I would like to do a practice run of some petit fours so I can get the hang of them before my daughter's bridal shower. My questions to all of you is which is the best type of cake to use....regular density or something a little denser like a good pound cake? And which is your favorite glaze/ganzache for this?
deb
Here is a long thread about petite fours that may help you out: http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-15427-petite.html+fours 
Sponge cake (genoise) is traditional for petits fours. The traditional covering is poured fondant.
Of couse, you will find people online who use other components.
Because the pieces are tiny, they do not need to be made of especially dense cake.
I actually prefer to use a dense cake, like a pound cake or a good yellow cake. I think it is much easier to decorate and stays more firm. A good tip that I figured out was to decorate your petit fours on a flower nail, it allows you to hold the petit four eye level and to add good detail (like pearls or cornelli lace to the sides and top. Just add a dab of icing to the top of the flower nail to "glue" the petit four in place while you decorate them. Also, after you cut the petit fours, put them in the freezer on wax paper to firm up for about 45 minutes or so before you attempt to ice them.
HTH! 
Want to know a secret for easy, beautiful and yummy petite fours... Kathy Scott makes molds. It comes with the petite four mold, cake cutters and molds to embelish the tops... You add chocolate to the mold to create a shell, cut the cake with the cutters, place the cake in the shell and top with chocolate. Very easy and fool proof...The come out beautiful every time and are delicious!!
Here's her ebay store... http://cgi.ebay.com/Tiffany-Box-Petit-Four-Kit-2-Cake-Decorating_W0QQitemZ4442567492QQcategoryZ79631QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem
Here's a picture of some I made...
The Kathy Scott molds are astonishing. I've seen them before - and lusted after them - but at $60, they are a little too pricey for my blood.
I keep thinking there must be ways to make your own molds - maybe by using ice cube trays - or similar shapes.
I am one who uses the pound cake for my petit fours too. It just seems to have a lot less crumb. I prefer not to freeze my cakes, so having that texture really helps me.
I love those molds too - I sure wish there was a place for us to "rent" those expensive items like that. (maybe there is such a thing in the big metopolitan areas??)
Carol Webb from www.elegantlacemolds also sells a Petit Four kit and it's half the price! For $30 you get the shaped cutters, the chocolate shell molds, liners, and the lace impressions molds! It's not listed on her website so you will need to email her about them. They work great and you can order additional chocolate shells molds from her for I think $3 each.
Here's a picture
You are welcome! I would recommend ordering a couple extra of the plastic chocolate shells--makes it so much easier to have several going at a time when you make these. Carol has lot's of great molds on her site too. The cameo mold is BEAUTIFUL (see them in my photo) and looks great on these petit fours too. Here's a photo of some that I made with this kit just to give you an idea using some of her molds toppers and some others that I have from Rosemary Watson (who is sadly now retired). I like using a firm cake. These are covered in chocolate and the toppers are all fondant. HTH!
Pretty. How close is the fit between the chocolate shells and the cake interiors?
Pretty. How close is the fit between the chocolate shells and the cake interiors?
Very close. Here's how these are essentally done. You make a thin shell of chocolate in the plastic molds and let that set. Then put a small dab of either buttercream of jam in the base, cut your cake to shape and squish it down so it creates a tight seal, then fill around to completely enclose the cake. These are really good!
Ah. (Lightbulb goes on.)
I never thought of adding squishable stuff with the cake to take up the space at the margins. What an elegant solution.
Thanks.
Maybe it's just me - but I couldn't find the molds on Carol's site. I think I must be blind!
Can anyone link directly to them?
Here's the info again
Carol Webb from www.elegantlacemolds also sells a Petit Four kit... It's not listed on her website so you will need to email her about them.
She is really nice and very helpful. I love her molds too.
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