I’m officially in holiday mode now that December has arrived and want to start off the month with a sweet and elegant recipe for cranberry vanilla bean petit fours. Being transparent, I planned to have this post up for Thanksgiving, but my daughter injured her arm, which required a lengthy ER visit and stitches. As a result, I am a bit behind in my postings, but the good news is, these mini cakes are just as wonderful for Christmas and winter! Additionally, they are dairy & gluten free and ideal for your small holiday gatherings!

CRANBERRY VANILLA BEAN PETIT FOURS

Light almond petit four cakes with layers of cranberry and vanilla bean frosting. Topped with a vanilla bean glaze and simple sugared cranberries. Dairy & gluten free.

Petit fours have been on my list to make for quite some time. Mostly because of their tiny size and elegant look. They are such a classy treat to serve at parties, especially because they’re bitesized and super easy to make in advance and freeze. But that’s not all! The flavor of these mini holiday cakes is certainly the best part. Light and fluffy vanilla cakes 3 layers high, with cranberries and vanilla frosting sandwiched in-between. A balance of tart and sweet with creamy vanilla glaze and a candied cranberry for the icing on the cake!

So delicious you can’t even tell that they’re gluten free and dairy free.

If you’ve never made petit fours before and are interested in giving them a try, this is a great place to start, as these were my first petit fours too. I’ve learned a few things along the way, which I share below, starting with the very basics.

WHAT ARE PETIT FOURS?

Petit fours are miniature, small-bite cakes, commonly topped with a confectionary glaze, frosting and/or sweet decorations. They originated in France in the 19th Century and are often served at weddings, parties and high tea.

HOW TO MAKE PETIT FOURS

Petit fours consist of several components which can be daunting for beginners. Aside from the measuring and slicing, they are moderately simple to make, especially with the short ingredient lists for the cake, frosting and filling!

The cake. As a petit four making beginner, I found that a 9×13 cookie sheet was the easiest way to bake the cake for creating the thin layers. Make the dairy and gluten free cake as directed in the recipe, then pour the cake batter onto a fully parchment lined cookie sheet. Tap the filled cookie sheet against the counter to even out the batter before baking.

Cutting and measuring. Petit fours are known for their precise square or round shape, which can be a challenge to achieve without measuring for even size. Once the cake is fully baked and cooled, remove it from the cookie sheet and use a soft measuring tape to cut it into 3 even slices. If baked in a 13×9 cookie sheet each cut will be roughly 4 3/8″.
The frosting. This simple to make vegan vanilla bean frosting pairs deliciously with this light vanilla cake and spreads smoothly onto the top of the first and second cake slices. Quickly whip it up in your mixer, then transfer it to a piping bag for even piping.

The filling. Possibilities are endless for petit four fillings. In this case I went with a simple cranberry jam, for the ultimate flavors of the season. The jam is cooked on the stove, then pureed with an emulsion blender. Once cooled it can be spread on top of the vanilla frosting on the first and second measured cake slices.

Stacking. Once the first and second cake slices have been have been topped with frosting and cranberry filling, place the second cake layer of cake on the first and the third on top of the second, to create a stack. Gently press down on the top of the cake to compress each of the yummy layers.

Even cuts. You’ll now have 1 rectangle cake that is 9″ long, 3 layers high and 4 3/8″ wide. To get even cuts, I recommend wrapping the cake and transferring to the freezer for 1 hour to achieve clean slices. Once frozen, cut the cake into 6 even slices horizontally. Then use the measuring tape to cut even squares vertically (3 per row). Once sliced, transfer back to the freezer until ready to top with glaze.

The glaze. The glaze is a simple combination of confectioner’s sugar, alternative milk and vanilla bean. Mix until the glaze slowly drips off a spoon then top each of the petit four cakes with the glaze.
Decorations. Decorations give petit fours such an elegant finish. From edible blooms, to fresh fruit, fondant, and frosting. Since these petit fours are flavored with cranberry filling each cake is simply topped with a sugared cranberry.

SUGARED CRANBERRIES

Sugared cranberries are very easy to make and add such a beautiful finish to these dairy and gluten free mini cakes. Simply heat the cranberries in simple syrup, then drain and transfer to parchment. Roll the cranberries in a shallow bowl of sugar and top the glazed petit fours.

Serve these delicious cakes immediately or transfer to the freezer if made in advance. They’re festive, flavorful and such a chic bitesized treat to be enjoyed by all during the holiday season.

