Potato Petit Fours for St. Patrick’s Day

So, what do you call a cake that looks like a potato?  A potato cake?  No, that’s name is already taken by a savory something.  Since these are small sponge cakes filled with buttercream and covered in marzipan, they might as well be called petit fours. Right?

I like it.  I’m going with it.

Each time I pass by the plateful of  “potatoes” on the kitchen counter, I do a double-take.  I can’t wait to fake people out serve them!

The filling for these can be endlessly varied.  You can use jam, ganache, pastry cream… whatever you find most pleasing.  I tinted buttercream green and added a little Irish cream for flavor to keep with the St. Paddy’s Day festivities.

These were so much fun to make! The details – or, the “eyes” – of the potatoes are impressions made in the marzipan with the end of a lollipop stick.  I also added a few small dimples with a single fork tine.

Presentation counts! You can pile them up in a little brown paper sack, or serve them individually, wrapped in foil and presented as mini “baked potatoes”.  Tricky, tricky!

Potato Petit Fours

Sponge recipe adapted from “The Chocolate Bible”, various authors.

Yield: 15-20 cakes                                                                                                [click for printable version]

Sponge batter:

3 egg yolks

4 egg whites

1/4 cup fine granulated sugar, divided

1/2 cup cornstarch

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Filling and coating:

1 1/2 cups buttercream

-or-

1 1/2 cups your choice fruit jam (raspberry or pineapple is recommended)

1 1/2 lbs. marzipan or almond paste

Cocoa powder for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Place egg yolks in a bowl and beat in 1 tablespoon of the sugar.  Mix until frothy and lightened; set aside.

3. Beat egg whites in a separate large bowl.  Gradually add remaining sugar and beat until meringue is stiff and dry.

4. Sift corn starch over meringues and fold in with a rubber spatula.  Add beaten yolks and fold again, being very careful to not deflate the batter.  Finally, fold in the flour.

5. Spoon mixture into a pastry bag  fitted with a large plain tip and pipe 1 1/2-inch mounds spaced well apart onto the baking sheet.  Bake for 6-10 minutes with the oven door slightly cracked.  When lightly brown, remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

6. Pipe buttercream between two same-sized sponge rounds.  If using jam, use a sharp knife to make a small hollow in the bottoms of the cakes. Spoon in the jam and sandwich sponge rounds together.

7. Roll out marzipan or almond paste to 1/8-inch thickness -use a little confectioners’ sugar to flour the work surface and rolling pin if paste sticks.  Cut into squares and use to cover the potatoes.  If paste doesn’t stick to the cake, brush a little melted jelly over the surface (I didn’t have to do this).  Make a few indentations to represent “eyes”.  Use a fork tine to further pock-mark the potato.

8. Roll the cakes in cocoa powder.  Shake off excess and place in paper liners, brown paper bags or wrap in foil to mimic a baked potato.

Note: I used a spoon to hold my oven open just a crack.  If you do this, be careful!  The spoon will become hot.  Be sure to grab a pot holder to remove the spoon.

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Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

How stinking clever and creative are you? The foil wrappers totally put them over the top. Such an adorable idea!!

🙂
ButterYum

Darla | Bakingdom
Darla | Bakingdom
12 years ago

Haha!! These make me so happy! What a fun, unique, and adorable treat to make for St. Pat's! Brilliant, as always, Heather!

Alexis
Alexis
12 years ago

Awesome

Carol, The Answer Is Chocolate
Carol, The Answer Is Chocolate
12 years ago

These are brilliant! Totally pinning these!

Louisa
Louisa
12 years ago

What a fabulous idea! Thanks so much for sharing!

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

Wow! You actually fooled me to think that they were really potatoes. You are so creative!

Maria
Maria
12 years ago

These are awesome!!! They look so much like real potatoes lol!

Jennifer @ Not Your Momma's Cookie
Jennifer @ Not Your Momma's Cookie
12 years ago

Wow – these are fantastic! So realistic. I've never worked with marzipan before – is it very much like fondant to work with?

Elizabeth King
Elizabeth King
12 years ago

That's so cool! Really great idea for St. Patty's Day!

paddle attachment
paddle attachment
12 years ago

These little bakers are simply wonderful! They are so cute and look so yummy. I brake for marzipan!

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

These are so amazingly adorable!! Now all they need is a dollop of whipped cream "sour cream".

Heather (Heather's Dish)
Heather (Heather's Dish)
12 years ago

Omg these are adorable…the presentation is amazing!

Michele
Michele
12 years ago

C-U-T-E Cute!

Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga
12 years ago

You had me FOOLED until halfway thru the post..I was like…huh?!

