cream recipes yet
Anonymous – worked great for me, maybe you should try a little more milk
This is something I see done for many weddings. You've done a great job! They look absolutely delicious.
Wow–these are beautiful. You have a way of making everything look so easy! Great job!
I made the pound cake this weekend. Delicious! And a big hit with my friends who were the taste-testing guinea pigs. Thanks for sharing!
I made the pounds cake the other day. it cam out delish, but how did you get your icing to pour and drip so nicely? mine was a bit thick, I had to turn the loaf to get it to go over the sides and it went over in big clumps, not nice little drips.
Beautiful pictures.
I found your blog 2 weeks ago and I love it. I made the strawberry pound cake yesterday and it is very good. I also used the flour tip and none of mine sank to the bottom. However, I didn't realize that that I forgot the sugar until AFTER I added the strawberries, so the cake doesn't look as good as yours but I am sure it taste the same. I will have to add strawberries to my pound cake recipe and see if there is a taste difference.
Thanks for the good stuff.
http://www.superiorcreations.net
Hello Bakerella,
stumbled upon your blog and am so glad that I did. Love it!love it!
But crazy in a good way… :)
Made the pound cake with strawberries tonight and you were totally right about the strawberries! I dusted them with about a table spoon of flower before I added them in and they stayed perfectly still during baking! Cakes came out great! I will definitely make again. Thanks!
ps – just started to read your blog and I love it! Have any good ice cream recipes?
I know what you mean with been there done that! I tried it once and was satisfied with the results, but truly doubt if I would do it again!!! Love the pound cake recipe! Thank you!
hey! i love your blog! I printed out how to make all the cake ball suckers! I am a kindergarten teacher and love every one of them.
Thank you!
Also, how do i sign up for your giveaways?
Thanks
Lisa Goodwin
klmgoodwin@hotmail.com
this would also be good with blueberries in the cake and fresh sliced strawberries on top.
I tried making the liquid fondant icing a few weeks back and had an ever more disastrous experience. Then this morning, I saw this chef and how he applied the icing to pretty much 'guarantee success' so to speak – and his approach just seemed brilliant to me: you just DOUSE the petite fours in the liquid icing with your hands. but you do it such that the fondant and the tray its on are all on top of the icing bowl so that all surplus and stray icing falls right back into the original bowl. Anyway, I'm going to go attempt his approach right now. He shows how it's done here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuAoi5f_3ks
hello!!!!
it's really wonderful what you all done really hat!!
for you…
http://theredheadriter.blogspot.com/2009/08/secrets-friends-and-sharing.html
mmm yum you are my hero
they look amazing! i cant wait to try making them =]] but i was wondering is it okay to not use the marzipan?
Made the pound cake tonight, I can't wait to frost and try it tomorrow!
Question for you…not exactly food-related. Though I admire all of your recipes on your blog, I especially love your photographs. And even as a photo major i wonder how you photograph your food so beautifully. What type of lighting do you use? Just the natural light, lights in your house, or flash? And what type of camera do you use? Thanks so much! Love the blog.
These are gorgeous! I am totally going to try these (I'm sure they will be a LOT messier).
your photos and baking make me even more interested in cooking.
Please, add a bottom so i can follow you and NEVER loose your blog if i change backgrounds.
WOW! This are great. I love this site. I just came across it. Thanks for the great recipes
Hello Ms. Angie
Looks like a little bit of heaven as usual. I'm so trying out these recipes. I never come up with anything original, but I have no shame when it comes to copying your work. Heck! Why mess with what works?
I love your Petit Fours, they turned out so cute!
I remember making those in culinary school, and ugh.. What a pain in the butt. They're cute, but so much work..
Wow, just happened upon your blog – and I'm in love! Seriously!
Thanks for sharing!
Oh YUM. That pound cake looks awesome!
oh my! =S
It's my first time to comment, but I'm a follower of your blog =D
LOVE your sweets.. and photography.. AMAZING! =D
I thought my next post would be about sweet stuff too XD
you might want to check it =D
I did those once. Once. See you later, petit fours.
