Pool party season is here — bring on the floats, beach balls and a playful dessert: pool party petit fours. These tiny, elegant cakes are usually reserved for teatime, but they make a delightful and unexpected treat for summer gatherings. We adapted a simple yogurt cake into bite-sized petit fours and topped them with colorful yogurt icing and whimsical fondant pool float decorations.
Click through for the recipe + tutorial!
Makes about 25 petit fours
For the yogurt cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 containers (5.3 oz each) Australian-style yogurt (about 1 cup)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Grease and flour two 8-inch pans. A square pan works if you have one; round pans are fine, too — you can trim the edges later. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each and scraping the bowl as needed. Stir in the vanilla, optional almond extract and the yogurt.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until combined.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake about 40 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
7. Trim edges if necessary and cut the cake into 1½-inch squares.
For the yogurt icing:
6 cups powdered sugar
2 containers (5.3 oz each) Australian-style yogurt (about 1 cup)
1–2 tablespoons milk, if needed
1. Whisk the powdered sugar and yogurt together until smooth. Add milk only if the mixture is too thick. You want an icing thick enough to coat the petit fours but thin enough to flow into a smooth layer.
2. Place the cake squares on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Spoon roughly 3 tablespoons of icing over each square, covering all edges and corners. Allow the icing to set briefly, then give each petit four a second coat for full coverage. Scrape unused icing from the tray through a fine sieve to remove crumbs and reuse if desired.
3. Chill the petit fours for at least 3 hours, or overnight, to set the icing.
4. To decorate, mix gel food coloring with a touch of almond extract to make edible paint. Use more extract for paler shades and less for deeper hues. A soft brush works best for painting delicate petit fours. Colors will set in about 30 minutes.
5. Top the blue petit fours with small fondant pool float figurines (tutorial below) or edible letters for a festive finish.
Supplies for fondant decorations:
Fondant
Gel food coloring
Quilling tool
Soft paint brush
Toothpicks
How to make a tiny fondant flamingo float:
1. Roll a small ball of pink-dyed fondant and flatten it into a plump circle. Use a small lid to press a shallow circle indent into the top.
2. With the tip of a quilling tool, trace an indent around the outer edge and add crosshatch marks to mimic the puckered surface of an inflated float.
3. Shape a small teardrop of fondant for the tail and attach it to one side.
4. Flatten two small fondant pieces and cut zigzag shapes to form wings; add crosshatch details if desired.
5. Break two toothpick ends to about 1/2″ and insert them, point side out, into the tail and on either side. Slide the wings onto the side toothpicks.
6. Roll a thin snake of fondant for the neck and curve it to form the flamingo’s head. Add a tiny white beak piece.
7. Slide the neck onto the final toothpick and prop it in place until the fondant sets.
8. When firm, paint small details with black food coloring for the beak and eyes.
Photos by Jeff Mindell | Recipe + Fondant Sculpting by Theresa Rountree for Studio DIY | Styling + Creative Direction by Studio DIY
If you haven’t tried Australian-style yogurt on its own, it’s worth tasting — it’s wonderfully smooth and bakes beautifully. These petit fours pair that tangy, creamy flavor with sweet icing and playful fondant toppers for a summery treat that’s easy to pick up and take poolside. Happy pool party-ing!
This post was created in partnership with Yulu. The recipe, styling and opinions are our own.
