Show your love with this delicately sweet cakes. Layers of joconde sponge and jam coated with liquid fondant created the perfect petit fours!
Prep Time: 1 hour
Chill Time: 1 1/2 hours
Bake Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Special Equipment: heart shaped cookie cutter, electric hand or stand mixer, cooling rack and palette knife.
Ingredients:
Joconde sponge cake:
150g Almond flour
180g Caster sugar
45g Plain flour
5 Eggs
105g Egg whites
45g Unsalted butter, slightly melted
Fruit Jam:
200g frozen fruit
50g caster sugar
1 tbsp corn flour
Simple Syrup:
100g caster sugar
100g water
Fondant Coating:
500g white fondant
Food colouring of your choice.
Directions:
Sponge:
Preheat your oven to 230°C and prepare three baking trays with parchment paper, cut to fit the bottom of the tray perfectly.
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the almond flour, 150 grams of the sugar, the cake flour and half of the eggs. Whisk the mixture for 2 minutes. Stop the machine, scrape down the bowl, then whisk for 3 more minutes.
Gradually add the remaining whole eggs in three increments, whipping for 4 to 5 minutes between each addition to build the egg emulsion.
In a clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites and remaining sugar to medium peaks.
Remove the bowl of almond mixture from the machine and fold in the melted butter using a spatula.
Fold in one-third of the whipped egg whites to lighten the batter, then fold in the remaining whipped egg whites. Do not overmix.
Spread the batter over the parchment lined prepared baking tins. Level it carefully with a long offset spatula. Bake at 230°C until the joconde bounces back when lightly pressed, approximately 8 minutes.
Fruit Jam:
In a small saucepan combine the frozen fruit, sugar and cornflour.
Place the pan on your hob at a medium heat.
Stir continuously until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir periodically until the mixture has thickened.
When the mixture is thick enough, pour it into a sieve over a clean empty bowl. Use a spatula to help push the jam through the sieve. We want a nice smooth seedless jam for the petite fours.
Once all the jam has gone through the sieve, place it in the fridge to cool.
Simple syrup:
Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan on the hob. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
Once all the sugar has dissolved (about 7-10 min) remove the pan from the hob and allow the syrup to cool before using it.
Assembly:
Remove your joconde sponges from their baking trays.
On a cutting board, place the first sponge upside down. Using a pastry brush, brush the sponge with a light coat of the cooled simple syrup, then top with a thin layer of your jam.
Place the second sponge on top of the first and repeat step 2.
Place the third sponge on top of the first two sponges and only brush with the simple syrup, not the jam.
Place your layered sponges in the freezer for 1 hour to firm up.
Once your sponges are mostly frozen, use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut your petit fours out from the layers of sponge. Place the individual cakes on a baking tray and put them back in the freezer for a further 30 minutes.
While your cakes are freezing, prepare your liquid fondant.
Place the fondant in a microwave safe bowl with 2 tbsp of water. Heat, stirring periodically, until the fondant is at a pouring consistency. You may need to add more water to thin the mixture, don’t add too much!
Separate your fondant into microwave safe cups and use your food coloring to make as many colors as you would like.
Once the cakes are out of the freezer, place them on a slotted cooling rack with a piece of parchment paper underneath to catch the excess fondant. Reheat your fondant if necessary to get back to pouring consistency and pour a thick layer over your frozen cakes.
Continue this step with each color of fondant.
Allow the fondant to set and cool on the cakes before using red food coloring to write on the tops.
Serve cold or at room temperature.
Tips:
Make sure your sponge layers are frozen before you try to cut them or pour the fondant over them. They need to stay firm.
Don't water down your liquid fondant too much or the colour will be translucent.