I just recently found your blog thru a friend, and I adore it! Bravo! It has inspired me to try all kinds of new baking in the kitchen and been a great resource as well. Thanks and looking forward to much more!
Today is National Cheesecake Day! I was hoping for a post that commemorated it… Maybe another day.
For some reason the pictures aren't loading all the way for me, but I really wanted to see your petit fours.
I made some a couple of weeks ago and it was a bit of a disaster.
So glad I was able to at least read your post, if not get to see all the pictures.
I tried pouring the "poured fondant" and it tipped most of my little cakes right over. They did taste delicious eve though they weren't perfect!
Thanks for posting, can't wait to try your technique the next time I have an order for PF!!
For some reason the pictures aren't loading all the way for me, but I really wanted to see your petit fours.
I made some a couple of weeks ago and it was a bit of a disaster.
So glad I was able to at least read your post, if not get to see all the pictures.
I tried pouring the "poured fondant" and it tipped most of my little cakes right over. They did taste delicious eve though they weren't perfect!
Thanks for posting, can't wait to try your technique the next time I have an order for PF!!
I made 250 petit fours for our wedding…yes can you say bridezilla? I tried pouring the icing but was a huge mess and so much waste, so I ended up buying fondant, and wrapping each one. I sprinkled some gold and silver leaf on top to decorate them. We served them last, at our new years eve wedding when people were good and drunk, so it took the stress off them not being so perfect. btw. your photos are Amazing!
yummy… adorable… beautiful… all of that, as usual!
I am going to have to try those pound cakes. I am always looking for something new to bake.
I have been wanting to make petit fours for a while now…I may have to think again! Your do look AMAZINGLY beautiful and yummy!!!
That's an ambitious project, that's for sure. I'm glad you got a few to look the way you wanted it to.
Yum, they look delicious and completely addicting – nice job!
I just discovered your blog today, and I think it's awesome. Pound cake is my favorite, and the pink petit fours…beautiful!
I love your site! I just tried your cupcake bites… mine definitely are not as pretty as yours! I love to bake and have been lurking here a while! Your ideas are always fantastic, I look forward to your posts. Thank You!
P.S. for the minnie and mickey comment above me: maybe some black and white cupcakes with a red cherry on top? that reminds me of the old fashioned mickey and minnie!
I could look at your site for hours! You are a genius! I have a question, my sister is getting married with a mickey and minnie theme can you think of any favors (cake pops/cupckaes/etc.) that can be make with the theme?
Thanks, Bakerella.
I'll give it a shot leaving the marzapan on the grocer's shelf.
i'm so excited that you posted this!!! My dad JUST said the other day "you know what you should make next… petit fours"
my 1 year wedding anniversary is this weekend (and my parent's 29th on the same day!) i will make them in both of our wedding colors to celebrate! thank you
The pound cake looks so yummy, and the petit fours are gorgeous! I've had my fair share of frustration making petit fours.
You sure went to alot of trouble with the petite fours. I usually take the easy way out. I don't make the layers. I make a thin white cake…yes I use the boxed stuff! Freeze it and then cut the shapes. Then put them back in the freezer. I melt a can of vanilla frosting in a saucepan…not too much just enough to make a thick glaze…then pour that over the frozen cakes. Having them cold makes the glaze stick to them better. Easy….I remelt any icing that goes to the bottom of pan.
hi ! love your site ! i have a problem finding candy melts for the cupcake pops though :( i reside in Singapore. i've tried using chocolate but it does not stick well to the cupcake ..
do u have any suggestion for an alternative melt ? thanks !
I'm glad to see I'mnot the only one who had a time with these things. I think if I can get the icing down, then I would do them again. They do taste great.
karylan – what if you tried adding more butter instead
Ofa – I've always dreamed of visiting Fiji. The photos are so beautiful.
