Cantonese Lotus Seed Mooncakes

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Pastries doughnuts Medium

A thin, tender golden-syrup crust wraps smooth lotus seed paste and a salted egg yolk. The cakes are baked, then rested a day or two until the crust turns soft and shiny. Makes 8 mooncakes in about 26 hr.

Prep 90 min

Cook 30 min

Cooling 24 hr

Total 26 hr

Yield 8 mooncakes

Ingredients

Adjust yield

mooncakes

¼ cup (85 g)golden syrup or light corn syrup
2 tbsp (30 ml)peanut oil or neutral oil
¼ oz (2 g)lye water (kansui), about 1/2 teaspoon
1 cup (125 g)all-purpose flour
1 ¼ lb (520 g)lotus seed paste (store-bought)
8 (144 g)salted egg yolks, cooked or cured, patted dry
1 tbsp (15 ml)rice wine or vodka, for spraying yolks
1 (18 g)egg yolk
2 tsp (10 ml)water

Fresh ingredient guides

PeanutsHow to pick, season & nutrition · 176 kcal per 30 g

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Spritz or brush the yolks with the rice wine and bake 5 minutes on a small tray, then cool. Divide the lotus paste into 8 balls (about 65 g each).
Wrap each yolk in a ball of paste, then roll smooth. These should stay in the fridge until the skin is ready.
Whisk the syrup, oil and lye water in a bowl. Add the flour and fold to a soft dough. Wrap and rest 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 8 pieces (about 30 g). Flatten one piece into a 4-inch round, place a filled ball in the center and pull the skin up around it, pinching closed with no thin spots.
Dust the ball with flour and press it into a lightly floured 100 g mooncake mold. Push out onto a parchment-lined tray, spacing evenly.
Bake 5 minutes, remove, brush lightly with egg wash and bake 15 to 18 minutes more, until deep golden brown.
Cool completely on the tray, then store airtight at room temperature 24 to 48 hours until the crust softens and turns glossy before eating.

Tips

The skin will seem sticky; dust lightly and work quickly.
Use only store-bought lye water with measured amounts; it is not a pantry substitute.
Resting after baking (the crust softening) is what makes it right.
Fully cook or cure salted egg yolks before filling.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make cantonese lotus seed mooncakes?

Plan on 90 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking, plus 24 hours to chill. The recipe makes 8 mooncakes.

How should I store cantonese lotus seed mooncakes?

Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days after the resting period, or refrigerate up to 1 week.

Can I make cantonese lotus seed mooncakes ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

Serve it with oolong or jasmine tea.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

385 Calories / serving

13.0g Fat

61.5g Carbs

8.3g Protein

32.6g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~3080 cal · 104g fat · 492g carbs · 66g protein · 261g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.