Because the Mid-Autumn Pageant approaches, conventional Cantonese mooncakes make their annual look. Artfully molded pastries crammed with a candy nut or bean primarily based filling, these lovely pastries are vital for gifting to family and friends and making a festive temper. Lately you may pretty simply discover mooncakes in Chinatown and at giant Asian markets. However nothing beats the home made sort, which tastes far more aromatic and isn’t tremendous candy. 

The most typical mooncake fillings are lotus seed paste filling and crimson bean paste filling. However on this publish, I wish to share my favourite mooncake taste – black sesame filling. In comparison with the opposite fillings, this one is nuttier, softer and extra aromatic, with out the everyday sticky texture the opposite fillings have. I prefer to pair it with salted duck yolks, including a savory be aware and balancing out the sweetness.

What are conventional mooncakes?

• Dough made with golden syrup (inverted sugar syrup), a bit of kansui (alkaline water), oil, and cake flour. These substances yield a young however shape-holding pastry.
• Filling with a excessive oil content material (typically lard historically; butter or vegetable oil in trendy days), a candy bean or seed paste, ceaselessly paired with salted duck egg yolk. The fats not solely enriches the flavour but in addition permits the mooncake to “relaxation” into its very best texture.
• Skinny pores and skin enveloping a beneficiant filling, typically with lovely mold-pressed designs. The steadiness between dough and filling is essential.

To make the intricate mooncake patterns, you will have to buy mooncake molds. There are conventional picket molds obtainable, however most house cooks choose the plastic sort as a result of they’re simpler to make use of.

Mooncake molds normally are available 50-gram and 100-gram sizes, with the quantity indicating the burden of the mooncake made by it. Most home made recipes (together with this one) work higher with the 50-gram mildew. It makes mini sized mooncakes which are very cute in look and simpler to serve and present. Bigger mooncakes are sometimes lower into quarters or halves when served, as a result of they’re fairly wealthy and candy. 

You possibly can simply discover all types of mooncake molds on Amazon. Select your favourite patterns, however ensure you get the hand-press sort mildew. 

Mooncake dough substances

Conventional mooncakes don’t require a number of substances, however you will have to buy a couple of specialty substances. Luckily, it’s getting simpler and simpler to buy these specialty substances on-line. And I’ve additionally included detailed posts on find out how to make the specialty substances at house. 

Golden syrup

Additionally known as inverted sugar. It attracts and retains moisture. This retains the pastry tender, prevents crystallization, and helps the crust keep gentle after the “resting” interval (回油, hui you). It has a deep, caramel-like style. It additionally provides the dough flexibility and simply the suitable stickiness, so it molds cleanly and holds the intricate mooncake patterns after urgent.

In brief, golden syrup supplies taste, coloration, moisture, and workability. They’re all essential for attaining genuine mooncakes.

You should purchase golden syrup on Amazon. 

If golden syrup is just not obtainable the place you reside, you can too use my home made golden syrup recipe to make it at house.

Kasui 

Kansui (alkaline water, lye water, 枧水) works hand-in-hand with golden syrup in mooncake dough. Since golden syrup is barely acidic, a small quantity of kansui neutralizes that acidity, stopping the dough from being too sticky or weak. It additionally strengthens the gluten bonds simply sufficient so the dough is pliable however not powerful. This permits the dough to be very skinny with out cracking. Lastly, it helps the pastry take in oil from the filling extra evenly through the resting interval, giving the pores and skin that shiny, tender end.

You possibly can normally discover kansui in Chinese language markets, some giant Asian markets equivalent to Ranch 99, and at Chinatown outlets. You could find it on Amazon as effectively. 

If not obtainable, you should use my home made kansui information to make it utilizing baking soda.

Cake flour

Cake flour is one other key ingredient to create the tender mooncake dough texture. 

Mooncakes in China are normally made with all-purpose flour. In comparison with the fortified flour within the US, Chinese language flour is milled in a different way and finer in texture. It’s not fortified and has a decrease gluten content material (about 2%). Within the US, the closest sort is cake flour. It’s important to create a young and pliable dough.

If you happen to’re near a Chinese language market or giant Asian markets, one other nice different is to purchase Chinese language all-purpose flour or Korean all-purpose flour. Each yield a barely higher texture than US-made cake flour.

That being mentioned, it’s attainable to make use of all-purpose flour. Your dough would possibly come out a bit of more durable, however I’ve included tips about find out how to work with more durable dough within the recipe under. 

