Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 120 g cake flour
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 4 g baking powder
- 1 g salt
- 60 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 80 ml whole milk, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 60 g egg whites, room temperature
Strawberry Filling
- 100 g strawberry jam, smooth, pureed if chunky
White Chocolate Glaze
- 150 g white chocolate, finely chopped
- 50 ml heavy cream
Garnish
- 5 g freeze-dried strawberries, crushed into powder
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 109 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 15 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 47 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 9 mg
- Potassium
- 38 mg
- Calcium
- 30 mg
- Iron
- 0.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 3 mg
- Phosphorus
- 25 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 28 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.07 mg
- Niacin
- 0.4 mg
- Folate
- 11 mcg
- Water
- 9 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F. Lightly grease a mini muffin tin or line it with mini cupcake liners.
In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt using a whisk.
Add the softened unsalted butter and whole milk to the dry ingredients. Mix with a spatula or whisk until a thick, smooth paste forms.
In a separate small bowl, whisk the egg whites and vanilla extract until lightly frothy. Gently fold this mixture into the batter in two additions, taking care not to overmix.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared mini muffin tin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
Bake at 175°C/350°F for 12 to 14 minutes. The cakes are done when the edges are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the miniature cakes to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then gently transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once completely cool, use a corer or small knife to scoop out a small cavity in the center of each cake. Do not cut all the way to the bottom.
Transfer the smooth strawberry jam into a piping bag or use a small spoon to fill the hollowed centers of each cake flush with the top.
Place the finely chopped white chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Warm the heavy cream until it just begins to simmer, then pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for 1 minute before stirring gently until completely smooth.
Dip the top of each filled miniature cake into the warm white chocolate glaze, allowing excess to drip off before returning to the wire rack.
Immediately sprinkle the tops with crushed freeze-dried strawberries before the glaze sets. Allow the cakes to rest until the white chocolate is firm.
Chef's Notes
- Using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour significantly lowers the gluten content, ensuring these miniature cakes remain incredibly tender.
- When hollowing out the cakes, leave at least a quarter-inch of cake at the bottom to prevent the strawberry filling from leaking out the base.
- Ensure the heavy cream is just simmering before pouring it over the white chocolate; boiling cream can cause the sensitive cocoa butter in white chocolate to separate.
- If your strawberry jam has large fruit chunks, pulse it briefly in a food processor or pass it through a sieve to ensure clean, easy piping.
- For the whitest possible crumb, use a clear vanilla extract rather than traditional brown vanilla extract.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container to prevent the cakes from drying out.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze unglazed and unfilled cakes only. Thaw at room temperature before filling and glazing.
Troubleshooting
White chocolate glaze is too thick or lumpy.
Cause: The white chocolate overheated or seized due to moisture.
Fix: Vigorously stir in a teaspoon of warm cream or neutral vegetable oil to smooth out minor lumpiness. If completely seized and grainy, it Cannot be fixed and must be restarted.
Prevention: Finely chop the chocolate, use gentle heat, and ensure all bowls and utensils are completely dry.
Cakes have a dense, rubbery texture.
Cause: Overmixing the batter after adding the egg whites, which developed too much gluten.
Fix: Cannot be fixed.
Prevention: Fold the egg whites in gently just until no streaks remain.
Cultural Context
Miniature cakes, often referred to as petit fours when elaborately glazed, have their roots in 18th-century French pastry making. Baking small cakes originally allowed bakers to utilize the residual heat of large brick ovens as they cooled down. Today, these bite-sized treats are a staple at celebratory events, offering an elegant aesthetic and perfectly portioned sweetness for milestone occasions like first birthdays.