You are SO good!

SreeBindu
SreeBindu
12 years ago

oh! ho..thought those were potatoes at first then wao..is the word! how creative =) hope that spoon's out! 😀

xoxo

Rosa's Yummy Yums
Rosa's Yummy Yums
12 years ago

Oh so cute and terribly tempting! A wonderful creation.

Cheers,

Rosa

Irmina Díaz-Frois Martín
Irmina Díaz-Frois Martín
12 years ago

Fantásticas patatas dulces. Me gusta la idea.
Un beso.

Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
12 years ago

These are so pretty! Awesome idea!

Sue/the view from great island
Sue/the view from great island
12 years ago

How do you come up with this stuff? These are fabulous, especially the tin foil!

Laura (Blogging Over Thyme)
Laura (Blogging Over Thyme)
12 years ago

This is quite possibly the cutest thing ever!! You are so creative 🙂 Love it.

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

ROTFL, that is awesome! such a fun idea

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

Oh my goodness! These are so adorable! I love potatoes, but never have I wanted to eat one as badly as I do now! These are adorable!

cookies and cups
cookies and cups
12 years ago

Those are so awesome!! My kids would love these!

Claudia Zeta
Claudia Zeta
12 years ago

Que interesante! Una idea estupenda! Maravilloso! Saludos desde España!!!

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

Oh I love these! Thanks for all the great pictures! Love seeing how you did the marzipan, I was picturing another technique but this makes so much more sense!

Lora
Lora
12 years ago

Are you kidding me? These are the cutest thing EVER! I love love.

Maureen
Maureen
12 years ago

How cute!!! I'm sure everyone talked about these more than anything else.

Jennifer
Jennifer
12 years ago

So creative! I honestly got confused at first glance thinking I was looking at real potatoes. Happy early st patty's day!

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

How much creativity!, I love them 🙂
Lucía
http://www.sevillaneando.wordpress.com

Alicia Poyatos
Alicia Poyatos
12 years ago

Espera que pueda cerrar la boca!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IMPRESIONANTEMENTE bonitas, originales y riquísimas con el mazapán!
Besos.

Redd H from Salted Spoon
Redd H from Salted Spoon
12 years ago

These are so cute!! What would you cover them with if you aren't a marzipan fan?

FlyingRoo
FlyingRoo
12 years ago

I've been trying to find the recipe for a sponge with that texture and crumb for the longest time… thank you! Do you think it would bake well if baked as a sheet instead of mounds?

I recommend using a wooden spoon – no danger of hand burns…

Gloria
Gloria
12 years ago

Aren't you just the little genius???!!!! Adorable!!! And those little sponge rounds alone look heavenly!
Best,
Gloria

Vicki Bensinger
Vicki Bensinger
12 years ago

These cakes are darling and their name is perfect! It's so much fun creating little bites like this that turn out so spectacular, isn't it?

I saw this book at Whole Foods the other day and almost bought it but decided to check on amazon and then forgot. Now I will definitely have to look for it. Great post!

Leslie
Leslie
12 years ago

FOR REALZ???? These are adorable!

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

This is great!! So stinking cute!!

Dharma
Dharma
12 years ago

Que maravillosa idea, eres de una creatividad increible, me encanta todo lo que haces.Saludos

Sue
Sue
12 years ago

So adorable! I get a kick out of this kind of thing:) Love the way you have it in foil:)

Paula
Paula
12 years ago

The most original and imaginative St. Paddy's Day treat ever! I love these. Would be a hoot to serve on April Fool's Day too 🙂

Cat Davis
Cat Davis
12 years ago

That's crazy! Those actually look like potatoes. Great job!

Unknown
Unknown
12 years ago

How did you become such a genius!! I'm so jealous of your creativity!

Shannon
Shannon
12 years ago

These are so adorable!

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

These are jus so so cute! I love it:)

Krissy's Creations
Krissy's Creations
12 years ago

I LOVE the picture with the "Potato" in the foil! So darn cute! What a great idea Heather 🙂

Magda
Magda
12 years ago

Wow brilliant!

Elizabeth
Elizabeth
12 years ago

All of these St. P's posts are really getting me in the mood!

Lynnea
Lynnea
12 years ago

so cute! and a much better st. patrick's day treat than green dyed beer!

Jennifer
Jennifer
12 years ago

These are SO fun!!! I love your creativity. They remind me of a marzipan sweet my Grandmother used to love (they were completely marzipan and dusted in cocoa).

Renata
Renata
12 years ago

I love that! You are so talented! Very creative … and delicious!!

Meg @ write meg!
Meg @ write meg!
12 years ago

So, so creative and fun — I love this idea!