Mooncake filling substances

Black sesame paste is my favourite mooncake filling and I spent a number of time creating the very best texture. Listed below are among the key substances in addition to black sesame seeds.

White beans

Most black sesame mooncake filling is just not fabricated from 100% black sesame seeds. As a result of 1) black sesame seeds are costly. 2) Black sesame seeds alone don’t yield the signature clean texture that each mooncake filling ought to have. 

On this recipe, I used white beans as a result of their very delicate taste and tender texture. They work as a binder so the filling is shapable. Attributable to their delicate style, the black sesame seeds mix proper in and the filling received’t style beany in any respect. 

Butter

Historically, mooncake makers most well-liked to make use of lard of their filling, as a result of it solidifies at room temperature and it makes the mooncakes straightforward to form. In trendy days, most individuals choose to make use of vegetable oil. 

In my recipe, I selected butter over vegetable oil as a result of: 1) It provides a richer aroma to the filling and a pair of) butter solidifies within the fridge, making the filling simpler to form.

Maltose

Maltose (麦芽糖) is commonly utilized in conventional mooncake fillings. It’s a very sticky and thick syrup at room temperature. It binds the paste collectively, making it clean, shiny, and cohesive slightly than crumbly. You could find maltose in Chinese language markets and on Amazon.

That being mentioned, I’ve made black sesame filling with out maltose and the outcome was fairly good. If you happen to would not have this ingredient, merely skip it and your mooncakes will prove properly.

Salted duck yolk

Salted duck yolk is a basic component in Cantonese mooncakes and it’s my favourite factor about them. The wealthy, salty yolk balances the candy, dense filling, making the mooncakes extra advanced and stopping them from tasting overly candy. Salted yolks have a sandy, crumbly texture that contrasts superbly with the sleek filling.

You possibly can normally discover frozen cooked duck egg yolks at Chinese language markets. It’s additionally attainable to buy complete salted duck eggs and use solely the yolks, however the packaged frozen sort is way more handy.

Alternatively, if you don’t like this ingredient, it’s completely OK to skip it as effectively. On this case, you will have to make additional black sesame filling (see extra particulars within the recipe under).

Different filling alternate options

If you don’t want to make black sesame paste filling, you have got a couple of different choices.

You should use store-bought mooncake filling. And the most typical sorts are crimson bean paste and lotus seed paste. When searching for crimson bean paste, make sure that to examine the substances – it ought to include oil and maltose. That is the proper sort for making mooncakes. Crimson bean paste made with water however not oil is just not appropriate for mooncakes.

If in case you have additional time, think about making these fillings at house. I’ve recipes for lotus seed paste filling and crimson bean paste filling. In comparison with the shop purchased sort, home made paste has a richer style and is extra aromatic. You can even modify the sweetness stage to fit your personal style. 

The best way to make

Conventional mooncakes require some effort and time to make. However in case you’re organized and never rushed, it’s a really stress-free and pleasant course of. Be sure you have half a day and put in your favourite music or TV present!

Put together the mooncake filling

My home made black sesame filling has a fluffier and softer texture than the shop purchased sort. However it requires a bit of extra chill time so it’s simpler to work with.

1. Mix the black sesame seeds till they begin to seep oil. This ensures a clean filling with out tasting gritty. I like to make use of toasted black sesame seeds as a result of they’re simpler to work with and yield a greater outcome. If utilizing uncooked sesame seeds, you need to roast them till they’re cooked by beforehand.

2. Add the sugar and white beans and mix till it varieties a paste. The paste is sort of thick and your meals processor would possibly cease at first is absolutely blended. You possibly can add a bit of water on this case. If you happen to add water, you will have to spend extra time cooking off the water later, so the paste is dry sufficient to form.

3. Soften the butter and prepare dinner the butter into the paste. Then fold within the maltose, if utilizing. The paste ought to look fairly dry as soon as cooked. And it’ll solidify additional as soon as cooled off. It is very important prepare dinner the paste sufficient till it’s fairly dry. In any other case the mooncakes might be very tough to form.

Put together the mooncake dough

Mooncake dough is sort of straightforward to place collectively. An important factor is to measure out the substances in grams, so the dough has the proper texture. 

1. Combine golden syrup, kansui, oil and salt collectively. Stir them very effectively till the combination emulsifies. This step is essential. You need the golden syrup and kansui to react, so the dough varieties correctly.

2. Add the flour and form the dough. All the time utilizing a scraping and folding movement, to keep away from growth of an excessive amount of gluten. The dough might be fairly gentle and sticky, however ought to nonetheless maintain its personal form. 

