Mooncake

Traditional Cantonese Mooncake (Lotus Seed Paste with Salted Egg Yolk)

A classic baked mooncake with a golden, stamped crust and a dense lotus seed paste filling centered with a salted duck egg yolk — the customary treat for the Mid-Autumn Festival. The dough is unusual: it uses golden syrup and lye water for that signature tender, glossy crust and long keeping quality.

Prep

120 min

Cook

20 min

Total

140 min

Serves

8 mooncakes (about 70 g each)

Difficulty

Hard

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (7 oz / 1 cup) golden syrup, Lyle's Golden Syrup works; traditional Chinese golden syrup gives a deeper color
• •5 g (1¼ tsp) lye water (kansui), Alkaline agent that gives the crust its color and tenderness — do not omit
• •60 g (¼ cup) vegetable oil, neutral oil such as canola or peanut
• •250 g (8¾ oz / 2 cups) cake flour, low-protein flour; do not substitute with bread flour
• •1 g (¼ tsp) fine salt
• •600 g (21 oz) lotus seed paste, homemade or store-bought; should be thick enough to hold a ball shape
• •8 whole (8 yolks) salted duck egg yolks, vacuum-packed cooked yolks are fine; raw yolks should be steamed 8 min before use
• •1 whole large egg, for egg wash, beaten with 1 tsp water and a pinch of salt

Steps

1. 1 Make the syrup dough: In a bowl, whisk 200 g golden syrup, 5 g lye water, and 60 g vegetable oil until fully combined. Add 250 g cake flour and 1 g salt and stir with a spatula, then knead briefly by hand just until a soft, smooth dough forms — do not overwork. Wrap tightly and rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or ideally 4 hours; the dough relaxes and is easier to shape.
2. 2 Prepare the yolks: If using raw salted yolks, place them on a plate and steam over simmering water for 8 minutes, then cool. If using pre-cooked vacuum-packed yolks, rinse, pat dry, and lightly coat each with a thin film of vegetable oil (this keeps them from over-drying in the oven).
3. 3 Portion the filling: Divide the lotus seed paste into 8 equal balls of about 75 g each. Flatten one ball into a disc in your palm, place one yolk in the center, and wrap the paste around it, rolling back into a smooth ball. Repeat with all 8. Keep covered so they do not dry out.
4. 4 Portion and rest the dough: Divide the rested dough into 8 equal pieces of about 60 g each, roll each into a smooth ball, and cover. Let the dough balls rest 10–15 minutes before shaping — this prevents tearing.
5. 5 Shape the mooncakes: Lightly dust a dough ball with cake flour, then press it flat into a thin disc about 3 mm (⅛ in) thick, keeping the edges slightly thinner than the center. Place one filling ball in the middle and gently wrap the dough up and around it, sealing any tears by pinching closed. Roll the filled ball smooth between your palms.
6. 6 Mould the cakes: Lightly dust the inside of a wooden mooncake mould with cake flour and tap out the excess. Place one filled ball seam-side up in the mould, press down firmly with the palm of your hand, then push the plunger to release the cake onto a lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining balls, leaving at least 4 cm (1½ in) between cakes — they spread as they rest.
7. 7 Pre-bake to set the pattern: Place the tray in a preheated oven at 180 °C (350 °F) and bake for 5 minutes only. This sets the stamped design so the egg wash does not pool in the grooves.
8. 8 Egg wash and finish baking: Remove the tray. Gently brush the surface of each cake with a very thin layer of beaten egg (use a soft brush and barely any egg — pooled wash will fill in and erase the pattern). Return to the oven and bake at 175 °C (347 °F) for 12–15 minutes, until the crust is a deep golden brown and the internal temperature of the filling reaches 75 °C (165 °F).
9. 9 Cool and store: Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. The crust will be hard at first — that is normal. Seal the cooled mooncakes in an airtight container and rest at room temperature for 24–48 hours before slicing; the crust will soften and develop its characteristic tender, slightly waxy texture, and the flavor will round out. They keep 1–2 weeks at room temperature in a sealed tin.