The Royal Family – not really
Myca – glad you did
MAYBELLINE – just leave it out. it's not mandatory.
QUESTION:
I cann't stand marzapan.
Is there an alternative?
If so, please tell me about it.
Thanks
I stumbled upon your blog some how a few weeks back and I just have to tell you that you are AMAZING. Everything you do is beautiful and looks so delicious. And you are just hilarious….so entertaining. I thought I would let you know.
I made petit fours once before. Once. Never again. They're so much better when you buy them from the bakery because you aren't tortured in the process of making them yourself.
Now… The strawberry poundcake, that sounds like something right up my alley.
Petit Fours are lovely, but WAYYY too much work for the size of the bite! I made them once for a bridal shower and proceeded to tear the page out of my cookbook and throw it away, just to be sure that I would not be tempted to make them again!
These look delish, but too much work!
I'd really appreciate it if you check out my blog/new story on this website: http://heart-charm.blogspot.com/
Thanx ;*
I actually think it is against the law to post such beautiful pics with the most mouth-watering desserts immaginable and not live next door to me so that I can taste them…LOL
? Happy Wednesday ?
Oh, Baker, Dear!!!
The pictures of the cake filled my eyes with the beauty of them, and my mouth with the anticipation.
Then those perfect little jewels filled my heart with longing for my childhood's most coveted treat. I suppose ours were the simplest kind—plain old white "birthday cake" with a poured fondant/icing. They were called "individual iced cakes" in our area, made by the one bakery, and the instant cachet of them as that big square box was opened—we didn't know the words "Wow Factor," but there it was.
And each like the other, perfect little ranks of white rectangles, shining in their sweet cloaks, each with a pale green leaf and a whispery-pink half-rose.
Just perfect; thank you.
the pound cake looks gorgeous, im definitely going to give it a shot! thanks for sharing!
Thank you for posting this. I've been wanting to try my hand at Petit Fours for a while now, but have NO idea where to start and how to really do it. All of my prior attempts flopped. I can't wait to try again!!!!
Do you sell your goodies somewhere? For those of us who are not talented enough to make them!?!
Hi…Mrs. Bakerella,
I Love love love your blogspot and your humor. I am from the islands of Fiji and I love to bake but we don't have the bakeware here and the ingredients are so so expensive, so I will just have to live my dream through you and I hope you continue to amaze me every time I check in. Thank you very much or as we say here in Fiji "vinaka vakalevu".
mmmmmmmmm yummy and adorable!
Truly amazing! I could never imagine doing this myself but I am glad you've shown us how. Keep up the great cooking.
They look wonderful, I tried making them ONCE…they were a pain..I also agree they're better without the pain of frosting them…I also love the way your icing is so white against the already pale pound cake…ugh…(I need to invent the taste and smell computer screen, it's silly I know)
I have strawberries!!! I might have to try this!!! Thanks for sharing. Connie
The petit fours look great. I use the same method except instead of poured fondant, I use white chocolate candy melts. Works like a treat! And way let messy! But be sure to use parchment after dipping and tapping bc they stick to the rack.
Hmmmm, the pound cake recipe looks definitely worth doing but the Petit Fours……..not so much.
One again another great recipe! I can't wait to make these. I was actually thinking about petit fours this morning!
Amazing.
I can not wait to make this! Looks delish :)
They look beautiful but definitely like too much work for me. LOL! I'm so glad you gave it a try though. Thanks for the cream cheese pound cake recipe. I've added it to my "must try" list…and I have strawberries to add to!
I can't wait to try the pound cake recipe! It looks FABULOUS. But I expect nothing less from you:)
I love your c'est le vie" attitude towards baking. It makes me feel better about my screw-ups! However, you always come out on top and that is encouraging also. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.
Love your petit fours! Also been there done that! And I echo the sentiment of several others . . . I don't think I have ever cursed as much as I did the day I made those little buggers!
hey. is there any other ingredients that i can substitute for cream cheese ?
