How to Turn Store-Bought Pound Cake into Petits Fours

Petits four (meaning “small oven” in French) is a confectionery or savory appetizer popular in France. These lovely little square cakes can be sweet for dessert or meaty for a classic finger food. But these beautiful treats don’t have to be something you go to France for. You don’t even have to go to your local high-end foods store to find some petits four to serve – you can make them right at home! If you’re thinking, “French baking…no thank you,” you’re going to be relieve to hear that there is a clever trick to get homemade petits four in a snap. You only need one secret weapon: store-bought pound cake! Watch the video below to see how it’s done.

Can you imagine how impressed your guests will be when you serve these beautiful mini-cakes at your next party? Talk about class. And you didn’t even have to overspend or overexert yourself to get them done!

That is truly the best of both worlds.

What do you think of this little baking hack? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

SIMPLE PETITS FOUR

INGREDIENTS
– 2 loaves store-bought pound cake
– 2 cups confectioners’ sugar plus more to thicken glaze if necessary
– Yellow pearlized sprinkles or sugar pearls

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment and set a wire rack over it. Set aside.
2. Make the glaze: pass the confectioners’ sugar through a sieve into a medium bowl. Add 4 tablespoons of water and stir until the icing is smooth and coats the back of a spoon. If the icing seems too thin, gradually pass a bit more of the sugar through a sieve into it and stir until smooth. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it is too thin, gradually add more confectioners’ sugar. If it is too thick, add water by the drop. Set aside.
3. Using a serrated knife, trim the crust from the pound cakes on all sides. Slice the pound cakes into 1-inch-thick slices, using an exaggerated sawing motion to get a smooth cut. Cut out 1 x 1-inch shapes as desired and transfer to the rack.
4. Using a teaspoon, drizzle the glaze over each petit four, then patch the exposed parts on the sides with more. Using an off-set tweezer, place a single pearlized sprinkle in the center of each petit four. Let set in a cool, dry place for at least 1 hour. Arrange on a platter in a single layer and set on the table. The petits fours will keep, stored in an airtight container, up to 2 days.