Chocolate Pomegranate Petit Fours
Dressed to Impress, Chocolate Pomegranate Petit Fours are a show-off treat for your Valentine!
Every time I see Petit Fours I think of Alice in Wonderland, gingerly nibbling bite-sized cakes that made her shoot up to towering heights or shrink down to the size of a mouse.
What’s more, I remember how delightful the petit fours sounded, and recall thinking I would be willing to go through any challenge Alice had to face, to get my hands on them.
Petit Fours are in fact, a labor of love. It’s not that they are hard to make; it’s that there is so much WAITING involved… I don’t like to wait on my dessert.
Impatience is the reason most people don’t make Petit Fours; they buy them at a bakery. However fresh homemade petit fours are a mystifying treat, with flavor combinations you don’t often find at a bakery, like chocolate pomegranate petit fours!
So here is the process for making these insanely tasty Chocolate Pomegranate Petit Fours. Again, not hard, just lots of waiting around.
Bake the cake and place in the freezer. Wait…
Make the Whipped Pomegranate Cream. Spread on cake. Freeze and wait…
Make the Whipped Chocolate Cream. Spread on pomegranate filling. Freeze and wait…
Trim the cake edges and cut into perfect 1 inch squares. Freeze and wait…
Make the Pomegranate Poured Fondant. Coat each Petit Four. Place on a rack to dry.
Why all the freezing and waiting?
The cream layers and the cake layer of the Chocolate Pomegranate Petit Fours need to be rock-hard before blanketing them in warm poured fondant, otherwise the cream will melt and the tender cake will crumble into the poured fondant bowl creating a huge mess.
Yet these little beauties are worth the wait. At this moment, I’m surrounded by little pearly pink Chocolate Pomegranate Petut Fours, and that is a goo thing.
If you are of the patient sect, you will be quite pleased with the finished product.
Chocolate + Pomegranate = Exquisite Yum.
P.S. The color of the pomegranate juice is so concentrated; there is no need for artificial coloring!
AMENDMENT 2-11-12: I’ve noticed in the comments that several people have tried our Chocolate Pomegranate Petit Fours recipe and have struggled with the poured fondant. I pride myself on offering tried-and-true recipes that anyone can make at home, and I HATE that this has caused a few of you some kitchen hardship. Here is a video clip I found, that is very similar to how I make my poured fondant. If you have never made petit fours, please take a look at this before starting, and also watch “Step 3” that covers dipping, listed after this clip! This is still a recipe worth making, but if you are new to petit fours, proceed with caution.
Chocolate Pomegranate Petit Fours
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup scalding hot water
For the Pomegranate Cream:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (1 cup)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
For the Chocolate Cream:
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled to room temp.
For the Pomegranate Poured Fondant:
- 1 cup plain shortening
- 6-8 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and thoroughly grease the sides. Sift (or whisk) all dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Beat together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients, and whisk for two minutes. Once well combined pour in the hot water and mix well. Pour into the cake pan and tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any large bubbles.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool for 15 minutes, then flip out on a plastic board. Remove the parchment paper. If the cake looks even, place in the freezer. If the top is rounded, carefully flip the cake over (using another cookie sheet) and trim the top with a serrated knife, then freeze.
For the Whipped Pomegranate Cream:
- Add the pomegranate juice and flour to a small sauce pan. Whisk until there are no lumps. Then heat over medium, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Whisk and cook a few more minutes until it thickens into a paste. Remove from heat and place pan in the fridge to cool. Beat the butter and sugar in a clean mixing bowl, for 5-7 minutes, until fluffy and glossy.
- Once cooled, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until light and fluffy 5 minutes. Spread the pomegranate cream evenly over the cake and return to the freezer.
For the Whipped Chocolate Cream:
- Add the milk, flour, and cocoa powder to a small sauce pan. Whisk until there are no lumps. Then heat over medium, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Whisk and cook a few more minutes until it thickens into a paste. Remove from heat and place pan in the fridge to cool. Beat the butter and sugar in a clean mixing bowl, for 5-7 minutes, until fluffy and glossy. Once cooled, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Pour in the vanilla and the cooled melted chocolate and beat until light and fluffy 5 minutes. Spread evenly over the top of the pomegranate cream. Return to the freezer.