3. As soon as the substances are absolutely included, form and gently work the dough together with your palms till it varieties a ball. Relaxation the dough for at the very least two hours, as much as half a day. Don’t refrigerate the dough.

Put together the mooncake filling

1. Measure out 30 grams of filling utilizing a scale. It needs to be 30 grams in complete if utilizing each salted duck egg and black sesame paste. If you don’t plan to make use of duck egg yolks, it is best to measure 30 grams of black sesame paste.
2. Form every filling right into a ball. If utilizing the egg yolk, wrap the yolk within the sesame paste then form it right into a ball. 
3. Retailer the formed filling within the freezer for half-hour when you put together the mooncake dough. This course of additional solidifies the filling, making it a lot simpler to work with throughout shaping.

To assemble the mooncakes

1. As soon as the mooncake dough is rested, divide the dough into 20-gram items and form them into balls. 
2. To wrap a mooncake, press the dough piece in your palm so it’s skinny within the middle and thicker on the sides. Place the filling within the middle. Slowly unfold the dough over the filling so it covers the filling completely. The mooncake dough needs to be gentle and really pliable, with only a few cracks throughout wrapping. In case your dough seems powerful and exhausting to work together with your palms, you can too roll out the dough utilizing a rolling pin. On this case, sandwich the dough between two items of parchment paper to forestall it from sticking.

3. You wish to assemble all of the mooncakes earlier than transferring to the subsequent step. Cowl the assembled however not formed mooncakes with plastic wrap to forestall them from drying out. 

4. As soon as wrapped, mud the dough floor with a skinny layer of flour. Place the dough ball into the mooncake mildew. Then press the mildew to form the sample. This step would possibly require a bit of trial and error. You wish to press fairly exhausting, till there’s no room to maneuver. If you happen to discover dough beginning to seep out from the mildew, you’re urgent too exhausting. When you’ve pressed down, you wish to maintain and press the mildew for at the very least 5 seconds. That is key to make sure the sample stamps correctly and doesn’t bounce again later.

5. Place the mooncakes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. As soon as the patterns are stamped, you wish to bake them as quickly as attainable to forestall the dough from drying out. If you happen to’re working very slowly, you will have to cowl the formed mooncake with plastic wrap. However watch out to not press the wrap onto the mooncake, which could mess up the sample.

Bake the mooncakes

1. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for five minutes, so the dough is agency sufficient for the egg wash. Brush a really skinny layer of egg wash onto the arched patterns and attempt to keep away from the caved space. So solely the arched space will turn out to be darker, giving the mooncake a extra three-dimensional look. 

2. Decrease the oven temperature to 350°F (176°C) and bake for an additional 12 to fifteen minutes, till the mooncakes flip golden brown. As soon as baked, the mooncakes will look a bit of dry and the colours uneven. However relaxation assured, they are going to look shinier and extra even as soon as rested for a day or two.

Cooking suggestions

A scale is the important thing to success

Making mooncakes requires precision. For the suitable texture, you will have the proper ratio of flour to golden syrup to kansui. You wish to measure the filling amount so the mooncake has an acceptable proportion of dough to filling. Volumetric measurement and eyeballing merely won’t lower it for this recipe. 

Be versatile on temperature and baking time

Completely different ovens will range of their temperature consistency. I’ve baked mooncakes at 400°F (200°C) and 350°F (176°C), each with good outcomes. I discovered it greatest to bake first at the next temperature for the dough to set, so I can brush the egg wash on simply. Then cut back to a decrease temperature to bake evenly and additional develop the colour. Keep watch over the mooncakes whereas baking. If the mooncakes begin to develop coloration too shortly, you would possibly wish to cut back the baking time. If the mooncake doesn’t develop coloration in direction of the top of cooking, think about elevating the temperature again to 400°F (200°C).

Serving and storage

Let the mooncakes relaxation for twenty-four to 72 hours after baking. Taste and texture enhance with time. 

Retailer in an hermetic container at room temperature if attainable, and eat them inside every week. Refrigeration can alter their texture.
If freezing, wrap them effectively and retailer them within the freezer for as much as two months. Thaw them within the fridge slowly, and let the mooncakes return to room temperature earlier than serving. 

