Thanks To All Those Who Write In About Petit Fours!! See Pic

Baking By CakePhun Updated 16 Aug 2007 , 7:49pm by mjs4492

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sugarlaced Posted 9 Dec 2006 , 6:25pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CakePhun

Well, I did a search on petit fours for an order over the weekend. I took what everyone said and made my own judgement. They came out better than expected and I am super happy (this being only the second time to make them) with the results. Here is what I did...

The almond pound cake for petit fours recipe from ladycakes.com works PERFECT for squares or any other "cut out" shape. Just go to ladycakes.com and do a search on petit fours. The recipe is the first one. For the round ones I made a white chocolate "doctored" cake and used the mini muffin cups as suggested here.
For the glaze/frosting I used a recipe from a thread here that used 1/2 cup whipping cream to one bag of chocolate candy coating (14oz's). When it all mixed well and was melted I added color and 1/2 tea of almond extract. These were great tasting... not knock you out sweet like some of the poured fondant recipe's. They dried not rock hard, but enough to keep the moisture in and decorate. Hope my test has helped someone out and let me know if you have any questions!!! (sorry the picture is not that great, it was taken from my camera phone cause I forgot to take one at home).




Your petit fours look great!!...and I am replying to this post to let everyone know that this is a GREAT!!! petit four icing recipe. IMO! I just cut out some holly shaped cakes (using the ladycakes recipe) and froze them, dipped them in this icing and they are perfect. I will post pics in my photos when I get the "berries" on them.

Thanks soooo much to CakePhun!!!!

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MrsMissey Posted 9 Dec 2006 , 7:27pm
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They look adorable ...and yes, almost to good to eat! thanks for sharing your "how to" also!

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CakePhun Posted 9 Dec 2006 , 7:39pm
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OH YeAY!!! please please post pictures!! I can't wait to see!

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Mamas Posted 9 Dec 2006 , 7:57pm
post #34 of 63

I have held on to a Swiss Colony Catalog for the longest. they make Petit fors of all of my favorite cakes and I have been dying to try them but they seemed so intimidating. I am really inspired to try them now that you made it sound so reasonable. Thanks for your post and I hope you can do a tutorial soon!

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swingme83 Posted 14 Jan 2007 , 3:36am
post #35 of 63

ok im new to this whole petit fours thing, in fact i didnt know what they were until i saw the picture. when you say you froze the cakes does that mean you evenly spread into the jeally pan cooked cooled, then cut the squares out, took them off the pan and froze them or what?

to clarify...these are just mini cakes right?

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ShirleyW Posted 14 Jan 2007 , 3:41am
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Those are delicate and lovely.

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MomLittr Posted 14 Jan 2007 , 3:48am
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Wow, these are so beautiful. I am thinking of trying them using a small heart shaped cutter. My question is, how do you torte a cake that is only 1" high? icon_confused.gif

deb

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knoxcop1 Posted 14 Jan 2007 , 3:53am
post #38 of 63

I was watching the Food Network one night. They were talking about how they cut out their petit fours from the big cakes. They actually cut them with a razor-thin stream of WATER!! The water acts as a knife, evidently!

Amazing stuff.

--Knox--

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mami2sweeties Posted 16 Jan 2007 , 2:10am
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Ok here is my question. Did you set the dipped cakes on a wire rack or put them right into the paper cups?

I used a wire rack and they STUCK something aweful and I had yuck cakes.

What is your method?

mami2sweeties

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CakePhun Posted 19 Jan 2007 , 10:44pm
post #40 of 63

Ok I will answer in order:
Swingme83:
I haven't been on the computer much since you sent the post, sorry I am just now answering you.

I baked the cake in the jelly roll pan (it makes it thin so you can stack layers) and cooled. Then I cut it in half up the middle short ways (so you basically have two semi square pieces the same size). Wrapped it in saran then wrapped in reynolds (AL foil). Then put them in the freezer. This way when you go to cut the pieces they don't crumb up as much and are easier to work with. Then when they are nice a frozen take them out and (I used a square cookie cutter) cut them with your shape. Cut one out of one cake square and one out of the other, then spread Jam or buttercream or whatever filling you want on one side and sandwich the two together. I used almond buttercream, then I put a thin amount of buttercream on the top, and stick it back in the freezer (I don't wrap cause they are only going to be in there 30 minutes or so.) Once you have finished all and they are all stacked and in the freezer you make your frosting/icing and dip!! The icing harden quicker because the little cakes are cold.

