For as long as I can remember, the Mid-Autumn Festival has been one of my favorite holidays. It means it’s time for the best dessert known to me–mooncakes. I am obsessed with mooncakes. Dense and rich, with intensely sweet, velvety-smooth fillings and a vermilion salted yolk in the center, they’re so good that I used to wait all year for the few months in the fall when they’d appear on the shelves.
A few years ago, I was lucky enough to be in Hong Kong right around the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival. In Hong Kong, mooncakes are something artisanal–in August and September, the Peninsula Hotel will sell only a limited number of decadent boxes, while the regular Hong Kong bakeries turn to selling almost nothing else, their shelves filled to bursting with every variety you can imagine. They’re traditionally given as gifts during the holiday, since the Mid-Autumn Festival is a little bit like a Chinese Thanksgiving, and a time for family reunions. But maybe I kept a stash in my fridge that year, just for me. You know, maybe.
Being away from mooncake mecca this year, I thought I’d try something different and make them from scratch. I expected them to be finicky, or at best a poor imitation of storebought cakes, but they were wonderful, and not at all as hard as I thought they would be. They do take some time, and ideally you need one of these nifty molds from handy Amazon and a few specialty items from the Asian market. But the result is a mooncake that strips away everything heavy and indulgent about the dessert, yet is just as delicious and nostalgic as the original.
Happy zhongqiu jie to anyone celebrating!
Lotus Paste and Red Bean Mooncakes
These days there are a million versions of the mooncake, from ice-cream snowskin mooncakes by Godiva to espresso-flavored cakes in the displays at Starbucks. For me, the best is still the most traditional–fragrant, smooth white lotus paste or classic red bean, ideally with a salted yolk inside. This recipe doesn’t tackle how to salt and preserve egg yolks, but see Notes below for more thoughts on adding a salted yolk if desired. Also note that this recipe is designed to be broken up over several days, as it can otherwise be quite time-consuming, and is easiest to do when everything has rested and the filling has chilled.
- Yield: 12 miniature mooncakes 1x
Ingredients
for the filling:
- 1 cup (about 7 ounces) dried lotus seeds or red beans
- ⅔ to ¾ cup sugar (to taste)
- pinch of salt (optional)
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil, or other solid fat of your choice (i.e. lard or shortening)
for the skin:
- ¼ cup golden syrup (i.e. Lyle’s)
- ½ teaspoon alkaline water (also known as kansui, or potassium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate solution, like this)
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (62 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (57 grams) cake flour (alternatively, omit cake flour and use 1 cup all-purpose)
for baking:
- 1 egg
- a splash of milk or water
Instructions
- At least 4-5 days ahead: Soak the lotus seeds or red beans overnight (about 8-12 hours) in a large bowl with plenty of water.
- At least 2-3 days ahead, and 3-4 hours before assembly and baking: If using lotus seeds, split the seeds open once they have soaked, and remove the green germ from the center. Drain and place in a medium pot with enough water to submerge the beans or seeds by at least an inch. Simmer on medium-low heat for 1 ½ to 2 hours, adding water as necessary to keep the beans or seeds covered, until the bean mashes easily between your fingers or the seed is fork-tender.
- Drain and place in a food processor or blender with the sugar and a slight pinch of salt, if desired. If you don’t have a processor or blender, you can make the red bean paste simply by mashing with a spoon or potato masher, but lotus paste is best made with a processor or blender. Blend until smooth and about the consistency of hummus or loose mashed potatoes.
- Return the paste to a saucepan and combine with the coconut oil over medium heat. Cook, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the paste thickens considerably and turns glossy. When it resembles very soft cookie dough and sticks to your spoon in one mass, you’re done. Chill the filling in the refrigerator while you make the mooncake skin, ideally 2-3 hours. The filling should be firm and cold by the time you assemble the cakes. (If breaking this up over time, you can also scoop the filling into 30- to 35-gram portions now, and freeze in mini scoops.)
