Easter Egg Petit Fours

By efriend

Ingredients

• CAKE:
• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup (298 g) granulated sugar
• 3 large (170 g) eggs
• 2 1/4 cups (271 g) all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) fine sea salt
• 3/4 cups (181 g) whole milk
• FILLING + FROSTING:
• 1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup (113 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon (60 g) heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (170 g) apricot jelly
• ICING:
• 8 cups (907 g) powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup (156 g) corn syrup
• 2/3 cups (161 g) water
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) vanilla extract
• a few drops of food coloring (store bought or homemade - optional)
• sprinkles or colored sugars, for finishing (optional)

Details

Servings 20
Adapted from food52.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9 x 9 inch pan.
Make the cake: in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes.
Add the eggs gradually, scraping well after they are incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix on low speed to combine, 1-2 minutes. Add the milk and mix to combine, 1 minute more.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. The cake will not spring back when you touch it in the middle, but that’s ok! Cool the cake for 15 minutes inside the pan, then invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
While the cake cools, make the frosting. In a small bowl, mix butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and cream and mix to combine.
When the cake is cool, cut it in half horizontally with a serrated knife into two even layers. Separate the layers, and spread the jelly on top of the bottom layer. Finish by placing the top layer on top of the jelly.
Spread the frosting into an even layer on top of the cake (use this as an opportunity to help even out any ripples or marks in the surface of the cake to make a flat, even surface). Refrigerate or freeze the cake until it is thoroughly chilled, at least 30 minutes – the colder the cake is, the easier and cleaner it will cut!
Transfer the cut petit fours to a cooling rack on a parchment lined baking sheet. Use a ladle to pour icing over each cake. The icing should easily fall down the sides of the cake. If the icing seems too thin, it may be too hot – let it cool for a few minutes at room temperature. If the icing gets too thick, you can re-warm it up slightly. You can reuse the icing that falls onto the baking sheet, just lift up the parchment and squeeze it back into the bowl and keep glazing until all of the cakes are covered.
Garnish the cakes with sprinkles and let sit for at least 30 minutes until the icing is set.