Vietnamese Mooncake Recipe

Name: Vietnamese Mooncake Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 5 Cups Sifted All-Purpose Flour; ¾ Cup Vegetable Oil; 2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour For Coating; 1½ Cup Golden Syrup; 2 tsp Lye Water; 2 Cups Mung Beans; 2 Cups Water; 4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil; 4 Tbsp Cooked Glutinous Rice Flour; 4 Tbsp Vanilla Powder; 3 tsp Salt; 4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil (To Cook The Paste); ½ Cup Roasted Almonds And Peanuts; 2 Pieces Egg Yolk; 2 Tbsp Water

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The popular Chinese delicacy of mooncakes is traditionally enjoyed during the Mid-autumn festival. Talking of mooncakes, have you ever tried Vietnamese mooncakes? No? Let me tell you something, you’re missing out on a lot!

Do you want to learn how to make Vietnamese mooncakes? Well, here’s a baked mooncake recipe for you. Bake mooncake, the graceful and delicious treat using this easy Vietnamese mooncake recipe. There are several varieties of fillings and ways to make it since it is a culturally significant food. With simple instructions and suggestions, I have broken down how to make this scrumptious dessert in the easiest way possible

Whether you are interested in participating in the tradition but do not know the Chinese culture or customs surrounding mooncakes, we have also got you covered. Together, let’s learn about this Vietnamese delicacy and enjoy eating it.

Table of Contents

What Is Mooncake?

The popular Chinese delicacy of mooncakes is traditionally enjoyed during the Mid-autumn festival. A mooncake is a Chinese bakery product with a sweet or savory filling. Tea is commonly consumed with mooncakes. Mid-Autumn Festival is about lunar appreciation and moon watching. It also involves mooncakes, which are considered a delicacy. While celebrating the festival, people exchange mooncakes with their friends and family members.

Before you try out the Vietnamese mooncakes, let us learn how they became a part of the mid-autumn festivities.

A Brief History And Origin: Vietnamese Mooncake

From 1127 to 1279, during the reign of China’s Song Dynasty, the term ‘mooncake’ first came to the surface. The harvest moon festival became more and more synonymous with mooncakes by the Ming Dynasty period. The origins of mooncakes in Vietnam are unclear, but Vietnamese food has been heavily influenced by Chinese traditions over hundreds of years.

As a time of reunion and harmony, Tết Trung Thu was particularly important in Vietnam. Families and relatives gathered every year under the light of the full moon to relax, sing songs, and drink tea after a successful harvest. Tết Trung Thu has become a favorite way to share Vietnamese mooncakes with family, colleagues, and business partners.

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Popularity And Selling Of Mooncakes

Baking establishments are always developing new flavors, styles, and colors to showcase mooncakes as valuable gifts, and they design attractive boxes to display them.

There will be mooncake stalls popping up all over Vietnam in the weeks leading up to Tết Trung Thu. Not just that, artistically designed mooncake sets are launched by top hotels to reward their best customers. The popular Chinese delicacy of mooncakes is traditionally enjoyed during the Mid-autumn festival.

Mooncakes Come In Old And New Flavors

Vietnamese mooncakes used to be limited to two types for a long time. Savory mixed paste mooncakes contained up to ten ingredients, such as lime leaves, smoked sausages, and lotus seeds along with a special sauce or wine.

The moulds used for making mixed paste mooncakes would have square bottoms and would be baked in an oven. These cakes would be shared among family members and offered on family altars. Sticky rice flour was used to make the round mung bean mooncakes that were meant to be eaten fresh. You can consume them at home or offer them to Buddhist pagodas.

**Old Fashioned Traditional Vietnamese Mooncakes**

Modern mooncake is much more diverse than the two you previously had to choose from. The traditional bakeries usually make large mooncakes for everyone to share with ingredients such as coconut meat, black sesame, young rice, lotus seeds, and nuts.

Some bakers also prepare coffee, chocolate, jelly, pistachio, and strawberry flavors for their clients.

What Is The Best Time To Send Mooncakes To Your Friends And Family?

Honestly, you can send it throughout. year. Who would want to miss out on eating this delicacy?!

But if we go by the Vietnamese culture and calendar then the best time to send mooncakes to your friends and family is two weeks before the holiday, which is observed on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.

Know Your Ingredients

Lye water–

It is a food-grade alkaline solution. It is used in many cuisines across the globe. The lye water in ready-to-use bottles contains mostly potassium carbonate, an alkali salt soluble in water. The lye water appears like regular water, that is, clear, transparent, and odorless. However, when it is mixed with water, the mixture appears cloudy.

Vanilla Powder–

Vanilla powder is derived from vanilla beans. Dehydrated vanilla beans are ground into powder.

