Cupcakes are iced by dipping the tops in a soft icing. Twist the cakes slightly and pull them out quickly in one smooth motion. Cupcakes may also be iced by spreading icing on with a spatula. Practice is necessary to develop speed and efficiency.
Petits fours are tiny cakes cut from sheet cakes. Select a cake that doesn’t crumble easily. Carefully cut it into desired shapes. Remove all crumbs and place the cakes on a rack over a sheet pan. Ice by pouring fondant or flat icing over them to cover completely.