Momlittr:
When I am done the cakes are probably 1.3-2inces tall. You bake your cake real thin in a cookie/jelly roll pan then cut two pieces with your heart cutter then put buttercream on one side and sandwich together. Make sense? Then dip

mami2sweeties:
Yes, I use a wire rack as well. I don't let them dry completely on it though. Just enough for all the drippings to "drip". And also enough so that they are hard enough to touch without smudging them up. Try spraying some flour/oil cooking spray on your wire rack before putting your cakes on it. That should take care of the problem.

Cheers you guys and don't forget to post pictures!!

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Alison01 Posted 20 Jan 2007 , 3:50pm
post #41 of 63

I just noticed this thread. I tried petit fours a while back when I got an order for them. I should NEVER have taken on that order without having done them before, but I thought it will be a good challenge! Wow, It was a GOOD MESS! The poured fondant I used over them didn't go very far AT ALL and the petit fours were so heavy because of the fondant. Then when I picked them up, the fondant just fell off! I ended up having to do just a sheet cake with squares and cut the price. I wish I would have had THIS to go by when I did those! I am saving this and plan to try these when I get a chancE! (probably after valentine's day!)

Thanks for sharing!!!!

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mami2sweeties Posted 20 Jan 2007 , 4:07pm
post #42 of 63

Can you explain your coating method?
Do you dip the cake with a toothpick on the bottom so basically the top on the cake goes in and then pull it out? I read this then you put the toothpick through the grid rack and pull it out from the bottom.

Or do you you drizzle? Like hold the cake over the fondant and then pour.

mami2sweeties

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notjustcake Posted 20 Jan 2007 , 4:07pm
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Beautiful, stunning for your time it looks like you have been doing these forever

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mqguffey Posted 20 Jan 2007 , 4:22pm
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They really are gorgeous! I've got an order of these coming up, so you're timing is perfect! Lucky me!

I'm wondering whether you could bake the thin layer (or two thin layers) and fill and stack them, then ice the top, chill and THEN use the cookie cutter to cut out the shapes? Then you wouldn't be filling and icing little bitty cakes, just one big one at once. Thoughts??

And I'm guessing when you ice the top, it might be a good idea to smooth it with the Viva method?

But you didn't ice the sides, right? Did the ganache cover the sides well?

How did you dip? Just holding the little cake? With a dipping fork? Were crumbs a problem?

Thank you!

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mjs4492 Posted 20 Jan 2007 , 4:42pm
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icing question:
glaze/poured icing recipe from here or from ladycakes.com?

Thank you for posting this!!!! I had to tell someone that I had not done petit fours before when I was asked. So now I can do some and take them to the lady that had asked me about them!! icon_smile.gif

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tbittner Posted 20 Jan 2007 , 4:43pm
post #46 of 63

When I made them I baked, torted and filled first then cut in 1/2 and froze so I could cut and coat faster. I did not use the square cutter and from now on I will because I had a problem with them not being a uniform size. I sprayed the cooling rack(as previously suggested) with Pam and then put into cupcake liners. They turned out well and I did not have acrumb problem with the frozen cakes. Maybe I will try agin with the new ideas I have learned on this thread! Thanks!
Tracy

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CarolAnn Posted 20 Jan 2007 , 5:02pm
post #47 of 63

Thanks for all your input on the petit fours. I'll be trying them one of these days.

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mqguffey Posted 20 Jan 2007 , 5:09pm
post #48 of 63

Here's an important question, CakePhun: What did you charge?? A lot of people say $2 a piece, but that seems so high to me...for 50 petit fours that would be $100. I wouldn't have the nerve to ask that. I'm nervous about saying $50.