Often requested questions

Last ideas

Conventional Cantonese mooncakes are beautiful when achieved proper, not only for their ornate look, but in addition for the concord of candy, salty and savory umami. It should take a bit of follow and endurance to make them properly, however the result’s undoubtedly rewarding. Even with packing containers of them on the market all over the place this season, home made mooncakes provide qualities typically misplaced in industrial manufacturing. You possibly can style the freshness of the substances and spot a a lot better depth of taste. I additionally like home made mooncakes as a result of they’re much less candy and never as heavy because the industrial sort. Lastly, an edible present made with your personal palms is all the time extra particular. 

If you happen to’re curious about studying about different kinds of mooncakes, take a look at my Snow Pores and skin Mooncake with Custard Filling and Pastry Mooncake with Salty Egg Yolk. 

Pleased Mid-Autumn Pageant and I hope you get pleasure from these home made mooncakes!

My home made conventional mooncake makes use of a creamy nutty black sesame filling paired with salted duck egg yolk, making a wealthy but not-to-sweet pastry that’s way more aromatic than the shop purchased ones. I’ve included detailed step-by-step photos together with a video, exhibiting you find out how to make this delicate Chinese language pastry in your personal kitchen.

Prepare dinner ModeForestall your display from going darkish

To make mooncake filling

• Add the black sesame seeds right into a meals processor. Mix till the sesame seeds begin to seep oil and thicken, about 2 minutes. Use a spatula to completely scrape the paste from the partitions and backside of the meals processor. Mix once more till it varieties a positive paste, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the paste from the partitions and backside.

• Add sugar and white beans. Mix once more till every part is absolutely blended. If the paste is just too thick to mix, you may add a really small quantity of water. Switch the paste to a bowl.

• Warmth half of the butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium warmth till melted. Add the bean paste. Prepare dinner and stir till the butter is absolutely absorbed. Add the remainder of the butter and prepare dinner till absolutely absorbed. Add the maltose if utilizing. Prepare dinner and stir till the paste turns into fairly dry and capable of maintain its personal form, 3 to 4 minutes. Switch the sesame paste to a plate and unfold it out. Let cool fully. You possibly can retailer the sesame paste within the fridge to make it simpler to deal with later.

To make mooncake dough

• Mix golden syrup, kansui, vegetable oil and salt in a big bowl. Combine with a spatula till emulsified.

• Add cake flour into the bowl. Gently fold the dough with a movement of scraping from backside to high, like you’re folding a cake dough. Don’t stir the dough in a round movement. It should toughen the dough.

• When the flour is absolutely mixed, form the dough right into a ball together with your palms. The dough needs to be gentle and a bit sticky however nonetheless maintain its form. Seal with plastic wrap. Let relaxation for two hours.

Measure the mooncake filling and dough

• As soon as it has cooled off, divide the sesame paste into 30-gram parts if not utilizing duck egg yolks. Or add half a duck egg yolk and a few sesame paste onto a scale, in order that it weighs 30 grams in complete. Form the sesame paste right into a ball, then press the middle to type a disk. Place the egg yolk within the middle. Wrap the sesame paste across the yolk till absolutely coated, then form it right into a small ball. Place it onto a tray,

• After you have formed all of the mooncake fillings, cowl them with plastic wrap and place them within the freezer. Wait till the balls harden so that they’re simpler to deal with, half-hour or so. (*Footnote 3)

• As soon as the mooncake dough is rested, scoop and measure 20g dough items. Form every dough piece right into a ball utilizing your palms. Then place them onto a big tray. Cowl the tray with plastic wrap to forestall the dough from drying out.

To assemble mooncakes

• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.

• Place a dough piece onto your palm and use your thumb to flatten the dough from the middle, till it varieties a spherical disk that’s thinner within the middle and thicker on the skin. Place the black sesame filling within the middle. Rigorously wrap the dough across the filling. Unfold the dough till it seals the filling in fully. The dough needs to be very gentle however not sticky, and straightforward to form, like gentle clay. (*Footnote 4) If you happen to discover the dough too thick in some spots, pull off the dough and clean the floor. It doesn’t matter if the dough is so skinny that it reveals the colour of the filling. Roll the dough between your palms till the dough varieties a clean ball.

• Slide the plastic sample disc into the mooncake mildew, sample aspect down. Twist the deal with to lock the sample disc so it’s safe.

• Mud each palms and the mooncake dough with a little bit of cake flour, so it’s straightforward to launch from the mildew. Rigorously place the mooncake into the mildew.

