18 petit gateau recipes to make you melt

A staple on the dessert menus of many Brazilian restaurants is the petit gateau, a sweet made for the first time in the country by chef Erick Jacquin in 1994 and which, since then, has conquered thousands of palates.

The surprising cream and its most common accompaniments, such as ice cream and fruit syrups, make the petit gateau considered elaborate and almost exclusive to the most prepared chefs to execute it. However, the truth is that this is an easy dish, which can be made even by those who are not very familiar with the kitchen.

The biggest proof of the dessert’s practicality is in the number of versions of your recipe, and in the list below you’re sure to find at least one flavor and method of preparation that best fits your skills and preferences!

20 petit gateau recipes

First of all, chef Lima, from Montecatini Trattoria, in São Paulo, explains that the most important part of a successful petit gateau is a careful selection of ingredients, so “look for quality items so that the taste is similar to the traditional recipes, which we find in restaurants”.

From this, any of the cupcake variations listed below can be prepared without fear, with practicality and with the certainty that the result will be eye-popping!

1. Chef Jacquin’s petit gateau: the chef and judge of the MasterChef program Erick Jacquin was responsible for bringing the petit gateau to Brazil and, therefore, his recipe is considered the original. The chef’s method of preparation has no secrets and is quite fast, which allows everyone to enjoy the dessert.

2. Chocolate bar petit gateau: the most traditional way of preparing the petit gateau involves a bar of semisweet chocolate and less than ten minutes in the oven. Eline Prando, from Mel e Pimenta blog, recommends that the cupcake be served with ice cream or strawberry jam. You can not go wrong!

3. Powdered chocolate petit gateau: to make the preparation even more practical, Tatiana teaches how to make the petit gateau using powdered chocolate. In addition, the Panelaterapia blogger also explains that the tall molds are the most appropriate for baking the cupcake and indicates the use of cocoa to grease them.

4. Dulce de leche petit gateau: as the chocolate flavor is just the basis of the dessert, it is very easy to adapt it to all tastes. On the blog Maria Sophia, Silvia Braz shares the recipe for petit gateau made with creamy dulce de leche and gives the tip: crushed chestnuts add crunch to the cupcake!

5. Easy petit gateau: the biggest secret to getting a creamy muffin inside is the duration. That’s why Tati Salvador warns on the Chata de Galocha blog so that the oven is not left unattended for a single minute. To hit the point of the dough that should be baked, an easy tip is to dissolve the flour in a smaller amount of the preparation to finish it.

6. Grand petit gateau Paris 6: one of the flagships of the famous restaurant Paris 6 (Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo) is a petit gateau whose presentation draws attention: with a milk popsicle inserted in the cupcake, a brigadeiro syrup, strawberry and hazelnut finishes off the dessert. The mouthwatering recipe was taught by blogger Carol Chicorsqui and can be easily replicated at home.

7. Petit gateau with Ovaltine: substituting chocolate for Ovaltine, the petit gateau gains a great differential: in addition to the creaminess of its center, the cupcake is also crispy due to the flakes of the special ingredient. The secret to getting the dough right in this recipe is to leave the preparation in the oven just for the time necessary for the edges of the cakes to come off the molds.

8. Petit gateau light: in order not to fall into temptation during the diet, Ana Cláudia Silva teaches the trick of making a petit gateau recipe and roasting the whole mass in a single container, in this case, a mug. The ingredients in diet and light versions added to the single portion of the cupcake help not to consume too many calories.

9. Petit gateau de guava: the combination of cheese and guava is super Brazilian and never gets old! For this petit gateau recipe, Angelo Medeiros adapted the famous Romeo e Julieta to a creamy guava cupcake accompanied by catupiry cream, which can be replaced by Mascarpone cheese ice cream. Unlike the traditional dessert, this guava petit gateau is divided into stages and its creaminess depends on a different filling than the dough, which is also baked together with it.