I'm already making a Triple Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream on Wednesday for my son's 10th 'real' birthday and a yellow surfboard cake with blue buttercream for his 'party' birthday, so I think I'll need to skip the petit fours, but, oh, I need some pound cake!
This looks delicious! Maybe I'll make it tomorrow and post my rendition (that's giving myself a lot of credit!) There's something about mini petit four icingless sandwiches which make me want to whip these up tomorrow!
xx. Jenny from Lovely At Your Side.
Oh! the pund cake with strawberries is something that I have to try *——-*!!!!
And the petit fours are really pretty! I hope I could do something like that.
I hope you don't mind if I let the link of my blog here, I really hope that you visit it, and tell other poeple to do it if you like it. It's my little project, to show the culture of my country (Chile) trougth our food… I'm just starting and I want this to work, so If you have time and pass and comment I will be really happy.
http://bites-of-love.blogspot.com/
I hope you see it.
I love that you kept with those little buggers. I tried them back about 5 years ago and my motto would be: "Been there. Smashed those." I also found the icing to be TERRIBLY frustrating and so I smashed all my petit fours and chucked them in the garbage without even a taste.
My husband still says to this day he has never heard me curse such a streak in his life. Glad I'm not the only one who found them to be troublesome.
I love petit fours and have tried my hand at them. Not easy to do at all. Did mine for Christmas one year, covered them in chocolate and then decorated the top with holly leaves and berries using tinted icing. Swore I'd never do it again, but looking at your's, I want to get right back into the kitchen and try my hand at it again.
They look amazing! Who knew so much went into these pretty little treats?!?! I can't wait to try the cream cheese pound cake!
OM NOM NOM! Petit Fours. I'm craving some now. Didn't ever think of putting the strawberries IN the pound cake. Just on top. Interesting change.
Mrs. Mordecai – I will do that.
Meg – Good to know. thanks. I deleted the word simple. Now it's just syrup.
Stephanie – Recipe, please?
Alice and the other trifle suggestors – Great idea, but by the end I was over it. And really, I like the cake all by itself.
Angela – You said it!
Anonymous – That's sweet of you. I appreciate it.
Jessica – I know. I thought this would be a breeze.
Sweet Aniela – Bake a 13 X 9 cake and carve out the J. Also, level the top so it's flat. The you can even use the scraps for cake balls. As for the fondant, you can use the same technique for the heart cake and apply it to the J.
mlynn28 – that's the southern in me I guess. How do you pronounce them that way? Is the s still silent?
Laia – Check out this conversion calculator
http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/tools.measures/Measures.cfm
Anonymous – Hey thanks. Is that like street cred?
You could make cake balls with the leftover pieces!
I was going to make petit fours for Mother's Day and ironically I was going to use that site for reference, but I ran out of time :-( I made lemon tartlets instead.
Your petit fours are too cute- great job!
Oh you are brave for making petit fours! My bowl of unfrosted ones would have been MUCH bigger with the pan of frosted cakes MUCH smaller so kudos to you for your astounding amount of patience!
I'm dying reading this post because I just did petit fours in my baking class on Sunday. Sooo messy. Much cursing. Yours look great though
Please. please Stephanie – could you post the recipe for the Apricot Brandy Pound Cake????? I've been craving an apricot sour, but cake would be even better! Thanks…Oh, the petit fours are great, too!
These are gorgeous! I've made them twice and I always wonder WHY! Why would I make these things? They are so difficult to get perfect. Maybe, maybe I'll try again for my niece's wedding shower I'm giving next month. I'll start way ahead of time and see how it goes. Or maybe not.
Your Petit Fours are beautiful.
I have used purchased frosting (Duncan Hines) and just microwaved it in a pyrex measuring cup when I was in a hurry. Then just either dip or pour over the little cakes. Heart shaped mini cakes are so pretty done with pink frosting for Valentines Day. I think a chocolate melting appliance might be good to warm the frosting.
that looks wonderful. I think I am going to try it, but make it with raspberries!