It’s a natural sweetener that can not only be used in baking recipes but is a great natural sweetener because it’s made from vanilla beans, which provide a more intense vanilla flavor than vanilla extract.

Glutinous Rice Flour–

Glutinous Rice Flour is made from sweet white rice, which is ground from long-grain or short-grain varieties. This flour is typically solid white. The term “glutinous” describes a sticky and gluey consistency rather than the presence of gluten in the flour. The Glutinous Rice Flour is not sweet at all, even though it is commonly called Sweet Rice Flour.

Nutrition Facts

1 servings per container

Serving Size62g

Amount Per ServingCalories720
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9g 14%
- Saturated Fat 2.4g 12%
- Trans Fat 0.7g
Cholesterol 5mg 2%
Sodium 9.2mg 1%
Potassium 0.25mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
- Dietary Fiber 1.8g 8%
- Sugars 12g

Vitamin A 10%
Calcium 1.2%
Iron 1.1%

* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Mooncake Surprises

Discovering the filling beneath the crust, and the surprise it holds is what I enjoy most about eating mooncakes. In the past, not all mooncakes were stuffed with an egg, and finding a salted duck egg yolk in your mooncake was an envious finding. However, eggs are plentiful nowadays. As an option, mooncakes can be customized with two egg yolks as per demand.

Mooncakes come in a range of shapes including round, fish, rabbit, lanterns, squares, and peonies. You can also get mooncakes with snow skin or flaky crusts. Mooncakes are often decorated with gold leaf or filled with nuts, tropical jams, chocolate truffles, etc.

It goes without saying that fresh ingredients and no preservatives are the best ingredients for making mooncakes. Ideally, they should be eaten within a week or two of baking.

Pro-Tips For Making Vietnamese Mooncake

Make sure to weigh out your dough and filling. Mooncakes require carefully portioned dough and skin to ensure that they fit your mold exactly. This also ensures that the filling and the skin are equally balanced. Wrapping the filling without causing it to crack can be difficult if you use less. When the mooncake has too much skin, the pastry will be thick and flaky.
When glazing your mooncakes, use a fine brush. If necessary, brush in between the details with a fine brush when applying the egg wash. It can cause the patterns to blur and lose detail when the glaze is baked in between them.
Use water to spray the mooncakes. By spritzing the mooncakes lightly with water after baking, you add a little moisture to the skin, which prevents it from cracking and helps the pastry brown evenly.

Here Are All The Reasons You Should Not Try Mooncakes At Home

My apologies, but I could not think of any reason why one shouldn’t make mooncakes at home. It may be more cost-effective to make mooncakes at home, and they are healthier as well! Since you’ll be in charge of choosing the colors and other ingredients that will be used in your mooncake, you’ll be able to avoid using harmful ingredients and artificial food coloring.

Common Problems About Vietnamese Mooncake

1. I do not have lye water. What can I use instead?

Mooncake dough can be made with alkaline water as a substitute if you do not have lye water on hand. Put (bake) one part baking soda in the oven for 30 minutes at 175 °C / 350 °F. Afterwards, add four parts water and stir until dissolved. The lye water can be substituted for this.

2. My pastry is cracking in the mold. How to fix it?

Using some dough to patch the hole, dusting the cake generously, and pressing the cake again can fix the hole. You may need to dust the mold more if the problem persists.

3. How to enhance the taste of my mooncake?

You can add mooncake syrup on top right before serving.

4. Is it a gluten free mooncake recipe?

As we are using all-purpose flour here, it is not a gluten free mooncake recipe.

5. Are there no-bake mooncake too?

Yes. You can also make no-bake mooncake.

6. How to store the mooncake?

After they have been cooked, the mooncakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

What Are Some Other Interesting Flavors And Variations For Vietnamese Mooncake?

Some other interesting variations and flavors include mixed nuts mooncake, red bean filling, white lotus seed mooncake, egg yolk filling, green tea mooncake, mooncake recipe with honey, moon pie cake recipe, pumpkin pie mooncake etc.

Conclusion

Are you eager to make the Vietnamese mooncake at home but nervous about the process? Well, just follow this detailed recipe and you’re good to go. This homemade mooncake recipe might seem like a lot of work, but they are deserving all the effort. Mooncakes are a delicious treat for your taste buds. Mooncake calories are worth it. Get ready for these to become ‘home favorites mooncake’ in your household.

Poonam Mandal

The popular Chinese delicacy of mooncakes is traditionally enjoyed during the Mid-autumn festival. Talking of mooncakes, have you ever tried Vietnamese mooncake or pumpkin pie mooncake? No? Let me tell you something, you’re missing out on a lot!