10. Cheese petit gateau: daring, the cheese petit gateau is the right delight for those who prefer savory to sweet. With the appearance of a very creamy cheese bread inside, this recipe is very easy to make, but requires patience, as the dough needs to rest in the fridge before going to the oven.

11. Banana petit gateau: for fruit candy lovers, a good idea is to bet on the banana petit gateau, whose main ingredient is homemade or industrialized banana. Although this recipe is simple, its preparation takes a long time, as the dough needs to rest in the fridge for two hours.

12. Gluten-free and lactose-free petit gateau: for those intolerant, blogger Patricia Mattos’ tip is to replace regular chocolate with 70% cocoa bars and wheat flour with quinoa. To guarantee a delicious recipe, baking just one forminha as a test is a great way to find out how long your oven takes to bake the cupcake.

13. Sicilian lemon petit gateau: if you don’t like dark chocolate and think a white chocolate petit gateau would be too sweet, Tatiana Romano brings the solution: Sicilian lemon juice! The citrus flavor helps break up some of the strong chocolate flavor, which gives the cookie its creaminess. The blogger’s tip is to serve the dessert with natural yogurt and honey.

14. Giant petit gateau: to impress guests and not have to bake several small forms of petit gateau, a good solution is to bet on a large and soft cake like a petit gateau. Michelle Khouri’s recipe is easy and delicious, but the size of the mold used prevents the dough from forming the traditional dessert syrup.

15. White chocolate petit gateau: traditional petit gateau recipes are made with dark chocolate, but those who are not a fan of this delicacy or simply want to innovate can also bet on equally delicious variations! In this recipe, the couple Camilla and Rafa teach how to make the white chocolate cupcake, which can be served with red fruit syrup or more bitter ice cream to break some of the sweetness of the dessert.

16. Microwave petit gateau: to satisfy your sweet tooth and enjoy a very easy to make petit gateau, blogger André Dias teaches a wildcard recipe that can be baked in the microwave. Although it does not replace more conventional recipes, this dessert is also creamy and can be served with side dishes such as ice cream and special sauces.

17. Petit gateau de mug: when you feel lazy to make something very elaborate, but the desire to please the palate is also great, an alternative is to bet on the famous mug cakes. The petit gateau can also be prepared this way and, in the microwave, it takes less than two minutes to reach the ideal point: cascudo on the outside, loose around the edges and very creamy on the inside.

18. Petit gateau Dukan: adapted to fit the Dukan diet in an economical way, this recipe is quick and yields only one serving, as it is made in a mug, in the microwave. To reach the creamy point of the cake, it is necessary to control the time, adding 10 seconds as needed. The softer edges guarantee greater creaminess!

How to choose the perfect mold for your petit gateau

It is normal that the first attempts to prepare petit gateau may not work out very well, but persistence makes perfect and, after some practice, it is possible to get the dumpling right even with your eyes closed. However, a very important detail should not be ignored: the mold!

According to chef Lima, the material and size of the molds directly influence the result of the recipe, because the smaller formats, which contain a smaller amount of dough, cannot stay in the oven for a long time, for example. “You have to be careful that the inside of the dough doesn’t bake more than necessary, otherwise it can lose the point and end up turning into a regular dumpling instead of a petit gateau”, he explains.

To avoid disappointment, the specialist recommends that round, aluminum or stainless steel pans with a capacity of about 200 ml are always used. Within these specifications, the baking time should be around five minutes, at a temperature of 180 degrees Celsius, with only ⅔ of the pan complete.

In addition, it is also worth remembering that molds with notches are less suitable for preparing petit gateau, because they can make unmoulding difficult. In this sense, the chef also says that it is better to avoid the use of plastic or silicone containers in the conventional oven, materials that can melt if they are not of great quality.

In the gallery below, you will find the best baking options for any of the petit gateau recipes presented above.

So, are you just going to have water in your mouth or put your hand in the dough and really enjoy a cupcake like this in the late afternoon?