Beautiful job!!
I admire you for even giving this difficult task a try on your own in a home kitchen!
wow, you got me craving pound cake now. Those photos were painfully delicious looking.
You are mean. No more droolable pictures unless you offer to ship goodies straight to my house!
I love petit fours thank you for making them!
Pound Cake – Yum! One of the best ways to eat it is broil it for 5 minutes or so and it will brown a little. Top with fruit, ice cream, chocolate sauce…or whatever most interests you!!! Yum!!!
Those look pretty tasty.
I made petit fours ages and ages ago, but I cannot remember for the life of me how I actually did them. I don't believe mine were layered (I am almost positive that I used instructions from one of the Betty Crocker glossies from the checkout lane), but they were still tasty.
Hi,, It's the first time that I have written a comment, but I really love this blog.
I'm a younger gril from Spain,so my english is not perfect but I like this blog because it have a lot of photos, for this question it's easy form me!!!! XD
Can you tell me how much is a cup and oz in "grams" please?
i'm not going to lie, it's extremely comforting to see (and read!) that you have as much trouble with messiness sometimes as I do — my cake balls often end up looking like that, with everything dripping everywhere!
I love your recipes, and I love your blogs!!! :) Thanks for all the wonderful ideas and inspiration, I am so glad you share your tasty treats and goods with us!
oh my! everything looks so goood!! i wish i could bake like that… i even can't make a proper chocolate cake :(
Great pics, but this is why I'm anti-making-very-small-things, like hors d'oeuvres, no matter how awesome small things are. One Peach Poundcake every year in ONE Bundt pan, and I'm good to go. (Or maybe a few per year, if I freeze a buncha peaches.)
The Petit Fours are so adorable, but goodness, the work. I'll just have to take your word on how good they were… they'd disappear as fast as I could make 'em in our house. Very cute though.
Yum, I gotta try this someday. But, and I know this is the smallest detail ever, it's Petits Fours (oh, French)
Having been through the dipping and cursing of my first try at your cake balls, I'm only a little tickled to see that there is something out there that makes you do that, too. The ones you photographed are gorgeous, and I'll bet the others tasted great as well, even if they weren't pretty enough to be prom queen.
I am salivating at my desk right now! Can't wait to try these recipes, thanks for sharing!!
This recipe sounds so good. Can't wait to try.
that is just so awesome…
looks so freaking yummy!!!!
I just made the red velvet cupcake and they turn out 2 be beutifu… however the cheese frosting didn't turn out 2 be as yours it was kinda liquid.. I followed ur exact steps and everything and I don't know what is wrong????
Oh my goodness. I tried making petit fours the other day too! I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one that had trouble pouring the icing/pourable fondant on them! Mine looked disastrous, but they tasted delicious! :-) I felt like Bakerella last week because I made Harry Potter cupcakes, a giant mermaid birthday cake, cake pops, and petit fours! Only the Harry Potter cupcakes and the mermaid cake turned out well, though. Bakerella, you have inspired me to branch out and try new things when it comes to baking. Thank you so much!
I also tried petit fours and made a huge mess with the icing step. It is so tricky, but they look and taste so delicious!
I'm seriously drooling over the strawberry pound cake with frosting. It's food porn!!
I use a "cheat pound cake" with my favorite yellow cake, 8 oz sour cream, 4eggs, 1/3 cup oil, 1 instant pudding mix and it comes out delicious and super sturdy for cakes with delicate details, carved cakes or cakes covered in fondant! This is the recipe I used when I made my first fondant cake, check it out;
Lauren
http://eatmytreats.blogspot.com
I even made your burger sliders with the pound cake buns and while not as goodlooking as yours they came out pretty yummy
My great grandmother used to make me a pound cake every time I would visit! I haven't had one in such a long time. Your Petit Fours look amazing…
They look beautiful, but I feel ya, sister! I tried to make petit fours one time and it was a huge fiasco. Never again!