- At least 2-3 days ahead, and 2-3 hours before assembly and baking: To make the skins, sift together the two flours. In a separate, large bowl, whisk together the golden syrup, alkaline water, and vegetable oil until blended. The mixture will likely not fully combine, but do the best you can to emulsify it. Next, add in the two flours and use a wooden spoon to stir until it forms a pebbly dough. Gather the mixture together and gently knead just until it comes together into one mass, taking care not to knead too vigorously. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 45 minutes to an hour.
- At least 2-3 days ahead, to assemble and bake: For miniature mooncakes made in a 50-gram mold, divide the chilled filling into 12 equal pieces and shape each of them into a ball. Each filling ball should weigh about 30-35 grams, or be about 2 generous tablespoons in volume. See Notes below on thoughts for a traditional-sized mooncake, and on inserting a salted yolk if desired.
- For each mooncake wrapper, scoop about 20 grams of the dough (a generous tablespoon or so) and roll it out between two pieces of parchment to about 3 to 3 ½ inches in diameter. You may want to flour your hands lightly for this next step, though I didn’t and it was generally fine. Place a ball of filling in the center and fold up the dough around the ball. It likely will not cover the whole ball at once. Gently push, press and squeeze the dough, holding the ball securely in your palm, until the dough gradually covers the ball. The firmer your filling, the easier this will be. If you have gaps, simply pinch off another small piece of dough, roll it out, and use it to patch the ball.
- Place the mooncake ball into your mold and turn it upright on your surface. Press the plunger down firmly but gently, until you feel resistance. Lift the mooncake mold off the table and use the plunger again to push the mooncake out. Place on a Silpat- or parchment-lined baking sheet while you make the rest. If it’s a hot day, you may want to place these in the fridge to keep their form while you finish folding.
- When you’re done forming the mooncakes, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Chill the mooncakes briefly while the oven preheats. When ready, bake mooncakes for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk an egg with a splash of water until smooth. Remove the mooncakes from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Brush on the egg wash, then bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown on top and fragrant.
- Let cool completely and, ideally, store the mooncakes in an airtight container for two days to “release oil” and allow the mooncake skins to become shiny, soft and supple. It’s at this point that they’re meant to be enjoyed. (But I won’t tell if you sneak one fresh.) Gift them to friends, or enjoy!
Notes
The recipe here is designed for miniature mooncakes, which are about 50-60 grams in size (or about ¼ cup). For 100-gram molds, you may need to play around with the sizes of the fillings and the skins to get the right shape.
If you’d like to use salted yolks (which I love), you will need less lotus paste or red bean paste filling for each mooncake. Depending on the size of your yolks, you may also want to slice them (carefully) in half for each mini-mooncake. As long as the yolk and paste together weigh around 30-35 grams, you are set. Wrap the filling around the yolk and then proceed with the mooncake wrapper as written.
Finally, a lot of storebought fillings incorporate lard for a richer mouthfeel, but most homemade recipes I found used regular vegetable oil instead. As a result, many of them noted problems with overly-soft fillings, so I sought to avoid that by using another fat that, like lard, was solid at room temperature. I opted for coconut oil, which lent the fillings a nice, nuanced coconut undertone, but feel free to use lard if you can find it in good quality and you’re comfortable. Otherwise, shortening may be another substitute, or just try regular oil as others have suggested.
molly yeh
SO MANY EMOTIONS ABOUT THIS. these are so freaking beautiful, cynthia, i can’t even! i need to carve out some time to make these asap.
tworedbowls
omg. Now I’m having visions of halva mooncakes…. CAN THAT HAPPEN?
Maria | pinkpatisserie
I’ve always wanted to try mooncakes, and have always been intrigued by them and their beauty! Yours are simply stunning…
tworedbowls
Oh my gosh, you will be in for a treat if you try one! Thank you so much!
stephanie
wow wow wow cynthia. these are SO gorgeous. would you believe it if i told you that my dad’s family used to make mooncakes and sell them way back in the day? they had those old school mooncake molds, the ones that are wooden without a part to push them out and you’d have to smack them against your hand to get the cake out. i have a soft spot in my heart for mooncakes because of that but i’ve never tried making them before! your recipe looks totally doable and delicious 🙂
tworedbowls
No freaking way, I love it!!! Your dad’s family is too legit — and yes those incredible wooden molds! I saw them on Amazon but was too afraid to try it that way… even though those molds are infinity times more beautiful. What an awesome story, Steph!! (And yes, these are toootally doable! If I can do it, you 200% can <3)
Michelle @ Hummingbird High
These are just so, so stunning! I can’t believe you can make them at home!!! They look so profesh too. Omg omg omg. In awe.
