Mini Cantonese-Style Mooncakes

These Mini Cantonese-Style Mooncakes are a classic Mid-Autumn Festival treat. They feature a tender baked pastry with an often sweet, thick, rich and dense filling.

What is a mooncake?

Mooncakes are a Chinese pastry, traditionally enjoyed during Mid-Autumn Festival which takes place on the 15th day of the 8 month of the Chinese calendar (or in mid-September to early October in the Western calendar).

Traditional Cantonese mooncakes are round, with a tender pastry encasing a thick, sweet, dense filling.

The pastry features a imprinted design, usually of Chinese characters, however, modern mooncakes can have various designs.

Salted egg yolks are sometimes added in the centre of the filling, representing the full moon.

What's the difference between snowskin mooncakes and regular mooncakes?

Snowskin mooncakes are not baked and have a delicate chewy mochi-like skin.

They can feature fillings that are refrigerated or frozen, such as ice cream or custard.

Regular mooncakes are typically baked and have a exterior dough that is similar to short crust pastry.

Why this recipe works

This recipe comes from my Mom and yields mini Cantonese-style mooncakes, which are not only cute, but make for perfectly-sized individual portions.

The mooncakes use a homemade golden syrup (recipe below) and are not too sweet.

You can easily change up the filling to suit your taste.

Unlike delicate Snow skin Mooncakes, these mooncakes are baked and can be stored at room temperature.

The mooncakes are dairy-free.

Special equipment you'll need

In order to make mooncakes, you will need:

• mooncake mold: traditional molds are wooden, however I highly recommend using a plastic mold with a plunger attached. You can find them online, or in Asian specialty stores
  • for this recipe, I used a 50g mini mooncake mold (square)
  • you can use a larger mooncake mold, but will need to adjust for the sizing difference
  • other recipes using mooncake mold: Pineapple Cakes (Feng Li Su) 鳳梨酥, Macau-Style Almond Mung Bean Cookies
• candy thermometer: for measuring the temperature of the golden syrup
• pastry brush: for brushing the egg wash on the mooncakes
• spray water bottle: for lightly misting the mooncakes prior to baking

Ingredients you'll need

Golden syrup: (best made 2 weeks earlier); is a thick, invert sugar syrup processed with an acid; it has a light honey colour and is also known as light treacle

• granulated sugar
• water
• lemon: with skin on, cut into small cubes
• white vinegar
• baking soda

Pastry:

• all-purpose flour: plus extra for dusting
• golden syrup
• vegetable oil: you can use any vegetable oil, such as avocado or peanut
• lye water: is a strong alkali and helps the pastry skin brown, as well keep it tender; you can find lye water in Asian supermarkets; also used in Steamed BBQ Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao) and making Chinese noodles

Filling:

• lotus seed paste (lotus paste): is a common filling for mooncakes and is made with lotus seed, sugar and oil; it is thick, slightly sweet, and has a beige/tan colour; you can find packaged lotus seed paste in Asian supermarkets

Egg wash:

• beaten egg yolk + water: gives the pastry a golden brown colour

How to make the mini mooncakes

Make the golden syrup: (best done 2 weeks prior)

Add sugar and water into a small pot and bring to a simmer over high heat.

Let the sugar completely dissolve and then reduce to very low heat.

Add in the lemon and vinegar, cooking until the mixture reaches 105°C on a candy thermometer, about 10-20 minutes. Once the syrup reaches 108°C, remove from heat. Don't let the mixture go above 108°C.

Add in the baking soda (dissolved in 1 teaspoon water).

Let the syrup cool, and then strain into a clean and sterilized glass jar.

Store at room temperature for up to 6 months or longer.

Prepare the pastry dough

In a bowl, mix together golden syrup, vegetable oil and lye water.

Add in all-purpose flour and use your hands to gently mix until combined. Be careful not to over mix.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 1 hour, or overnight in the fridge.

Prepare the filling

Divide the lotus seed paste into 12 equal portions and roll into balls, about 35g each.

If adding salted egg yolks:

With your finger, indent the lotus seed paste ball and add ¼ of a salted egg yolk.

Enclose the salted egg yolk with the lotus seed paste and roll into a ball.

Assemble

Divide the pastry dough into 12 equal portions, about 15g each.

Roll into round balls.

Place the dough ball in between plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to roll it out very thinly.

Add the lotus seed paste filling in the centre, and enclose with the pastry dough.

Roll the pastry with your palms into a smooth round ball.

Lightly dust the round ball in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour. Brush off any excess flour.

Roll into a slight oval shape.

Place the dough into a 50g mooncake mold and gently press with your thumb to fill the corners.

Invert the mold onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Press down on the plunger twice (firmly) and then release the mooncake out of the mold.

Repeat with the remainder.

Bake the mooncakes

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Before baking, lightly spray the mooncakes with water.

Bake the mooncakes at 325°F for 10 minutes.

Remove the mooncakes and reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

Let the mooncakes cool for 15 minutes.

Lightly brush the mooncakes with egg wash (avoiding the indented areas to retain the imprinted design).

Wait 2 minutes for egg wash to dry and apply a second light coating of egg wash.

