
Honestly, folks. These are no walk in the park to make. Poured fondant has been my baking nemesis since I coated my entire kitchen and dining room in the stuff two years ago.
Fact: it is messy!
Recently I’ve been working my way through a host of poured fondant recipes in hopes of finding one that is easy and not so messy. What did I find? Most poured fondant recipes are easy to make and all are equally messy. The hardest part is getting a good even pour over the sides of the cakes without wasting all the fondant you’ve just made. I’ve tried every way under the sun to apply poured fondant to these cakes – piping, spooning and pouring – and I’ve found the “dip and spoon” method is best with this particular fondant. Since it is nearly impossible for me to document this process in pictures, I made a little video to show you my method.

The poured fondant recipe I’m sharing is my favorite because it tastes the best of all I’ve tried. When applied to the cakes, it is semi transparent but dries smooth and opaque; the color lightens slightly as it dries. I almost bought into a white chocolate version that I will most likely use again, and may even post in this blog, but to me it seemed like a substitution for the real thing. It didn’t have the classic look and taste I wanted it to have. The worst recipe I came across was made from a boxed rolled fondant that is softened in hot water for 15 minutes then melted in the microwave. It tasted like old perfume smells and had a slimy consistency that never fully dried. I almost gagged trying to get a single bite down.
So why go to all the trouble? When executed correctly, these cakes are incredibly delicious. When poured fondant hardens around a cake it seals in moisture and gives ordinary sponge cake a divine texture. There’s nothing quite like biting into one, and mastering the art of poured fondant petit fours is a true notch on the baking belt. Making them takes time, practice and sometimes, intuition. It is full of rules and takes patience and the willingness to try and try again.

In this video you will see somewhat-boring-but-informative footage of properly whisked eggs for the sponge cake, the correct consistency for poured fondant dipping (messy, though it may be), and gratuitous shots of Biscuit the Pug being cute at the end.
You’ve been warned.
(Email subscribers may need to click over to the Sprinkle Bakes site to view the video.)
One negative about this fondant – it hardens quickly. Work close to your microwave so you can nuke it at 20-30 second intervals to keep the consistency thin. In the video you’ll see how loose the consistency needs to be when I spoon it over the cake. It looks incredibly messy, but if you let gravity do its thing your cakes will even out and end up looking fab when they are dry.
Note: this recipe was adapted from the book “The New Pastry Cook” by Helen S. Fletcher.


Petit Fours with Poured Fondant
Equipment
- Candy thermometer
- Food processor
- Small-grid wire rack – like this one
- parchment paper
- Pastry brush
- Decorative cupcake papers for display
- Ready-made rolled fondant *optional
- Jumbo nonpareils *optional
- Daisy fondant cutter *optional
- Pearlized luster dust and soft paintbrush *optional
Ingredients
Cakes
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup seedless black raspberry jam
- 8 oz. marzipan canned almond paste will do in a pinch
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
- Shortening for greasing pan
Poured fondant
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup corn syrup
- Liquid food coloring
- Clear vanilla extract or other clear extract such as almond, orange, or lemon
Instructions
Cakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease an 11 x 17″ pan with shortening and line with parchment paper
- Using an electric hand mixer, beat eggs and sugar together at medium speed in a heat-proof bowl until thoroughly blended.
- Place bowl over a simmering saucepan of water and continue to beat with the hand mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick and pale.
- Remove bowl from the saucepan and add vanilla. Continue to beat with the hand mixer until mixture is cool and leaves a thick trail of batter on the surface when the beaters are lifted out.
- Sift flour over the 4 egg mixture and fold together with a rubber spatula until smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared jelly roll pan and spread evenly with an off-set spatula. Bake until cake springs back when pressed in the center, 7-10 minutes. Check at 7 minutes, this cake is thin and can burn easily.
- When cake is done, let rest in the pan for a few minutes before removing.
- Remove cake and cut into four even rectangles.
- Place raspberry jam in microwave for 20 seconds to loosen, then brush the tops of the cake rectangles with the jam and stack them, one on top of the other, jam side up. You may not have to use the entire 1/2 cup of jam.
- Lightly dust a work surface with confectioners’ sugar. Roll marzipan into one large flat piece, about 1/4″ thick, then place on top of cake. Trim marzipan evenly around the top of the cake using a small plain edge knife.
- Cut the marzipan-topped cake into 12-15 squares. Some people like to freeze the whole cake before slicing so the pieces cut evenly. I do not prefer this, but if you use this method, be sure to bring your cakes to room temperature before dipping them in the fondant. If you dip frozen cakes, it will quickly lower the temperature of the fondant and cause it to harden – worst case you’ll end up with a bowl of chunky fondant and at the very least it will ruin the evenness of the fondant coating.
