Mooncakes

Sweet baked cakes filled with red bean paste

By
Clarice Lam
Clarice lam
Clarice Lam
Clarice is a pastry chef with over a decade of writing and creating recipes. Having lived in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orlando, and NYC in the United States; Canada, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Mexico, South Africa, France, Spain, and the UK, Clarice has had a lifetime of studying cuisines from around the globe.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/26/23
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Mooncakes with different designs

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 40 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Freeze/Chill: 40 mins
Total: 100 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 6 mooncakes

Mooncakes are the most iconic food of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important holiday for Chinese people next to Chinese New Year, but it is also celebrated in many countries across Asia. The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar and is celebrated with family gatherings, feasts, and an abundance of lights, lanterns, and candles. It is a celebration of the fullest and brightest moon of the year, hence the name mooncake.

Typically, mooncakes are made with a sweet baked dough on the outside and filled with either red bean or lotus seed paste and salted duck yolks to represent the full moon. This version is made with just red bean paste, but feel free to get creative and use your favorite nut or seed paste.

For this recipe, you will need mooncake molds, which are easily found online.

""My mooncakes came out very good for my first try. I probably used too much egg wash on some, but other than that, the recipe worked well and the flavor was excellent. Make sure you prep the work area as instructed and let the mooncakes cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet." — Diana Rattray

mooncakes/tester image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Lye Water Substitute:

  • 1 cup water

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the Mooncakes:

  • 1/2 cup honey

  • 1/2 teaspoon lye water substitute

  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil

  • 2 cups cake flour, more as needed

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 12 ounces red bean paste

  • Cooking spray

For the Egg Wash:

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 large egg yolks

  • 1 tablespoon whole milk

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Steps to Make It

Make the Lye Water Substitute

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Lye Water Substitute ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Combine the water and baking soda in a small pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil, about 7 minutes.

    Water and baking soda in a small pot, on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Set aside to cool (watch the pot closely to be sure water doesn't completely boil away. You will need 1/2 teaspoon of lye water substitute for this recipe).

    Water and baking soda mixture in a pot on a cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Make the Dough

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Mooncake dough ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Combine the honey, 1/2 teaspoon lye water substitute, vegetable oil, cake flour, and salt in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-low speed until the mixture comes together into a ball.

    Dough in a stand mixer

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate, at least 30 minutes. Place the red bean paste in a small bowl. Refrigerate, covered, at least 30 minutes.

    Dough ball wrapped in plastic and red bean paste in a bowl covered with plastic

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Meanwhile, spray a tiny bit cooking spray onto your work surface, then cover with a piece of plastic wrap. The oil will help the plastic wrap stay in place. The dough is sticky and is much easier to handle with the plastic wrap. It is helpful to wear latex gloves or oil your hands to prevent sticking.

    Wood cutting board wrapped with plastic and sprayed with cooking spray

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Divide the chilled dough into 6 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Divide the red bean paste into 6 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball.

    Dough balls and red bean paste balls on a platter

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Dust the top of the plastic wrap with some flour. Flatten each ball of dough into a disk about 1/4-inch thick and place a ball of red bean paste into the center of each.

    Red bean paste ball on top of a rolled out piece of dough on a floured surface, next to a rolling pin

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Wrap the dough around the paste and pinch the dough together to seal. Roll into a large, smooth, uniform ball.

    Fold dough around the red bean pate on the floured surface

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Dust the inside of a mooncake mold with flour. Place the filled dough ball into the mold and flatten it to fill the mold.

    Mooncake dough in a mold

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  9. Unmold the mooncake onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining portions. Leave at least 2-inches of space between each mooncake.

    Shaped mooncakes on a lined baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  10. Place the baking sheet of mooncakes in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Freezing will help the mooncake retain its shape and design while baking.

    Shaped mooncakes on a lined baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Make the Egg Wash

  1. Gather the ingredients. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 F.

    Egg wash ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Combine the egg, egg yolks, milk, and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

    Egg wash in a bowl, with a whisk

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Bake the Mooncakes

  1. With a pastry brush, brush the tops and the sides of the mooncakes lightly with the egg wash. Repeat with a second brush of egg wash.

    Mooncakes on a lined baking sheet and egg wash in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Bake until the mooncakes are golden brown, 15 to 19 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheet before removing and serving.

    Baked mooncakes on a lined baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

  • Lye water and red bean paste can be found in most Asian markets. We have provided you with a lye water substitute recipe, if that is preferred.
  • The yield will depend on the size and shape of the mooncake mold, so you may need to adjust accordingly.
  • The recipe makes 454 grams of dough (about 1 pound), and about 75.5 grams for each of the 6 mooncakes.
  • A 100g to 150g mold is perfect to yield 6 mooncakes.

Recipe Variation

  • Instead of red bean paste, the sweet dough can be stuffed with your favorite nut or seed paste.
  • Golden syrup, such as Lyle's, may be used instead of honey.

Storage

  • Keep the baked mooncakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
  • Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
517 Calories
16g Fat
84g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 517
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 21%
Saturated Fat 2g 11%
Cholesterol 124mg 41%
Sodium 504mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 84g 31%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 42g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 53mg 4%
Iron 5mg 26%
Potassium 215mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)