After 15 minutes, return the mooncakes back into the oven at 300°F for 12-15 minutes, until golden in colour.

Remove the mooncakes from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.

Store cooled mooncakes in an airtight container, lined with parchment paper.

Let mooncakes sit for 2 days at room temperature before serving.

How to store

Fridge:

Store mooncakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Freezer:

Freeze the mooncakes in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

To reheat from frozen, bake the mooncakes at 300°F for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.

Note: If the surface begins to brown quickly, cover with aluminum foil.

Cool completely prior to serving.

How to serve

Serve the mini mooncakes as a snack with your choice of tea.

Filling variations

You can change up the filling and use any of the following:

Note: thicker, dense fillings are best for baked traditional mooncakes.

• bean paste:
  • red bean paste
  • black bean/black sesame paste
  • white bean paste
  • mung bean paste
• salted egg yolk
• mixed nuts
• custard
• durian
• matcha
• ube/taro paste/sweet potato

FAQs & expert tips

Why do I need to let the mooncake sit for 2 days?

This lets the exterior pastry dough absorb and even out the oil from the filling.

My mooncake cracked.

It's possible the mooncake may have been baked for too long, or at too high of an oven temperature.

Why is lye water added to the dough?

Lye water helps with browning the mooncakes, and balances the golden syrup's acidity.

What can I use instead of lye water?

You can use ½ teaspoon of baking soda mixed with 2 teaspoon water.

Note that the baking soda-water combination may yield a paler mooncake.

Other Chinese pastry recipes you may like

Be sure to check out these recipes:

Snowskin Mooncakes

Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes (Feng Li Su) 鳳梨酥

Wife Cakes (老婆餅)

Homemade Chinese Egg Tarts

Chinese Macau-Style Almond Mung Bean Cookies

Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Mini Cantonese-Style Mooncakes

These Mini Cantonese-Style Mooncakes are a classic Mid-Autumn Festival treat. They feature a tender baked pastry with an often sweet, thick, rich and dense filling.

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Cantonese, Chinese

Servings: 12

Calories: 187kcal

Author: Michelle

For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.

Ingredients

Golden syrup: (make 2 weeks ahead of time; yields more than required for mooncakes)

• 400 g granulated sugar
• 145 ml water
• 1 large lemon cut into small cubes, with skin on
• 15 ml white vinegar
• ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon water

Pastry:

• 60 ml golden syrup
• 25 ml vegetable oil
• 2 ml lye water
• 100 g all-purpose flour

Filling:

• 420 g lotus seed paste

Egg wash:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon water

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Make the golden syrup: (best done 2 weeks prior)

• Add sugar and water into a small pot and bring to a simmer over high heat.
• Let the sugar completely dissolve and then reduce to very low heat.
• Add in the lemon and vinegar, cooking until the mixture reaches 105°C on a candy thermometer, about 10-20 minutes. Once the syrup reaches 108°C, remove from heat. Don't let the mixture go above 108°C.
• Add in the baking soda (dissolved in 1 teaspoon water).
• Let the syrup cool, and then strain into a clean and sterilized glass jar.
• Store at room temperature for up to 6 months or longer.

Prepare the pastry dough:

• In a bowl, mix together golden syrup, vegetable oil and lye water.
• Add in all-purpose flour and use your hands to gently mix until combined. Be careful not to over mix.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 1 hour, or overnight in the fridge.

Prepare the filling:

• Divide the lotus seed paste into 12 equal portions and roll into balls, about 35g each.

If adding salted egg yolks:

• With your finger, indent the lotus seed paste ball and add ¼ of a salted egg yolk.
• Enclose the salted egg yolk with the lotus seed paste and roll into a ball.

Assemble:

• Divide the pastry dough into 12 equal portions, about 15g each.
• Roll into round balls.
• Place the dough ball in between plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to roll it out very thinly.
• Add the lotus seed paste filling in the centre, and enclose with the pastry dough.
• Roll the pastry with your palms into a smooth round ball.
• Lightly dust the round ball in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour. Brush off any excess flour.
• Roll into a slight oval shape.
• Place the dough into a 50g mooncake mold and gently press with your thumb to fill the corners.
• Invert the mold onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Press down on the plunger twice (firmly) and then release the mooncake out of the mold.
• Repeat with the remainder.

Bake the mooncakes:

• Preheat oven to 325°F/163°C.
• Before baking, lightly spray the mooncakes with water.
• Bake the mooncakes at 325°F/163°C for 10 minutes.
• Remove the mooncakes and reduce the oven temperature to 300°F/149°C.
• Let the mooncakes cool for 15 minutes.
• In a small bowl, beat together egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water.
• Lightly brush the mooncakes with egg wash (avoiding the indented areas to retain the imprinted design).
• Wait 2 minutes for egg wash to dry and apply a second light coating of egg wash.
• After 15 minutes, return the mooncakes back into the oven at 300°F/149°C for 12-15 minutes, until golden in colour.
• Remove the mooncakes from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.
• Store cooled mooncakes in an airtight container, lined with parchment paper.
• Let mooncakes sit for 2 days at room temperature before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 11mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 22IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.4mg

The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.

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