Do you want to learn how to make mooncake? Well, here’s a baked mooncake recipe for you. Bake mooncake, the graceful and delicious treat using this easy mooncake recipe. There are several varieties of fillings and ways to make it since it is a culturally significant food. With simple instructions and suggestions, I have broken down how to make this scrumptious dessert in the easiest way possible.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Bake Time 20

Total Time 1 15

Course Snack

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 20 people

Calories 0.72 kcal

Equipment

Electric Beater Or Stand Mixer
Food Processor Or Electric Mixer
Kitchen Scale
Knife
Oven
Rolling Pin

Ingredients

Mooncake Dough:

5 Cups Sifted All-Purpose Flour
¾ Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour For Coating
1½ Cup Golden Syrup
2 tsp Lye Water

Mooncake Filling:

2 Cups Mung Beans
2 Cups Water
4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
4 Tbsp Cooked Glutinous Rice Flour
4 Tbsp Vanilla Powder
3 tsp Salt
4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil (To Cook The Paste)
½ Cup Roasted Almonds And Peanuts

Egg Wash:

2 Pieces Egg Yolk
2 Tbsp Water

Instructions

Making Dough:

In an electric beater or stand mixer combine all liquid ingredients like golden syrup, peanut oil, and lye water. Combine thoroughly.

NOTE- A food-grade alkaline solution, lye water neutralizes acid content in food and adds a slight alkaline flavor to the food. Don’t use an excessive amount of lye water, use as mentioned in the ingredient list. Lye water must not be used/consumed in excessive amounts. The stomach, oesophagus, and throat may be affected if lye water is consumed undiluted or consumed in excessive quantities.

Sieve the all-purpose flour. Next, add sifted all-purpose flour to the liquid ingredients bowl.
Beat well until fully incorporated. Continue beating until dough forms.
Now knead with your hands.
Wrap the dough in a zip lock bag. Keep it aside in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

For Filling:

Wash the mung beans first.

NOTE- Wash it thoroughly.

In a bowl, soak them for one hour in water. Cook the mung beans in a rice cooker.

NOTE- Cook the mung beans well until tender.

Now, in a food processor or in an electric mixer, add boiled mung beans.
Next, add vegetable oil, sugar, and vanilla essence and mix them finely.
Now, in a pan, add vegetable oil and cooked glutinous rice flour. Then pour in the mung bean paste.

NOTE- Cook the mung bean mixture very well for about 15 minutes if you intend to keep the mooncake for more than 3-4 days. The longer you do this step, the longer you can keep the cake.

Cook it well for approximately 15 minutes on a low flame until it becomes soft and smooth.

NOTE- The final result should be a soft smooth mixture.

Add the chopped almonds and peanuts to the mixture. Mix it well and keep it aside to cool.
Use it as filling when it will cool down completely.

Assembly Of Vietnamese Mooncake:

Take out the dough from the refrigerator.
Divide the dough into multiple parts of similar size with the help of a knife. You can use the kitchen scales as well.
Now, roll the dough with a rolling pin.
Next, use mooncake molds.
Place the rolled flat sheet of dough into the mold and press it firmly.
Now, place the fried mung beans mixture. Next, cover the filling with the help of some dough.
Sprinkle some flour from the top and press it with your hand.
Remove the entire mooncake from the mold by lightly tapping it or you can use it by pressing the molds.
When all the mooncakes will be formed, place them in different trays in batches.
Wrap it with food wrapping paper and keep them for 8-10 minutes. Remove the sheet.
Take a baking tray and place baking or parchment paper on it. Place the mooncakes on the baking tray at a distance.
Spray some water from the top (this is an optional step). Place them in the oven for 5 minutes at 400° Celsius.

Egg Brush:

Now, in a bowl take the egg yolk and water. Mix them well.
After 15-20 minutes, brush the egg yolk mixture from the top and the sidewalls of mooncakes slightly.

Final Baking Time:

Place the mooncakes in the lower or middle rack of the oven at 370° Celsius and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Cool it down.
Serve it at festival time.

NOTES

Make sure to weigh out your dough and filling. Mooncakes require carefully portioned dough and skin to ensure that they fit your mould exactly. This also ensures that the filling and the skin are equally balanced. Wrapping the filling without causing it to crack can be difficult if you use less. When the mooncake has too much skin, the pastry will be thick and flaky.
When glazing your mooncakes, use a fine brush. If necessary, brush in between the details with a fine brush when applying the egg wash. It can cause the patterns to blur and lose detail when the glaze is baked in between them.
Use water to spray the mooncakes. By spritzing the mooncakes lightly with water after baking, you add a little moisture to the skin, which prevents it from cracking and helps the pastry brown evenly.

KEYWORD Vietnamese Mooncake