Funfetti Fours (Birthday Cake Petit Fours)

Traditional petit fours get a sprinkle of fun: tart apricot and raspberry jam sandwiched between layers of wealthy, almond cake dotted with rainbow sprinkles, all coated during a colourful poured candy glaze.

These lovely paper cake cakes square measure as fun as they're delicious! Glazed with a conventional poured candy, however adorned not-so-traditionally with colourful buttercream accents, rainbow sprinkles and edible gold foil.

The cake itself could be a wealthy, almond cake. It’s quite dense, however you wish a cake which will hold its own against the thick glaze. Since several petit fours embody a layer of marchpane within the middle, I patterned I’d kill 2 birds and build the cake itself primarily marchpane cake (yum!) I accessorial a generous quantity of rainbow sprinkles to the cake to allow it that funfetti result.

In between the 3 skinny layers of cake square measure 2 jam layers; I opted to try and do one layer of raspberry and one in all apricot as a result of I likeable however the various colours looked. You'll definitely use only 1 reasonably jam, or maybe fill them with buttercream (although i actually just like the hint of tart fruit that the jam brings).

My favorite sprinkles for funfetti cakes square measure paper quint sprinkles, as they hold their form higher once baked (nonpareils and jimmies tend to bleed) and that they add a pleasant little bit of crunch to the ultimate cake.

These Sweetapolita pastel quins square measure my current favorite, the pastel colours come back through fantastically within the final cake.

INGREDIENTS :

For Cakes :

8oz (227g) almond paste, broken into pieces
4 large eggs (190g or 3/4 cup)
10 tablespoons (140g) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature (plus more for brushing)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup (133g) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (85g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (80g) confetti quin sprinkles
1/4 cup apricot jam
1/4 cup raspberry jam

For Poured Fondant Glaze :

2 1/2 cups (500g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup filtered water
1/4 cup (98g) corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

INSTRUCTIONS :

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a half sheet pan (approx. 17-by-12-inches). Brush bottom of pan with melted butter (about 1/2 tablespoon worth) and then adhere a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan.
To prepare cake batter, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl, beat almond paste and sugar until evenly combined and no large chunks of almond paste remain. Gradually add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat on medium-high speed until very light and fluffy (about 2 to 3 minutes), scraping down the sides of your bowl as needed. Mix in vanilla extract.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and salt and mix on low until just combined. Fold in sprinkles.
Spread batter into an even layer in prepared pan. The batter will not rise much, so be sure the top is as level as possible. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until top is springy to the touch, edges are lightly browned, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife or spatula around the edges of the cake; gently slide the cake (and parchment paper bottom) onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Meanwhile, gently heat the two jams on the stovetop or briefly in the microwave; strain to remove any big chunks of fruit or seeds (I added back about 1/4 of the raspberry seeds, but left the rest out as I wanted the jam less seedy).
Trim off the the rough edges of the cooled cake as desired, then cut the cake into three equal rectangles. Flip one piece onto a baking sheet lined with a clean piece of parchment. Peel off the parchment backing. Spread 1/4 cup of the apricot preserves evenly over the top of the cake. Gently flip a second layer of cake on top of the apricot preserves. Peel off the parchment backing, and spread the raspberry jam evenly on top. Finally, flip the final layer on top of the raspberry, lining up the layers and pressing lightly to adhere.
Cover the whole cake tightly with plastic wrap. Place another baking sheet or a flat-bottomed, heavy plate on top of the cake to compact and fuse the cake layers. Refrigerate until firm (at least 2 to 3 hours or overnight).
Once the cake is firm, cut into desired shapes (I used a 1.75″ circle and a 1.5″ square cutter). Arrange on a baking sheet, cover, and place in the refrigerator or freezer while you make the glaze.
To make glaze, combine the sugar, salt, water and corn syrup in a medium saucepan and stir until sugar is evenly moistened. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once mixture starts to bubble, cover saucepan for 2 minutes; the steam buildup will help wash any stray sugar crystals off the site.
Remove cover and place a candy thermometer into the saucepan, making sure it is not touching the bottom. Continue to cook until mixture reaches 238 degrees F or the “soft-ball” stage.
Remove from heat and transfer the hot liquid to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Let cool to 140 to 150 degrees, about 30 to 45 minutes.
When cool, add almond extract and process for 2 to 3 minutes until glaze transforms from a clear liquid to opaque white.
Transfer to a microwave safe bowl (or bowls if you want multiple colors). Stir in food coloring as desired.
To glaze, arrange a few cakes on a wire rack placed over a large bowl to catch the over flow (you can use a rimmed baking sheet as well but I find a bowl easier to scoop out the excess to reuse).
At this point your glaze has likely firmed up. Add 2 teaspoons of water and microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, then stir until smooth and pourable. You want the glaze to be thin enough to cover the cakes easily, but thick enough to form an opaque layer. If glaze seems too thick, add more water, a teaspoon at a time, and microwave until warm, then stir until smooth. As you work you can always re-heat the glaze if it starts to cool to the point where it is too thick.
Spoon glaze over top of cakes on wire rack, working quickly to cover the entire cake and letting the excess drip off into the bowl below. Repeat with remaining cakes. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes or until glaze is set, then use an offset spatula to remove cakes from rack and transfer to paper wrappers for easy storage and transportation.
If desired, you can decorate the tops of the cakes with royal icing or dollops of buttercream (I used 1/4 size batch of my favorite whipped American buttercream, cut with 1/4 cup or so of shortening for stability), sprinkle with more rainbow sprinkles, and even add a flake or two of edible gold leaf.