You are so talented!
I love reading your blog!
Lambeez.com
I baked cupcakes from scratch last weekend for the first time EVER because of you. I'd have done more yesterday but I was sick and didn't want to infect my world.
Now I'm going to do a pound cake next weekend. Because of you. You are going to be my boyfriend's hero.
Bakerella I just love your work and your ideas, I try my hand at your designs but they never come out as good as yours. I'm currently working on a project that you inspired. Remember when you did the valentines day box out of cake and then had the cake bites in them. A friend of mine wants to do that for his wife's birthday, but using her initial "J" as the box and then putting the cake bites on top. Do you have any suggestions on how I can execute this to look nice. Maybe make it look like she opened a box in the shape of a "J" and have the fondant zagged, liked ripped paper? What do you think?
You're crazy! :)
I always look at cute little petit fours and want to make them! If even Bakerella had troubles though, maybe I should rethink that. Amazing job!
The petit fours look delicious, but truth be told, I was already drooling from the pound cake photos, so I think i'll stick with that!
I'm with you, these little cuties are tricky. So much so that I renamed them Les Petits Diables, (little devils.)
http://agirlinherkitchen.blogspot.com/2009/06/les-petits-diables.html
I did the petit four gig for my daughter's second baby shower…and you are right…lots of mess and cursing. But the end result? She wanted them so bad for her third baby shower and for once in her life, I told her no.
Gorgeous !!!!!
Oh, I just love it… I have to love that everyone's the same when it comes to the trickier stuff! I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who makes a huge mess in my kitchen and ends up with too much cake and too little icing (or vice versa). Thankyou for the great and challenging recipe!
I make Cream Cheese Pound Cake every Christmas for family and friends. Usually like about 10 to 12 of them. Yummy!
I LOVE petit fours but I'm pretty sure I'll be buying them, not making them. Do you get paid for this? 'Cause that is a LOT of work, sister.
Hi they look beatiful and delicius
I love your work
these are great! i just made petit fours with cubed Oreo cakesters on my blog… so easy. (I'll be sure to link on my edible crafts column at craftgossip.com, too.)
That pound cakes looks heavenly!!!
I have never made one, but I think that is about to change.
YUM!
Oh my that pound cake looks GOOD….
Petit Fours are my favorite! They taste so good, look so pretty and are perfect for any kind of gathering. I used to make them all the time when I was a decorator (much easier in such a big space!) but have done them a few times at home. My tips for getting them really good:
I've never done them with layers of jam like you did. I've always had and seen them as a piece of cake with a thick layer of buttercream on top before the icing. So I'd frost the level cake with buttercream and freeze it. Then you can cut perfect cubes with a ruler and a pizza cutter and it will keep sharp edges from being frozen.
The icing is the hardest part but once you get the consistency right, skewer from the bottom a piece of frozen cake and dip. Take it off the skewer with a fork and put it on a rack to drip like you did. NEVER pour the icing. It makes ugly drips on the bottom and never looks as good (and a waste of icing!)
For all the cakepops you do, I'd think this would have been a snap for you. I think your problem was the layering and filling which, for a cake that shape, is very difficult.
I was googling petit fours just last week, trying to get up the nerve…think I'll just live my life vicariously through YOUR experience instead!
oh my goodness. I was practically drooled on my keyboard at everything pictured and described…. WOW! Delicious & Beautiful.
Num! Your last photo made me think a trifle is in your future….quick, easy, and tasty. Heh! You already have the cake and jam ready ;)
There is nothing more delightful than waking to a new Bakerella post to savor with my morning coffee! Thank you…you're simply a delight!!
I'm right there with you when it comes to Pound Cake!
I love my cake simple and my icing sweet :)
That looks super yummy!!
