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Home » Recipes » Cake Recipes

Petit Fours -Pumpkin Pecan Perfection

Published: Oct 20, 2010 · Updated: Sep 13, 2024 by Marye

Dainty bites of bourbon pumpkin cake, filled with cream cheese pecan filling and topped with white chocolate ganache - perfect autumn petit fours for a tea or a party.
Total time for the recipe to be finished.Total Time 45 minutes minutes
Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
Pumpkin Petit Fours on a serving tray.
A collage of images of the pumpkin petit fours with title text overlay for Pinterest.

There’s something magical about fall baking, and these pumpkin petit fours are no exception! Imagine bite-sized, tender cakes with all the warm flavors of pumpkin and spice, topped with a luscious white chocolate glaze.

They’re the perfect little treats for your next gathering, and I’m telling you, this recipe is a keeper! So get cozy, grab your apron, and let’s make these irresistible bites of pumpkin spice goodness that’ll have everyone asking for more.

Closeup of the pumpkin petit fours cut to look like maple leaves and decorated  with orange, yellow, and brown glaze.
Table of Contents
  • I love these!
  • 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
  • 🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
  • 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
  • 🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
  • 🥫 Leftover love: how to store pumpkin petit fours
  • Marye's Tip o' the day
  • 💭 Insider tips: things to know
  • 👩‍🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
  • 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
  • 🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose
  • 📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.

I love these!

5 star rating
5 star rating
5 star rating
5 star rating
5 star rating
I have been meaning to leave a comment for years now. I love these! I have been been making them for years! I also have made them in a form of a roll... and still delicious.
THANK YOU!
Greta

🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite

  • These pumpkin petit fours are packed with cozy fall flavors in every bite! They’re moist, sweet, and topped with a silky glaze that makes them absolutely irresistible.
  • I love them for fall parties, afternoon tea, and just as a fun snack or little dessert.
  • Learn how to color the white chocolate ganache so that it doesn't seize up and get lumpy.

🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

Labeled ingredients for this recipe.

📖 Make it your own: yummy variations

  1. Swap out pumpkin for sweet potato puree if you’re feeling adventurous.
  2. Use dark chocolate for the glaze if you want a richer flavor.
  3. Swap out the cream cheese filling with vanilla buttercream for a different twist.

🤫 Marye's secret for zhuzhing it up -

To make these petit fours even more special, I like to add a sprinkle of maple sugar on top of the glaze. It brings out the natural sweetness of the pumpkin and adds a rich, warm flavor that feels like a cozy hug in every bite!

zhuzh: verb. To make something more interesting or attractive

🍴Must have tools: essential equipment

  • high sided cookie sheet
  • mixing bowls
  • leaf cookie cutters and a sharp knife for cutting the petit fours
  • cooling rack
  • small spatula or spoon for glazing

🥫 Leftover love: how to store pumpkin petit fours

Store these in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Be sure to place parchment paper between the layers.

You can also freeze them, wrapped tightly, for up to a month—just let them thaw before serving.

Closup of a pumpkin petit four with half removed to view the layers of cake and filling.

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Marye's Tip o' the day

When glazing, use a cooling rack over parchment or wax paper to allow excess glaze to drip off without making a mess.

💭 Insider tips: things to know

  1. Make sure the cake is fully cooled before cutting, or it may crumble.
  2. If your glaze is too thick, add a small amount of coconut oil to thin it out for a smoother finish.
  3. Use paste food color and a toothpick to color the white chocolate after it has has melted into the cream.
  4. Chill the petit fours before serving for the best texture.

👩‍🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs

Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!

Do I use canned pumpkin puree?

Yes! Make sure it's pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.

I don't have leaf shaped cutters - can I still make these?

Sure! Just cut the cake into small squares.

Overhead view of the pumpkin petit fours on a tray in a variety of different colors.

⏲️ Marye's time saving hacks -

Use a spice cake mix and canned pumpkin puree like in this easy pumpkin cake recipe.

📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love

  • Close up of a bowl of pumpkin dip surrounded by cookies.
    Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip
  • A stack of pumpkin bars on a plate showing the layers of spice cake and pumpkin.
    Pumpkin Gooey Bars
  • A close up of a square of the bread pudding showing the texture.
    Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Bread Pudding
  • Closeup of the pie with a slice removed to show layers for the feature image.
    No Bake Pumpkin Pie

🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose

Turn any leftover cake scraps into cake pops by mixing them with a little cream cheese frosting, rolling them into balls, and dipping them in chocolate!