tworedbowls
Aww thanks lady!!! You’re too kind! Hugs to you <3
Monica
I applaud you so much. Being from Hong Kong and having just bought my mom a box of moon cakes and eagerly waiting to dig into some myself, I’m amazed by your homemade rendition. I adore moon cakes, the classic kind as you described, with a strong cup of tea. I have to restrain myself.
PS – moon cakes have gotten so expensive these days…if I had more skill/confidence, I would attempt it. : )
whiskandshout
You win the award for the prettiest mooncakes ever! And the best photography 🙂
thefriscobay
These are the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. I’ve had maybe one moon cake in my life but I think I need to eat about 100 of these.
Thalia @ butter and brioche
Wow mooncakes definitely take me back to my childhood and chinese heritage. I definitely need to recreate this recipe and get myself one of those mooncake moulds. Thanks for the inspiration…
ellie | fit for the soul
Mahhhh goodness, these are gorgeous!!!!! I’ve only tried moon cakes like twice but it was with a bunch of buffet type food so couldn’t really enjoy it like I should have. I love how you showed these steps, and the shapes are so stinkin’ cute. Perhaps too pretty to eat?
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
These are stunning!! Love, love, love this recipe!
myriam
mooncakes! i’ve always wanted to try making them, and now that you’ve given us a recipe i have no excuse not to. 🙂
genevieve y
I’m about to order the mooncake moulds from Amazon! Mooncake was such a big part of childhood. Can’t wait to make these this week!
Cate @ Chez CateyLou
These are so gorgeous! I’ve actually never had a Mooncake and didn’t know much about them – I loved learning a little more from your post! And now I’m dying to try one!
emily
You win for the best mind-reader ever! I was just thinking to myself, ‘Wow, someone should totally blog about how to make mooncakes from scratch. But for, like, real people. I bet Cynthia would tackle that shit.’ And then here you are – tackling that shit with aplomb! (Bomb aplomb is what I really wanted to say, but really?) I love these. And I’ll forgive you the lack of hom don — even though it’s totally my favorite part. 🙂 Lovely as usual, friend!
Tasty Yummies
Though I sadly cannot eat these, I HAD to stop by and tell you just how freakin’ gorgeous they are, these photos are just incredible! <3
nellierose
they’re soooooo prettyyyyyyyy. i feel like i should adopt these as pets. also, put them in my face.
Karishma@TangandSpice
Wow, these are so delicate and beautiful. They sound so delicious, too!
Tieghan
Wow oh wow!! cynthia these are beyond gorgeous and i have to get myself a press to make these. I am new to mooncakes, so clearly i am dying to make them!!
Belinda Lo (Moonblush Baker)
Your obsession with moon cake is no match to my mums. She has to make them at least once a month and nibbles on them constantly. She is addicted, more so I am surprise she is still so slim too! She does hers with green bean and green tea powder.
Anyway I love you have an old school moon cake press; makes them more beautiful and more temping (as if your photography skills were not enough).
Nazia @ Your Sunny Side Up
Gah I can’t get over how beautiful these look!
wallflourgirl
No way–while I’m guessing that your culinary genius makes this a cinch for you, I still can’t believe how easy this is compared to how difficult I thought it would be! I seriously live for moon cakes and the Mid-Autumn Festival–I’m a no-yolks kind of gal, though, so my relatives always get on my case about “wasting” the good stuff. Not any more! I’d love to make these mooncakes with lotus paste and all sorts of fillings. Now I’m super stoked to head home for the celebration–though moon cakes in Hong Kong were SO BOMB. Cheers, Cynthia!!
Kimberly/TheLittlePlantation
Before this post I’d never heard of mooncakes before. So thank you ever so much for sharing this part of Chinese heritage. And my oh my – they are so adorably beautiful. I LOVE the styling in these pictures – perfection. Thanks as always for the inspiration 🙂
Kimberly
Olivia Giovanni
Your photos are amazing!