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CakePhun Posted 20 Jan 2007 , 5:42pm
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Oh man there are some great ideas here. I like the idea of cutting last and everything already being "torted/stacked" then vivaing. I will try that next. OK, here are answers to questions:
mami2sweeties: I just used my fingers and grabbed the bottom and dipped (making sure to get a bunch on there, so it would drip down and cover where my fingers were) when I sit them on the wire rack. All on mine covered very nicely. There might have been one or two that didn't quite get covered, but I always make extra and the paper cups cover the tiny spots because you hold at the bottom.

mqguffey: I dipped like above... and if you freeze then cut, then freeze and dip, dip crumbs aren't as much a factor. Pound cake is the way to go if you want a nice shape though. It just holds up. The round ones were a different kind of cake (just regular white/almond cake), but they were made in a mini muffin tin, so no cutting. However, they were darker in color, so I had to dip in a powdered sugar/water mix. Let them dry over night then dip in the frosting. So they would all be the same color. I like the idea of cutting last and I really think that is the ticket. Can't wait to try it!! Also, people are not paying for one cake they are paying for MANY LITTLE ONES. These little babies are time consuming and girlfriend YOU and worth it!!! I charged $2.00 a piece and I consider that a deal!!! heheheh

mjs4492:
The icing was a mixture of a thread from here and my own addition of flavor to the mix (I just love different flavors!!)

Thanks for all the nice compliments you guys make my day!!

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peacockplace Posted 20 Jan 2007 , 7:18pm
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Great ideas! Thanks!

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ValMommytoDanny Posted 20 Jan 2007 , 7:26pm
post #51 of 63

Fantastic info! I made a batch last night just to play around and the icing wasn't the best looking. I will certainly try these tips in the future.

I am off to put them out of their misery... (yummy)

icon_smile.gif

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mqguffey Posted 21 Jan 2007 , 5:37am
post #52 of 63

I've been experimenting tonight.

Slicing, filling and icing the cake first made it tough to use cookie cutters. The cake was too tall! But I did bake in a 9x13, instead of a jelly roll to that may have been the problem...

The other thing, and please tell me if this has happened to you, is that my melted white chocolate ended up a creamy yellow color. So I tried white candy melts and it did the same thing. Is that from the addition of the heavy cream?

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CakePhun Posted 22 Jan 2007 , 12:56am
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Oh gosh girl, I don't know about the color thing... I have yet to try and make white. Does anyone else have a thought on the color issue??

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ctorno Posted 26 Jan 2007 , 2:03am
post #54 of 63
Quote:
Quote:

The other thing, and please tell me if this has happened to you, is that my melted white chocolate ended up a creamy yellow color. So I tried white candy melts and it did the same thing. Is that from the addition of the heavy cream?




I was reading a forum on people's "secrets" or tips. One had to do with whiter icing, it may work for chocolate. Apparently violet coloring cancels out yellow. A tiny tiny bit of violet will whiten icing with butter in it. Here is the forum link. You could find the one who posted it and see if it will work for chocolate.

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-50039.html

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CakePhun Posted 26 Jan 2007 , 3:36am
post #55 of 63

OOOoooo ... Good post! Thanks!!!

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mom2csc Posted 26 Jan 2007 , 3:57pm
post #56 of 63

anyone have problems with air bubbles in the icing? any suggestions on what I did wrong?

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CranberryClo Posted 1 Feb 2007 , 8:34pm
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Ok, this totally did not work for me!

I did the 14 oz./1/2 cup/1/2 t. recipe and it turned into a glaze.

Is that right? I can clearly see the cake (white) through the glaze.

What did I do wrong?

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CakePhun Posted 1 Feb 2007 , 8:37pm
post #58 of 63

Did you cover the top with a thin layer of BC? I have not tried to do white yet, but I haven't had any problems with the pink or the milk chocolate bark. Did you use real chocolate or chocolate bark/coating?

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CranberryClo Posted 1 Feb 2007 , 9:07pm
post #59 of 63

I did not cover the top.

I used almond bark (white).

So, I have to cover the top, eh? Blegh on that!

Good thing these were just practice, eh?

You can't know how many times I have read this thread - I'm bound and determined to get it right! Thanks for posting all your tips!

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CakePhun Posted 1 Feb 2007 , 9:14pm
post #60 of 63

No problem, sorry they didn't come out like you wanted. hey maybe on white we should try adding a bit less heavy cream and see how that works? Like 1/3 cup instead of 1/2.

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