- Once frozen, trim the edges of the cake until very smooth. The cake will be about 8x12 inches after trimming. Then carefully cut the cake into 1-inch squares, 96 total. You may want to use a clean ruler to mark the top of the chocolate cream to make the pieces even. Return the cake squares to the freezer.
For the Pomegranate Poured Fondant:
- Place the shortening and half the pomegranate juice in a large bowl. Microwave until the shortening has melted. Add 5 cups of powdered sugar to the mix and whisk until smooth. Add a little more juice and another cup of powdered sugar, whisk. The fondant should be smooth and glossy, thin enough to pour but thick enough to coat well, a little thicker than school glue. If you see shortening dots on the top, add more powdered sugar. It may take all the juice and as much as 8 cups of powdered sugar to even out--but not always. Rewarm and whisk before dipping the petit fours. The fondant needs to stay warm.
- Before dipping, dust the bottoms of each petit four, so that crumbs don't fall in the poured fondant.
- Place a petit four on a fork over the fondant bowl. Using a large spoon, scoop fondant over the top covering completely on all sides, then use another fork to carefully transfer to a drying rack. Repeat with all, rewarm the fondant if needed. Keep the remaining petit fours in the freezer, only removing a few at a time, so they stay completely frozen for dipping. If the petit fours thaw, the fondant won't stick.
Nutrition
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Wow! These look amazing! I’m going to make them. Do you know how long they will last?
Thank you so much for the wounderful mini dessert which i would like to make soon, but my question is can we subtetute the shortening with oil and light corn serope?
Hi Summer, I’m not sure about that… I’m afraid the glaze wouldn’t harden-up if you used oil. You might be able to get away with coconut oil. But I would make a small test batch and try coating a couple first, if I were you. Hope this helps!
Quick question—did you use powdered sugar in the creams or possibly baking sugar, which I should have used…even after 7 minutes, the sugar was still not incorporated fully. thanks
Hi Kathy, I only used powdered sugar in the poured fondant. For the creams, the heat should dissolve the sugar… wish I could see yours so I know what’s happening.
These look and sound wonderful – thanks for posting the recipe (I’m also tempted to make a hazelnut marsala variation :-)
~ marie, the EpicureanPiranha
I made cake with frosting was great but poured fondant failed :( . I decided to leave it without fondant like others did. They r delicious without it! Thank you for shared ur recipe.
I love your website and I’ve been waiting for a fabulous recipe like this for my entire baking life. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
regards,
Terri
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Could I make these with Gluten free chocolate cake mix and use cacao powder? I am excited to try but scared I will have trouble, as I read through the comments. But they look so adorable and delicious! I am always looking for ways around food coloring so if nothing else I really want to try the fondant, as it is my favorite way to top a cake.
Delish!!! Looks amazing. I wanted to let you know I featured this on my blog today: http://www.vixenmade.com/2013/02/14-treats-for-your-valentine.html
Do you think the pomegranate cream is okay to use as frosting for cupcakes, or is it too sweet/not sweet enough? The petit fours look a little complicated, but the recipe sounds delicious!
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Hi,
Just wondering… How would you store the petit fours? I plan to make a bunch for a party a couple of days in advantage but i don’t know if i should
1) freeze them until the day before then let them thaw at room temperature/ fridge… i read that you shouldn’t freeze poured fondant.
2)or… should i just leave them in the fridge for a couple of days. I know the mousse would be fine but what I’ve read that the poured fondant is best stored at room temperature in an unsealed box.
Suggestions…
Would it be easier just to cover them chocolate instead of poured fondant??
Thanks in advance.
I made these beautys and they were amazing! The only slight problem I had was with the creams. They were a bit gritty from the sugar. Is that normal? I’ve never made this type of cream before. I’m just wondering if I didn’t whip it long enough or something? I’d love to make them again but with a creamier consistency. Thanks for the recipe and your help in advance.
Hey Jessica,
No the creams aren’t supposed to be gritty. Generally that has to do with how long you beat the butter and sugar–it takes AT LEAST 5 minutes. I’m so glad you like them!
Looks super yummy!
I’m in the process of making these darling things.. all the way to the cutting step..
wondering if I can freeze the final product? does that work?
Yes, you can freeze them. Just make sure to wrap them well. Then unwrap them before they thaw so the poured fondant stays pretty.