Sini | My Blue&White Kitchen
I’ve never ever had mooncakes nor have I heard of them before (oops!). I’m so curious to know how they taste like as they look fantastic! We need a proper Chinatown here in the north!! Stunning pics as always. That mold is a gem…you could propably make some other pies with it, right?
Kathryn
A former colleague always used to bring mooncakes into the office at this time of year and I’m sad that we don’t get them anymore :/ Clearly the answer is that I should make them myself. These are so beautiful Cynthia!
From Me To Vuu
this post makes me so happy!! the cakes turned out so beautiful, cynthia! inspires me to whip out my mooncake mold…
Erika
omg omg omg.. I think I told you my neighbor makes these.. they sell them at their restaurant here in ATL.. These are AMAZING… you just keep blowing me away!!!
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health
i have never had mooncakes before but this looks so pretty! I wonder if stores around here sell these.
Millie | Add A Little
This looks amazing cynthai! Not to mention – they looks beautiful! The photos are great!
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen
These are basically the prettiest tiny cakes I’ve ever seen. My husband is just outside of Hong Kong for work right now – I know what I’m asking him to bring home with him tomorrow!
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
Cynthia, you’re amazing! You make all the things that I would never dream of attempting myself. These are gorgeous (who knew Amazon sold moon cake molds?! What DON’T they sell?) and bravo on making your own lotus paste.
cococakeland
i am so super stoked and cuted out that YOUR FAVOURITE DESSERT EVER is mooncakes!! i was getting all dreamy-eyed looking at your gorgeous in-the-making photos. that lil press/mold thingie from amazon – whattt! instant fancy times! and lucky you for experiencing the festival in HK last year! i love how deeply you embrace, and make cool, all things asian-y!!! they also seem easier than i imagined to make – so i am STOKED. next year, i moon-cake.
there is some decent mooncakeing going on in vancouver every year, too – they always remind me of my grandfather, who would buy them for us annually – now my mom makes sure we have them!
also… they have mooncakes at starbucks!? insane!! xoxo
Shikha la mode
Wait, the Moon Festival hasn’t happened yet, right? I’m literally so Asian I go raid the bakeries and buy up all the mooncakes in Chinatown. I’m weird like that. I need to mark my calendars!!
Giulia (馬慕蓮) (@mycitynotes)
These look amazing! Now I just need to find a mold to make them…hopefully this weekend before Autumn Festival! (which I totally forgot about until my Chinese teacher told me today! oops!)
Also when you say mini mooncakes how large is your mold? Is it the 3-3.5 inches you mentioned to roll the dough to?
Thanks! So excited to try this!
tworedbowls
Hi Giulia! I hope you find a mold too!! The mini mold I used was about 63g in weight (see the Notes above for more information) and the cakes were about 1/4 cup (U.S. measurements) in size. I think that’s about 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Hope that helps and hope you get a chance to try these!
christina loucas (@afroditeskitche)
so amazing Cynthia. pictures and the recipe. wowzers gorgeous!!
Lindsey
so beautiful, cynthia! and those molds! (i actually had a dream about them last night…that their design were the tops of mini cakes accented by powdered sugar on top! totally random, i know.) i can’t say i’ve ever had a mooncake before, but they look and sound totally delightful! btw, i’m super intrigued by lotus paste, and wondering what kind of flavor it lends?
anywho, hope hawaii is treating you all well! xo
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
Gorgeous mooncakes, the mold designs are so pretty!
kristie @ birchandwild.com
I have never had a mooncake, but these look incredible. And I am thinking that I might have to start experimenting with red bean paste!
Aimee Wimbush-Bourque
What a fascinating process to follow! Beautiful images and a splendid result.
Graham @ Glazed & Confused
If this isn’t love at first sight, then I don’t know what is.
Never heard of all of this mooncake madness, but these little babies are probably the most beautiful desserts I’ve ever seen. My mind is already thinking of the hundreds of fillings that could go up in the middle of one of these bad boys.
Seriously Cynthia, you’re a genius.
