Elegant Petits Fours

No posh afternoon tea would be complete without these little treats. They take some time to prepare, but they would be a fun afternoon project to enjoy with your kids or good friends.

MAKES: 48 petits fours

PREP TIME: 1 ½ hours

COOKING TIME: 20 to 30 minutes

SETTING TIME: at least 5 hours

FREEZING TIME: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

CAKE

• 2 ½ cups plus 2 Tbsp cake-and-pastry flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
• ½ cup water
• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¾ cup whole milk

TO ASSEMBLE

• ⅔ cup raspberry jam
• ¾ cup Marzipan (one-quarter of the recipe) Icing sugar for dusting
• Poured Fondant (recipe follows)
• Pearl dragées (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 17-x 11-inch jelly roll pan, then line the base and sides with parchment paper, leaving an overhang of paper on two facing sides. (This will help you remove the cake from the pan.) Set aside.
2.  For the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Set aside.
3.  In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy.
4.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
5.  Stir in the water and lemon juice. Don’t worry if the mixture looks slightly curdled. It will come together once you add the flour.
6.  Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture alternately with the milk, making three additions of flour and two of milk, and beginning and ending with the flour. Stir until well combined.
7.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, using an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake until the edges of the cake are golden and the centre springs back when lightly pressed, 20 to 30 minutes.
8.  Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack until just warm, 15 to 25 minutes. When the cake is cool enough to handle, use the parchment paper overhang to carefully lift the cake from the pan to a cutting board.
9.  To assemble the petits fours, use a serrated knife to trim off the edges of the cake (these make great snacks for any hungry helpers). Cut the cake crosswise into four even-sized rectangles, each about 11 × 4 ¼ inches.
10.  In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the raspberry jam until it’s spreadable. Spread the jam evenly over two of the cake layers. Top each jam covered cake with one of the remaining cakes to make two rectangular cakes. covered cake with one of the remaining cakes to make two rectangular cakes. Trim the edges of each cake to neaten them. Set aside.
11.  Divide the marzipan in half. Knead each piece until it softens and becomes workable. On a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, roll out one piece of marzipan to a rectangle slightly larger than the top of one of the jam-filled cakes.
12.  Brush water over the rectangle of marzipan. Carefully flip the marzipan and place it, water side down, on top of one of the cakes. Using scissors or a very sharp knife, trim the edges of the marzipan so it’s flush with the edges of the cake. Repeat with the remaining marzipan and cake.
13.  Place the cakes, side by side, on a large platter, then cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours, or overnight.
14.  Using a ruler and a very sharp knife, score the marzipan on each cake into 24 even-sized squares. Following the score marks, cut each cake neatly into squares and transfer to a large baking sheet. Cover the cake squares with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. (Freezing the cakes briefly makes it
    easier to dip them in the warm fondant.).
15.  Prepare the poured fondant (recipe follows).
16.  Set a large wire rack over a large piece of parchment paper. Have ready the bowl of poured fondant and two forks.
17.  Pick up one square of cake with the two forks and carefully dip it into the fondant to coat completely. Remove the fondant-covered cake with the forks and carefully transfer it to the wire rack. If the fondant coating looks uneven, use a spoon to pour a little extra over the top of the petit four.
18.  Repeat with the remaining cake squares, keeping the undipped cake covered with plastic wrap as you work. If the fondant becomes too thick to coat the petits fours, warm it by microwaving on high power for 30-second intervals until the fondant liquefies. Or, place the bowl of fondant over a saucepan of hot, not
    boiling, water, then stir until the fondant liquefies.
19.  Decorate the petits fours with pearl dragées (if using), then let them stand at room temperature until the fondant has set and hardened, at least 1 hour. You may need to use a sharp knife to remove the petits fours cleanly from the wire rack. (The petits fours can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3
    days. Bring them to room temperature before serving.)

BAKING DAY SECRETS

• If you find using two forks to dip the cakes in the fondant a little fiddly, try this method: Grasp a cake square with your thumb on the bottom and your middle finger on the top (marzipan side), then quickly dip the four sides of cake in the fondant. Place the cake, marzipan-side up, on the wire rack. Quickly spoon a little fondant on top of the cake to cover it. Gently tap the wire rack to encourage the fondant to run smoothly down the sides of the cake.