Petit fours cakes

Step-by-step preparation

Cooking time: 8 hr

1. STEP 1

   

   How to make Petit fours? First, prepare the necessary ingredients for the biscuit. All foods should be at room temperature, so remove the eggs from the refrigerator in advance. Turn on the oven to 180 degrees in advance.

2. STEP 2

   

   Carefully separate the eggs into whites and yolks. Not a single drop of yolk should get into the whites, otherwise they will not beat. Beat the yolks with a mixer with half the amount of sugar until a dense light mass. This will take about 5-7 minutes. The exact time depends on the power of the mixer.

3. STEP 3

   

   In a clean, dry bowl, begin beating the egg whites at low speed until soft peaks form. Then increase the speed and continue beating, adding the remaining sugar in small portions. To stabilize the proteins, add salt. Beat the whites until stiff peaks form. They should be motionless in an inverted container. Read more about how to properly beat egg whites in a separate article, link at the end of the recipe.

4. STEP 4

   

   Add half of the whipped whites to the yolks and mix with a spatula using gentle movements from bottom to top.

5. STEP 5

   

   Mix flour with cocoa and sift. Thanks to sifting, the flour will be saturated with oxygen, and the sponge cake will turn out more tender and airy. Add half of the flour sifted with cocoa and mix carefully from bottom to top. You can add flour through a sieve to enrich it with oxygen. This will help the biscuit rise better.

6. STEP 6

   

   Add the rest of the whites in the same way and mix. Then add the rest of the flour and cocoa, and mix gently until you get an airy, homogeneous dough.

7. STEP 7

   

   Place the dough in a mold with the bottom lined with oiled parchment. Choose the right baking dish. You can also use parchment by reading separate articles, links at the end of the recipe. There is no need to grease the sides of the mold so that the biscuit rises, as if clinging to them. Place the mold in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes. The exact time depends on your oven. You can learn about the operating features of ovens in a separate article using the link at the end of the recipe.

8. STEP 8

   

   Cool the finished biscuit and remove from the mold. It is better to let the biscuit stand for 6-8 hours so that when cutting into cakes it crumbles less. Cut the sponge cake into 3 equal layers.

9. STEP 9

   

   I placed the two bottom cakes one on top of the other and cut them into strips. The stripes are suitable for square petit fours, the side parts for round ones.

10. STEP 10

    

    Prepare the necessary ingredients for the cream, glaze and decoration. Remove the butter for the cream and glaze from the refrigerator in advance; they should be at room temperature. You can choose any decoration and filling for the cakes according to your desire and taste.

11. STEP 11

    

    For the cream, in a thick-bottomed saucepan, combine the yolk with milk and stir until smooth.

12. STEP 12

    

    Add sugar and stir again.

13. STEP 13

    

    Over low heat, bring the mixture until thickened, stirring constantly to prevent the yolk from curdling. Cool the resulting milk syrup well so that the future cream is more stable.

14. STEP 14

    

    Beat butter at room temperature with vanilla sugar until fluffy. Add cooled syrup 1-2 tablespoons at a time while whisking.

15. STEP 15

    

    At the end of whipping, add cognac. You should get a homogeneous butter cream.

16. STEP 16

    

    Soak the bottom strips of the sponge cake with juice (I used grape juice). Apply cream, cover with top strips and apply another layer of cream. Mix a little cream with cocoa and decorate the cakes on top using a culinary syringe.

17. STEP 17

    

    Cut off the top of the top cake and use a round notch to cut out the cake blanks. I also used the side parts of two other cake layers. Grease half of the round pieces with jam. Top with the other half of the biscuit circles.

18. STEP 18

    

    For the glaze, break the chocolate into pieces and melt over low heat with butter. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture until smooth and turn off the heat. Let the glaze cool slightly.

19. STEP 19

    

    Top the round petit fours with glaze.

20. STEP 20

    

    Let the glaze dry a little and decorate with coconut and chopped roasted nuts. Place the finished cakes in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours so that the cream and glaze are stabilized and the cakes are soaked. Enjoy your tea!

Comments on the recipe

Stefania

03.10.2023

4.9

Check out another chocolate brownie recipe. Everything is simpler, but also delicious!

BLUE-EYED

03.10.2023

5

Little beauties!!!

Veronica

03.10.2023

4.6

Such beautiful and original cakes!!! I’m leaving it in KK and when I have more free time, I’ll definitely do it

naniki

03.10.2023

4.5

Great idea, great execution! A good final photo - it’s gratifying that such work was recognized with a prize, congratulations))