Petit fours… Beautiful! But I would agree that they taste better uncovered, and I'm certain that larger pieces would taste equally wonderful! (there's no way I'm making anything similar to them, ever)
But the pound cake… I'm definitely making that one in the not-so-distant future! I hope it will look half as nice as yours does.
Great job on the petit fours. They can be time consuming..And one little bite and their gone! That's way hotels get them in frozen, so a machine can make them for them……
ohhhhh they look so beautiful. I would love to give these as gifts. But I don't think I can pull this off :-( Very beautiful!
omg. My mom used to make those when i was little..she got the recipe out of the Sunday Star Ledger newspaper i believe in the 60's…im sure its still lying around here somewhere..i havent thought of those in years!
I make petits fours for tea parties and they are so labor intensive!!! I always offer to do a fun cake, but usually people want the petits fours… if they only knew…
Yours look gorgeous though!
They look gorgeous!
And I imagine that uniced petite fours would make a great trifle!
Oh, you did it again! I wanna go on an all cake diet now!
Your blog is such fun. Everything tastes good, even in Cyberspace.
I have a container of almond paste also and I wa wondering today, what to do with it. You just happened to come along with this recipe.
Well, THANK YOU! For all the stress, cursing and making of the pound cakes and petit fours. I think they are wonderful, and the best ones have to be the uncovered ones in the measuring bowl! I think i need to try your cream cheese pound cake for the next Bunco night. I know all the ladies will love it and if I make it to the farmer's market that week, I'll make a second one with strawberries! I'll let them all know that Bakerella taught me how!
The yummiest, the cutiest. I just can't stop singing that old song: "simply irresistible…"
;-) You're great.
I will be making that pound cake!!
The petit fours look amazing, so pretty, bet they didn't last long sfter all your efforts!
Oh, Bakerella. You'd be great on TV. This would be great on tv!!
Your pound cake looks absolutely heavenly.
What a gorgeous post. I've wanted to make petit fours ike these for ever. Yours are STUNNING!
What a gorgeous post. I've wanted to make petit fours ike these for ever. Yours are STUNNING!
What a gorgeous post. I've wanted to make petit fours ike these for ever. Yours are STUNNING!
What a gorgeous post. I've wanted to make petit fours ike these for ever. Yours are STUNNING!
i would definitely make trifle from the leftovers. The petit fours look so so yummy
Ooohhh, missed an opportunity to make trifle with the leftover un-iced cakes Bakerella! Arrange in a layer, drizzle on a little sherry, a raspberry or strawberry layer, some custard sauce, repeat layers and top with stiffly whipped cream. Decorate with some berries. It does well to sit a day as long as you seal the whipped cream to the edge of the bowl and cover with saran directly on top.
Just discovered your site here in South Africa and I am absolutely hooked!! Made your cake pops at the weekend and just blew everyone away!! Now gonna give that strawberry pound cake a try .. I dont think we call it a pound cake here .. we call it a Madeira cake .. isn't life just so fascinating?! Anyway, thanks for inspiring me down here! Can't wait to see whats next!!
They look yummy !!!
Those leftover petit fours would have made excellent lamingtons… maybe next time!
Your petit fours look stunning! The strawberry pound cake looks good, too!
Those petit fours are so cute! I made a battenburg cake a couple of days ago and that was pretty fiddly, so i can imagine the work that went into your little cakes!
Rose
they look amazing
I've been enjoying your blog for a while now, but I think this is the first I've commented. Anyhow, I adore petit fours, but limit myself to one box per year bought from the Hickory Farms kiosk sometime in December. I then make it last until well until January.
I'm a reasonable cook, but can't bake to save my life. I have to say, I can't imagine trying to make petit fours. You have my everlasting admiration for even trying!
