Sunday, May 6, 2012

Petite Fours (Fancy Mini Cupcakes)


Hello! So this is my first real post! Woo! Anyways, so I decided to do Petite Fours, which to me are just fancy mini cupcakes. Here is the image of things you will need : (Another list at the bottom!)

I know, I cheat. I use cake mix. I am hoping to make my own some day but, this is cheaper right now. The cake mix, the things to make the cake mix (water, eggs, and oil), vanilla icing, mini cupcake liners, regular liners for extra batter, food coloring, an icing bag and a size 3-5 tip. Any (3, 4, 5) will work for this. If you don't have that, then 1/16 inch cut out of the corner of a decorating bag, Ziploc works too but it may leak out of the top if you don't hold it correctly. 

Mix the batter to the directions on the box, will vary with each type of mix, until it's nice and creamy. My family prefers yellow cake, but you can make this with any type of cake. If yellow cake there shouldn't be any powder left of the mix, which you will see because it will be white compared to the yellow color. Using an electric mixer works better then by hand, and goes quicker. 
Fill the mini cupcake liners 2/3 of the way, using a small ice cream scooper works the best, but if you don't have one, it works just as well with spoons, may take longer though. I filled 24 of them and split the rest into regular sized cupcakes. You can do that or do all mini. After all the liners are filled, bake, since they are smaller they don't take as long as larger cupcakes. Depending on the oven it may take roughly 10 minutes. Just don't leave the cupcakes alone, they could burn. I put them in for 5 minutes and went from there. In the end it took me 12 minutes. Just make sure you keep an eye on the cupcakes. 

When done they should look something like this. Another way to test, stick a tooth pick in the largest one and if it comes out clean, it's done. It should also be golden on the top. (They are soo cute! Super tiny!)

Next, you get your tub of icing, take 1/4 of the container and separate it, set to the side to use later. Split the remaining icing into four bowls. Make sure they are a little deep, but you won't need large bowls, just a small one, roughly 1 cup bowl. 

Put in ONE drop of your dye into the icing. Add another depending on your preference and what you are making them for. Mix in the color and add one drop at a time until you find your preferred shade. 

Here are two of my colors mixed up. I love the shades, may be a bit 'electric' for a more fancier event though. I did pink, blue, green, and purple, I also used Duff Goldmans food coloring, which, you can get at Michael's. (I love Duff. He is my idol (: ) If you made 24 mini, then you will have six of each color. Set out a cookie sheet covered by parchment paper. Work one color at a time. Take the first color and microwave for five seconds, stir, and if, when you remove the spoon the icing  dribbles down like a light fluffy whipped creamy texture, if not, microwave for 4 more seconds then stir. Repeat that until the right texture. But be careful, icing could ruin if microwaved too much. 

Take the cupcake by the liner and dip the top in the now slightly soupy icing to the rim of the liner, lift it straight up and wait until the icing stops dripping and flip over. Set down on the cookie sheet and keep working through each color and each cupcake. Remember: One color at a time and also remember: 4 colors, 6 cupcakes per color. 

Put your tip in the bag (or cut the tip) and cut a little of the tip of the bag away so the tip you use is nice and snug. Put the non colored, white, icing into the bag carefully, DO NOT SQUEEZE THE BAG! It will come shooting out if you do. Decorate each color with one design, you can do anything, just keep it simple. Here are mine! 

For pink, one dot, for blue a squiggle, for purple three lines, and for green three dots. Here are my larger cupcakes! 


Yes. They do say eat me. I had to...I am an Alice in Wonderland nerd and had to. Besides, I had extra icing so I decorated them accordingly.

 If you want to send me your tries, please do! I will love to see them! Any questions please ask! I will be more than happy to answer. Thank you!

(Remember this is my first cupcake post and bare with me! I will try to do better each post! Plus I forgot to take pictures when decorating so I will try to get better with that next post!) 

See you next post! (: 

Ingredients: 
-Yellow Cake mix
-Things to make the mix
-Vanilla icing (one tub will work)
-Food coloring
-Decorating bag
-Size 4 tip
-Mini cupcake liners
-Larger liners *optional*

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