- Set cakes aside and make the fondant.
Fondant
- Combine the sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Stir well.
- Place candy thermometer into the mixture and place over medium-high heat.
- Let the mixture bubble until it reaches 238 degrees. This is soft-ball candy stage.
- When temperature is reached, remove from heat and transfer the hot liquid to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Do not process yet!
- Clean the candy thermometer and insert into the hot syrup. Let cool to 150 degrees, 35-40 minutes.
- Have a large bowl ready in which to pour the fondant. Also have ready a wire rack with a large jelly roll pan placed under it to catch the excess fondant that falls off of the cakes.
- When thermometer reads 150 degrees, add food coloring and flavoring, then process for 2-3 minutes until mixture has turned from a clear liquid to opaque.
- Immediately pour fondant into a bowl for dipping.
- Hold a cake square with your forefinger on top -the marzipan side – and your thumb on the bottom. Dip each side in the fondant and place marzipan-side-up on a wire rack. Spoon fondant over the top of the cake and allow the excess fondant to drip off.
- Give the fondant one quick stir, then repeat the process with another cake. Try to dip and spoon as quickly as possible. This fondant sets up quickly, so half-way through you may need to heat it in the microwave to loosen it up.
- Let fondant covered cakes stand until completely dry. The bottoms of the cakes will be glued to the wire rack with fondant, so you will need a sharp knife to cut around the bottoms to remove them. The bottoms of these cakes are rarely perfect, but no one will know when you place them in pretty cupcake papers.
- If desired, use a daisy fondant cutter to make decorative fondant embellishments for the petit fours. Press a jumbo nonpareil in the center of the daisy cut-outs. Apply a dot of corn syrup or piping gel to the top of each petit four and place fondant flower on top. Brush with luster dust or edible glitter if desired.
Notes
It is of paramount importance that this fondant stays thin when dipping the cakes. Be sure to work near the microwave so you can quickly heat the mixture during dipping. Alternatively, you may place fondant in a heat-proof bowl and have a simmering saucepan of water on the stove in which to place the fondant when it starts to thicken.
Do not add the food coloring and flavoring to the hot syrup before it has cooled. This will cause the fondant to be grainy.
Dip the imperfect cake cubes first. Every beginner batch has one or two that are lop-sided. These can be “test” pieces so you can learn to gauge the behavior of the fondant before dipping the more perfect cubes.
Have a wet dish towel handy to wipe fondant covered fingers between cake dippings.
Fondant can be cooled and refrigerated for 24 hours before using. It will completely harden, but can be re-heated in the microwave (or stove top – just don’t boil it) until thin and pourable.
Instead of dipping cakes in the warm fondant, you may choose to place it in a 4 cup glass measure and pour it over the cakes. If you have success with this method – God bless you. The dip/spoon method works best for me because I know the sides of the cakes will be evenly coated without wasting too much fondant – but if you find my method too messy or complicated, experiment and find what works best for you.
Don’t be discouraged if your first batches of cakes are messy and lumpy. This is a recipe that takes practice, so be patient with yourself.
All videos should end with an adorable pug!!! <3
Oh goodness… I need a reason to try these, that's for sure. Messy, but impressive… 😀
very impressive. well you tackled it. i have a few of these kinds of projects that i'm saving till end of summer-ok well maybe i'm just too scared. lol you did good though.
how about this Heather….you make these perfectly poured beauties and I eat them. OK? Beautiful & I love the little daisies on top 🙂
I love your video! I will have to view it again with sound at home…I have my iPad in the car and can't figure out the sound-pretty pathetic. Biscuit is the perfect ending to your petit fours story:) The pink is so pretty! Looks like you nailed it this time Heather.
thank you for this informative post!! I have viewed the video – very clear.
I will never eat another petit-four again without realizing the laborious process! I was so tickled to see another video. Darling little cakes!
these look p-r-e-t-t-y!
took a workshop in petit fours & my finished "fours" were not "eye candy."
think i will give your recipe & tips a go! thanks heather!!
Thank you so much for posting this. I have made petit fours in the past but honestly, I am pleased with less than half of the ones I do. It is so hard to get the cake evenly covered when you pour it.
Everything about this post is pure artistry Heather! It's so amazing to see the wonderful color that develops after the fondant dries. I adore your video, the music is so perfect, and that sweet shot of Biscuit at the end just melts my heart. xoxo ~Lili
I watched this video and the video for the pink velvet roulade and I want to try both! And I would love to know where you found the music for them; both songs fit the videos perfectly 🙂
I loved the video! I watched it twice just to listen to the music and wait for the dog. 🙂
Gorgeous!!
