cake:

1/3 cup butter
2 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. milk

  • let butter, cream cheese, and eggs come to room temperature
  • cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar in stand mixer
  • add eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated
  • add vanilla and milk and mix

1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder

  • mix flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl
  • add to wet ingredients and mix
  • pour batter into two 8” square pans lined with baking parchment
  • bake at 350°F for 13-15 minutes (cake will be pale)
  • let cool completely, then cut into 1 1/2” squares
  • cut squares crosswise into thin layers, and fill with any filling or frosting, making cubes by stacking 2-3 layers
  • cover with plastic wrap and freeze while making icing

alternate baking:

  • to make one 9” round cake layer (about 1” thick), bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
  • to make three thin 9” round cake layers, make a double batch and divide between three cake pans, bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.

icing:

7 1/2 Tbsp. butter
3/4 tbsp. cream
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. corn syrup or simple syrup
food coloring if desired

  • heat butter and cream in a double boiler until melted
  • remove from the heat and stir in salt and vanilla
  • slowly mix in powdered sugar until smooth
  • add corn/sugar syrup and any food coloring and mix in
  • add cream or powdered sugar as needed to adjust consistency (it should hold its shape for a second when drizzled into the bowl)
  • spoon icing over petit fours and transfer to a drying rack
  • let dry completely at room temperature or in the refrigerator before serving

source: https://sugarspunrun.com/petit-fours/#recipe

5/14/23: icing didn’t work very well, but the cake is good (though the instructions say to cut into 1.5” cubes, but that’s much larger than normal petit fours.