📞 Wrapping it up: the last word

Petit fours can be described as any bite-sized sweet, but most often, they are cake and filling. They are usually beautiful to look at. At least if you do them right.

To me, these are some of the most creative things you can make, and I enjoy them a lot. Not only can you play with a variety of flavors but you have texture, shape, and color to manipulate, too. It's like being artist Jackson Pollock with icing tubes.

You can use any shape cutter you like to compliment your occasion. Keep in mind that the yield will change depending on the size of the cutter you use.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

Pumpkin Petit Fours on a serving tray.

Pumpkin Pecan Petit Fours

4 from 4 votes
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Dainty bites of bourbon pumpkin cake, filled with cream cheese pecan filling and topped with white chocolate ganache - perfect autumn petit fours for a tea or a party.
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings:36 - more or less depending on cutter size
Calories:
Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

Pumpkin Bourbon Cake

  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ⅔ cup canned pumpkin
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom

Cream Cheese Pecan Filling

  • 8 oz cream cheese, , softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, , softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups finely chopped pecans
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

White Chocolate Ganache

  • 9 ounces of high quality white chocolate, , chopped finely (can also use bittersweet)
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Pumpkin Bourbon Cake

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a mixing bowl, beat eggs on high for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugars until thick and lemon-colored.
  • Add pumpkin and bourbon.
  • In another bowl combine flour, cardamom, baking powder, and salt.
  • Fold into the pumpkin mixture.
  • Grease a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with high sides .Line with waxed paper. Grease and flour the paper.
  • Spread batter into pan.
  • Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
  • Cool thoroughly.

Cream Cheese Pecan Filling

  • Beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until well blended.
  • Add the confectioner's and salt; beat until creamy
  • Blend in the pecans.
  • Add a little cream if needed to get a good consistency.

White Chocolate Ganache

  • White chocolate is a little more difficult to get smooth than dark chocolate. Make sure you have chopped it as finely as possible.
  • Bring the cream just to a boil and remove from heat; pour the hot liquid over the white chocolate. Stir with a spoon and then whisk until smooth.
  • Pour over the petit fours and chill.
  • 30 minutes before you are ready to serve the petit fours remove from the refrigerator.

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

First published October 20, 2010. Last updated September 13, 2024 for readability, more tips, and better instructions.



 


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About Marye

Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them.

Comments

    4 from 4 votes

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    Love it? Give it 5 stars!




  1. Anna says

    October 18, 2024 at 8:23 am

    1 star
    This was weird. The batter was way too small amount for a cookie sheet sized pan and it didn’t rise very well. The cake came out way too chewy and it’s overkill sweet with no pumpkin flavor. I like the idea and it’s easy to make but not sold on this recipe.

    Reply
  2. D Cooper says

    September 06, 2024 at 9:11 pm

    5 stars
    Can these be made ahead and frozen? If so, freeze before or after cutting and decorating?

    Reply
    • Marye says

      September 13, 2024 at 2:55 pm

      Yes they can. You can freeze them after cutting and decorating or before. Either way works.

      Reply
  3. Greta says

    October 22, 2017 at 12:27 am

    5 stars
    I have been meaning to leave a comment for years now. I love these! I have been been making them for years!
    I also have made them in a form of a roll... and still delicious.
    THANK YOU!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      October 23, 2017 at 12:36 pm

      That's awesome! Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  4. gretak says

    November 09, 2010 at 12:25 pm

    5 stars
    These are DELICIOUS!
    I made them yesterday. Thanks for posting!

    Reply
  5. Annie says

    October 21, 2010 at 9:53 am

    Those look so good and pretty! I have always wanted to make petit fours but have never gotten around to it. So many recipes, so little time.

    Reply
  6. Jennifer says

    October 21, 2010 at 9:21 am

    Adorable - but I don't know about the bourbon. Can you leave it out? I hate the taste of hard alcohol - usually even in cooking.

    Reply
    • maryeaudet says

      October 21, 2010 at 1:11 pm

      Yep. Just substitute orange juice

      Reply
  7. thetwistedchef says

    October 20, 2010 at 12:14 pm

    Those look GREAT! I'm on a pumpkin obsession at the moment... these look right up my alley! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

Hey Y'all, I'm Marye

Welcome to my kitchen! ☕

NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. Collector of old cookbooks.

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