Cranberry Vanilla Bean Petit Fours – Gluten Free

Author: Posh Little Designs
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 25
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 18 petit fours 1x
Category: Baking
Method: Petit Fours
Cuisine: Dessest

Description

Light almond petit four cakes with layers of cranberry and vanilla bean frosting. Topped with a vanilla bean glaze and simple sugared cranberries. Dairy & gluten free.

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE GLUTEN FREE VANILLA CAKE:

1 cup raw organic sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup avocado oil
3 eggs
Seeds from half vanilla bean
2 1/4 cups GF flour of choice. I chose an Almond flour blend, but use your favorite.
1 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cups alternative milk + 1 TBSP lemon juice

FOR THE VEGAN VANILLA BEAN FROSTING:

1 cups organic shortening or vegan butter (you can also use regular butter)
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
seeds from 1/4 vanilla bean
pinch of salt
dash of vanilla and a splash of non dairy milk.

FOR THE CRANBERRY FILLING:

1 cup cranberries
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup raw organic sugar
Empty vanilla bean pod
2 tsp pectin powder

FOR THE VANILLA GLAZE:

1 cup powdered sugar
Seeds from 1/4 vanilla bean
1 TBSP alternative milk

FOR THE SUGARED CRANBERRIES:

1 cup water
1/2 cup raw sugar (simple syrup)
2 cups rinsed cranberries
2 cups white sugar (for dusting cranberries)

Instructions

FOR THE GLUTEN FREE VANILLA CAKE:

Preheat oven to 350 and line a 9×13 cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Mix together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix butter, oil and sugar until fluffy.
Add in vanilla and beat in eggs until combined
With mixer on medium, pour 1/3 dry ingredients into your egg mixture. Then add 1/3 of alternative milk and lemon juice. Continue to alternate dry ingredients and liquid until it’s completely mixed into the batter onto the parchment lined baking sheet.
Tap the filled baking sheet against the counter to even out the cake batter.
Bake for roughly 12-13 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to cool fully.

FOR THE VEGAN VANILLA BEAN FROSTING:

Mix shortening/butter, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla bean seeds in a stand mixer until incorporated.
Transfer filling to piping bag and set aside.

FOR THE CRANBERRY FILLING:

Heat the cranberries, water and vanilla bean on medium until the berries begin to break down.
Stir in the sugar and pectin powder and allow to bubble for 3-5 minutes, stirring in between. Once combined, remove from heat. Discard of vanilla bean pod and blend with an emulsion blender to smooth.
Allow to cool.
Transfer cooled jam to a tipless piping bag and set aside.

FOR THE VANILLA GLAZE:

In glass bowl, mix together powdered sugar with vanilla bean.
Stir in a few drops of alternative milk at a time.
Mix thoroughly until thick and combined.
When the glaze is ready, it should be slowly dripping from the spoon. If it seems too thick add a splash more milk and stir.

FOR THE SUGARED CRANBERRIES:

Heat (do not boil) the sugar and water in a saucepan on medium until the sugar has fully dissolved.
Pour in rinsed cranberries for roughly 2 minutes until evenly coated. The berries should not pop or break.
Remove cranberries from simple syrup with a slotted spoon, transferring to parchment paper.
Once transferred (work quickly, they should still be slightly wet), immediately drop the cranberries into the white sugar, rolling to coat.
Place sugar covered cranberries onto a clean piece of parchment and then transfer to the fridge to set. They will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.

PETIT FOUR ASSEMBLY:

Once the cake is fully baked and cooled, remove it from the cookie sheet and use a soft measuring tape to cut it into 3 even slices. If baked in a 13×9 cookie sheet each cut of cake will be roughly 4 3/8″.
Pipe the vegan vanilla bean frosting onto the tops of the first to slices of cake. Spreading evenly with a cake spatula.
Top both slices of cake with the vanilla bean frosting with a layer of the cranberry jam.
Place the second slice of cake on top of the first.
Then place the third slice of cake (not frosted) on top of the second to create a stack, gently pressing down on the top of the cake to compress the layers.
You’ll now have 1 rectangle cake that is 9″ long, 3 layers high and 4 3/8″ wide. To get even cuts, I recommend wrapping the cake and transferring to the freezer for 1 hour to achieve clean slices. Once frozen, cut the cake into 6 even slices horizontally. Then use the measuring tape to cut even squares vertically (3 per row). Once sliced, transfer back to the freezer until ready to top with glaze.
Once sliced, top each of the petit four cakes with the glaze.
Garnish with sugared cranberries.
Serve immediately or freeze for up to 4 weeks.

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Although these small cakes require many steps from start to finish, they are a great option for gatherings because they can be made far in advance. Also please note that the slices do not have to be perfect! Mine were not and were enjoyed just the same!