A step-by-step guide for making mooncake, a traditional Chinese dessert typically eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival for good luck.
Mooncake is a traditional Chinese dessert, usually eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Find out how it's made in our step-by-step recipe below.
Method
To prepare the Chinese mooncake dough use a large bowl, mix the golden syrup, alkaline water and oil well together.
Sift in the flour. Use a spatula to combine all the ingredients. Don’t over–stir.
Knead into a dough. Cover with film wrap and rest for 40 minutes.
Mix egg yolks with wine. If the salted egg yolks are homemade and freshly broken from the shells, you’ll see the egg whites turn opaque after mixing with the wine a few minutes later.
Wipe the yolks dry with kitchen paper. Cut each into two halves. Set aside.
Roll the lotus paste into a long tube.
Cut into 12 equal portions of 35g/1.2 oz.
Roll each portion into a ball shape.
Set aside and preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Whisk the egg yolk with the egg white. Sift through a fine sieve.
Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a small ball shape.
Cover a dough portion with plastic film and roll into a thin disc. Then take a lotus paste ball and poke a hole in the middle with your finger.
Place the egg yolk inside and roll and shape into a ball. Wrap and seal the lotus paste ball with the dough disc.
Spray the mooncake mould and place the stuffed mooncake into the mould. Lightly press the mould handle, then remove the mooncake from the mould. Transfer the stuffed mooncake onto a lined baking tray. Repeat this step to finish the remaining dough and lotus paste.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 to 12 minutes.
Brush the mooncakes with the egg wash five minutes before removing from the oven.
Continue to bake until the pastry turns golden brown.
Remove from oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container. The pastry will become soft and shiny in one or two days: the mooncakes are ready to be enjoyed.
Mooncake recipe origins
Mooncakes are traditionally linked to the Mid-Autumn festival, when they are given as gifts between friends and family during the celebrations. They are usually eaten in small wedges accompanied by tea. Traditionally, the top of a mooncake is stamped with the Chinese characters for 'longevity' or 'harmony'. In addition to filling variations (see below), mooncakes also vary from one part of China to another in terms of different types of dough and decorations.
Mooncake fillings
The original and most traditional mooncake filling is lotus paste, which can be expensive so is sometimes combined with white kidney bean paste as a filler. Sweet bean paste is the next most popular filling – try this recipe courtesy of Kristina Cho. Cantonese mooncakes come in a variety of flavours, including some with savoury fillings such as ham, chicken, duck or pork. More modern versions include those filled with honey and pistachio or even Oreos!
This recipe was updated on 10/02/2023.