Jade Sheldon-Burnsed
Oh my, these are absolutely incredible…
HortusCuisine
Aw, Cynthia! These are STUNNING <3
I remember seeing them all the time around chinatown in this time of year. Then I never tried them because I had no idea what was in them since everything was written in Chinese, and i never paid too much attention to them. Now I wish I could try them. I can't even make them myself, as i can't fint the ingredients ._. oh well, I'll delight my eyes with yours.
<3
Anonymous
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! Having lived in Shanghai for the past 6 years before moving to Canada, recently I’ve been hunting for a simple yet authentic recipe for moon cakes – and this one looks absolutely perfect. Your photography also wonderful 🙂
Lynn @ The Actor's Diet
You are such a rock star for making these!
kristan
I has NO idea what mooncakes were, until today!!! These look absolutely beautiful. lovely post my friend!!
janice
You make these look so easy! They’re beautiful!! Now I’m tempted to make them. Do you think I can substitute honey for golden syrup? Don’t have any Lyle’s and am too impatient to order some and wait.
janice
Or maybe maple syrup?
tworedbowls
Hi Janice! I can’t say for sure, but I imagine that honey would work just fine! It’s about the same consistency as the golden syrup. But I’ve never tried it, so I’m just guessing … if you give it a shot, I’d love to hear your results!! And thank you so much for the kind words!
janice
I just finished making these! I ended up using a mixture of maple syrup and honey in a 3:1 ratio, and it worked out perfectly! Thanks for the recipe, my mom and I both think it’s yummy!
Heather
Those mooncakes look amazing! I’ll have to try making them sometime, when I’m feeling ambitious!
Valerie
I have always wanted to try mooncakes but could never find them…it never occurred to my befuddled mind that I could just make my own. This looks amazing!! Lotus seeds are lovely little deities, at first I thought they were petite macadamia nuts. 🙂
Nik@ABrownTable
I’ve always wanted to make these and keep telling myself I will buy the apparatus but never fall through. There are so many lovely designs to choose from it makes it hard. You’ve done an awesome job here!
Carol
these look so delicious and reminded me that i should call my mom.
Megan (Megan Makes Food)
These don’t only look delicious, but also are so pretty to look at. Like art. Beautiful!
Betty
Yay I love this!!! I can’t wait to make these next year, once I get my hands on some molds. In the meantime, I made my mom’s recipe for pork mooncakes – Suzhou style (苏式鲜肉月饼). Have you ever heard of / tried these? Very different from the Cantonese style, but just as traditional and delicious!!
alanafixfeastflair
These are absolutely fantastic. I am beyond impressed and inspired–they just look so beautiful!! Thank you for sharing and for inspiring all of us! xo
dinnersforwinners
So cool! Thanks for sharing something that is special to you, and completely new to me. They’re beautiful, too!
lilian
ooh cynthia, i can’t get over your mooncakes! good ones are really good…and bad ones are like hockey pucks. homemade is a great idea, though i could never make them so perfect. happy harvest moon festival to you!
Jourdie Ross
Ah! Where to even begin? So, I live in France these days and one of my main life projects is culturally educating my French friends with food from other cultures. An awesome pal in HK just sent me a box of mooncakes, which I shared with the folks here, but after the travel time they just couldn’t fully express the true goodness of mooncake-dom. People were not totally convinced, and I couldn’t help wondering if I just *might* have to take things into my own hands, but all the recipes I’ve seen before have been super complicated. You have officially solved my dilemma and majorly inspired me! Thanks a bunch, and btw, this post and your site in general are beautiful!
Katie @ Butterlust
Cythia, I have no idea how I overlooked this post last week but holy moly am I glad I didn’t miss it. These mooncakes are unbelievably beautiful! I used to have a coworker who grew up in Shanghai and introduced me to mooncakes during Mid-Autumn Festival one year. It was instant love but I never even dreamed I’d be able to make them because of unfamiliar ingredients & the necessary skill. You make it seem (almost) easy, and there are so few ingredients! LOVE!
tessahuff // style sweet ca
I’ve been wondering what a moon cake was since last year. Soooo glad I took the time to read your lovely post!! Sounds yummy =) Gorgeous pics, as always. Thanks for sharing and introducing us to such a delish treat!!