I love the video! So cute! Thank you for sharing this with us. 🙂
ooo cool video)))
I like your video recipes – always easy to cook wiht them^)
So pretty! A delightful teatime treat. Beautiful.
Cheers,
Rosa
These are simply beautiful! The video is really nice! I like the music, and find it really easy to follow. Thanks for going through all this trouble!
Petit fours are up there with macarons for me. I eventually took the time to do macarons, and now I love to make them. You are inspiring me to finally try my hand at petite fours. Yours are beautiful! As usual with everything you make!
This is such a nicely done video. Thank you so much!
These look beautiful! I was born and raised in Alabama and so I have spent the last few years hunting for the petit four recipe I remember from all those bridal teas and baby showers I attended as a child. I have had no luck but these look perfect! I daresay I think you may have solved my dilemma! Thanks so much Heather! I adore your blog!
They turned out lovely! I love having these and had no idea that they were so difficult to make. That's one recipe I won't be trying.
Love You! The girls and I are sending you big hugs from Georgia 🙂
OMG that video is really great, production value love it! Also your pups appearance gives it great personality.
Thumbs up!
Heather, as a fellow pink lover I ADORE your blog! Do you make your own videos?
These petit fours are too cute to eat, tho my sister just said she'd like a few of those for breakfast. Happy Sunday 🙂
Such beautiful little cakes and the video is fab! I've had my share of struggles with poured fondant. I will try your recipe next. And of course Biscuit is a star.
Love your color choice, so lovely!
Beautiful work, and the daisies are perfect!
Fantastic! I have been a stalker for a long time…often "too busy" with work and life to comment but just know your blog just inspires me so much and I just wish I could have the time to do what you do! I love all things tea party and sweet…this post was just fabulous…I dream to make my own petit fours some day and this just might be the inspiration I needed. Your photos are so amazing~! xo TS
Fantastic video, Heather! Your taping of the steps was A+ and the music choice A+ as well! Not to mention that these little pieces of heaven look so delicious. Wonderful job.
Best,
Gloria
Heather, these look AMAZING! Ohmygosh I am so impressed. These petit fours bring back memories from when I was little of going to the American Girl Tea Party that my mom and sister took me to. Every little girl had her American Girl doll there, I brought Kristen.
You inspire me with every post you do, and this one was no different. I might just have to throw a tea party so I have an excuse to try this recipe!!
♥ Kate
I really couldn't love this one bit more! This will be my go-to recommendation for people who want a poured fondant tutorial. Delightful video too!
This looks amazing and yummy. I wanna try this very soon.
Genius! Your video is so helpful. I 'attempted' petit fours a couple of months ago with very little success. My kitchen was a total mess. I'm definitely going to give this a try though! 🙂
These are so gorgeous! That is the perfect shade of pink, too!
These are adorable! Petit Fours are on my list of great kitchen mountains to climb and I will have to bookmark this recipe!
It looks sooo good 🙂 can't you give me some?
Wow, these are unbelievable. Almost to gorgeous to even want to eat. Almost.
Your hard work paid off 🙂
I love your video tutorials!! Your puggy is so stinkin cute!!!!!
Wow! That video was really great Heather! Very professional and polished. 🙂
Of course I love the pug in the end, but I'm partial to pugs.
Hi Heather, what an awesome video! : ) There was obviously a lot of effort here but it's so worth it – I think you made all of us smile! Your family and friends are very lucky. Thanks for a beautiful post.
Your pug is absolutely gorgeous!! I guess the Petit Fours are pretty nice too 😉
I always wanted to try this but I have been scared. One day 😀
I had given upon poured fondant. Now Imust try again. Thx for all the tips. 🙂
I must try it…thanks for the recipe….:))
Wow! Love these!
omy goodnes…I'm impressed..
chanced upon your space while blog hopping..
very interesting space you have..
awesome posts..
Am your happy subscriber now..:)
do stop by mine sometime..
Tasty Appetite
Why go all the trouble?? Because it looks so amazing!!
Oops I just licked my computer screen. 🙂
I feel strongly about it & love learning more on this topic….The video were nice touch..
Oh, Heather! Your video is the sweetest! Love the music choice, and Biscuit the Pug, of course! Excellent little tutorial, and your petit fours are too lovely to eat!! Although…I'm sure I could manage to have one or two. 🙂
Do you have a recipe for this?
Heather,
Everything you make turns to gold! The video along with the perfect music and the cutest pug, is so delightful. Love your blog. Thanks so much for sharing all of your talents.