Those are SO CUTE! I can't believe all the effort you put in to these things. I would have been cursing at the 2nd step! I like waiting to see what cute things YOU bake, then getting the how-to from you so I know what will work when I try it myself =)
I know people probably tell you this ALL the time, but you could TOTALLY do a Food Network show with all your creative ideas! I would watch (and DVR of course) EVERY EPISODE!! Love your site. Keeps my weekends busy attempting your crafts for sure! : )
Ummm, so that looks divine! :) http://glamlifehousewife.blogspot.com/
You always outdo yourself. YUM. And I love pound cake. I allow myself to gain a pound or so just to indulge in it's yumminess from time to time.
As for the petit fours… I've always wanted to make them, but as you stated… Time consuming. Lots and lots of time consumed. But, man do they look gorgeous and delicious!
yum!!!
I've been wanting to try these for years. You may have inspired me to finally do it. My hubby will thank you.
My sister and I are obsessed with petit fours! (childhood memories i think) Yours looks beautiful! Thanks for the tutorial. The pictures are awesome:)
One of the best uses of petit four leftovers is to make TRIFLE!!!
Yours look lovely.
I can't wait to try the pound cake recipe, it looks delicious (I loved both flavors)! As for the petit fours, you cured my desire to try to make them. Thanks for saving me the trouble and the mess! LOL
I have also been there done with with petit fours. Congrats on finishing the job, you did better than I did! They look beautiful!
Now we know why they are so expensive to buy at a bakery!!
I have been wanting to try making petit fours forever- thanks for being so honest!
Your's of course are beautiful!!
I will definitely try those pound cake recipes.
And the petit fours look amazing and adorable but they look like a seriously hard work. I'll have a new appreciation for them- thats for sure!
I'm going to make this for my man when I get home on Tuesday after being apart for 3 months. I think pound cake can make up for 3 months don't you?
i saw on a site recently that when they made petit fours, instead of dipping them on all sides, the icing was thin enough to pour over the cakes (on a cookie sheet over a baking pan like you had them drip drying). not sure if it was a nontraditional icing and thats why it was pourable or what…if you do ever try them again, that might be an easier way to ice them, because yes, that is a serious pain.
I feel ya, sister. I made 60 "wooden block" petit fours for a 1 year old's birthday once and vowed I would never ever make petit fours again. Yours are beautiful!
They're gorgeous! I've always wanted to try to make petit fors myself. . . perhaps it can wait a while longer.
OMG!!! yum..but you said a lot of work…no thanks but will make the pound cake. Thanks for the eye candy! Made my mouth water.
The pound cake recipe looks great. But I've done the petit fours, also. Lots of cursing. I'll stick with cake pops!
I am new to your world. And every time I am amazed by it! It makes me very hungry! Thanks for sharing! Now if I can just control the urge!
Pound cake, neutella and sliced bananas.. sandwich style on the george forman grill (with a spray of pam)…yum…and only because I am allergic to strawberries…
wow i am so impressed–that doesn't look easy nor anything i want to try!! but, the strawberry pound cake will be GREAT for a baby shower I am throwing in the near future!
those look amazing! <3
It really does look like a lot of work!
If you want to talk about pound cake…it has to be Apricot Brandy Pound Cake. Oh.My.Goodness.
ha ha ha. awesome. I love it when i try something and am satisfied i don't ever want to try it again :)
yours are still beautiful and the photos and commentary of the process, as always, were quite enjoyable.
They look pretty!
Just an FYI: Simple Syrup is a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water. Always.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/simple-syrup
Those are terribly cute. If you want to use more marzipan, check out Battenberg Cake. I'd love to see you try that.
oh yum! those little petit fours are adorable!
they look delicious!! thanks for the recipes! i've made simple syrup to cover my wedding cakes before to lock in moisture but it makes the cake sooooooo sweet. i think i'll try your recipe to see if it helps!
Well the ones that did get covered look amazing!!
mmmm that pound cake loks soooo good!
They look beautiful like everything else you make.Great Job.
My favorite cake recipe is Cream Cheese Lemon Pound Cake. I use a lemon glaze that is so zippy.