• Place the mildew on a clear working floor and firmly press the deal with till you can not transfer it any additional. Maintain the deal with down for at the very least 5 seconds so the sample sticks. Then launch the mildew from the desk and push the deal with to launch the mooncake onto the lined baking sheet. Work on the remainder of the mooncakes and place them onto the tray, about 1” (1.5 cm) aside. Spray a really small quantity of water onto the mooncakes to forestall the dough from cracking. Bake for five minutes till the patterns are set. The perimeters of the mooncakes ought to flip pale golden.

• In the meantime, make the egg wash by beating the egg yolk with milk (or water) in a small bowl.

• Take away the mooncakes from the oven. Brush a skinny layer of egg wash onto the floor of the mooncakes. Solely brush the highest surfaces, not the vertical (aspect) surfaces. Attempt to solely brush it onto the arched sample, and never the recessed concave space. If you happen to unintentionally brush an excessive amount of egg wash and it fills within the sample, use a small brush to wash the gaps and take away the surplus egg wash.

• Place the mooncakes again within the oven and decrease the oven temperature to 350°F (176°C). Proceed baking till the egg wash turns golden brown, 12 to fifteen minutes.

• Let mooncakes cool on the tray for 20 minutes earlier than eradicating (*footnote 5). Then switch to a plate to chill fully.

• As soon as cooled fully, retailer the mooncakes in an hermetic container. The mooncakes could be served after 24 hours, and they’re going to look and style higher after 2 days. (Footnote 6)

Retailer

• Retailer the mooncakes in an hermetic container in a cool darkish space for as much as 1 week, or within the fridge for two to three weeks, or within the freezer for as much as 2 months. If saved within the fridge, let the mooncakes return to room temperature earlier than serving. Thaw frozen mooncakes within the fridge in a single day earlier than serving.

Ingredient Substitution Information

1. To make black sesame mooncakes with out egg yolk, double the black sesame filling and it is possible for you to to make 18 mini mooncakes.
2. Mooncake making requires precision and you need to use a meals scale to measure the substances. Utilizing volumetric measurement received’t be correct sufficient and your mooncakes may not come out properly in case you go by quantity.
3. Sesame filling is just not as sticky as different mooncake fillings, equivalent to lotus seed and crimson bean paste. That’s why I choose to relax the filling within the freezer earlier than wrapping, so the filling hardens up.
4. In case your dough seems too powerful to form together with your palms (normally occurs in case you use all-purpose flour, which comprises extra gluten and makes a more durable dough), you are able to do this as an alternative: Place the dough between two items of parchment. Press it right into a flat disc. Roll it right into a small spherical sheet. It needs to be pretty straightforward to wrap the dough utilizing the dough sheet. If the dough sheet breaks off, you may simply patch it onto the filling till the filling is absolutely coated.
5. The mooncakes might be flaky and gentle when scorching. If you happen to take away them proper after baking, the truffles will crush simply.
6. The method is named 回油 (Hui You), a course of whereby the oil from the filling releases into the dough, making the mooncake dough softer. The mooncake will look a bit of dry instantly after baking, however will look moist and tender after a day or two. The patterns can even have a rounder, nicer look.

Serving: 1serving, Energy: 230kcal, Carbohydrates: 27.4g, Protein: 5.2g, Fats: 11.9g, Saturated Fats: 3.6g, Ldl cholesterol: 112mg, Sodium: 52mg, Potassium: 162mg, Fiber: 2.1g, Sugar: 9.7g, Calcium: 104mg, Iron: 2mg

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to listen to the way it turned out for you! Please take a second to go away a 5-star score ⭐️ and share your ideas within the feedback additional down the web page. It actually helps others uncover the recipe too.

And in case you snapped a photograph, don’t neglect to tag @omnivorescookbook on Instagram. I can’t wait to see your creations!

This recipe was initially printed in September 2015 and was up to date in September 2025 (wow it has been 10 years!). Within the up to date model, I did a couple of issues in a different way:

1. I used industrial golden syrup and kansui as an alternative of the home made sort. In comparison with 10 years in the past, each substances are extra obtainable and it’s straightforward to buy them on-line. I like to recommend utilizing the industrial sort as an alternative of home made, if attainable. As a result of the acid stage within the syrup and alkaline stage within the lye water usually are not exact if you make them at house. Utilizing the home made variations would possibly lead to cracked mooncake dough.
2. As an alternative of utilizing glutinous rice flour, I used white beans within the filling as a binder. The beans enhance the mooncake texture and make it smoother.
3. The brand new recipe has a barely improved dough texture that’s simpler to work with.
4. I up to date the shaping methodology and baking temperature, so the mooncakes look higher.