How to Make Soft and Delicious Mooncake Skin, Without Worrying About It Being Hard or Cracking

1 Prepare the ingredients

The flour determines the quality of the soft and delicious cake crust

Flour with a higher protein content will make the cake crust harder and more likely to dry out and crack.

For example, flour with a protein content of 13% (also known as flour number 13 or bread flour) will result in a crust that is harder and drier compared to flour with 11% protein (also called flour number 11 or all-purpose flour). Flour with 8% protein (flour number 8 or cake flour) will yield a softer crust than other flours.

Additionally, attention should be paid to the water absorption of the flour. Different brands of flour have varying water absorption rates, affecting the quality of the crust.

The higher the water absorption of the flour, the easier the crust is to break and dry out. To achieve a delicious cake with a moderate softness, use a mixture of all-purpose flour and cake flour in a 1:1 ratio.

Standard syrup helps the crust to be soft, chewy, and colorful

Syrup also plays a crucial role in reducing the dryness and hardness of the cake crust. Besides, it also gives the cake a beautiful color and delicious flavor. The fresher the syrup, the more it makes the crust sticky, but it can quickly cause the cake to mold.

Another common issue when baking mooncakes is that the crust can become hard or crack, affecting both the taste and aesthetics of the cake.

To solve this problem, add fresh pineapple pieces to boil with the syrup. After the syrup cools, remove the pineapple pieces. This method will help keep the baked crust soft and less prone to cracking, ensuring there will be no pineapple smell in the crust.

Lye water helps the cake to be softer

Lye water can be literally understood as being made from natural ingredients such as firewood or wood by burning them into ash. Then, this ash is mixed thoroughly with water, waited for the ash to settle, and the clear water is poured off.

In making mooncakes, lye water helps the cake crust to be softer and enhances the color better, and it is also used to caramelize the sugar syrup.

When the cake crust is dry, cracked, or crumbly during the kneading process, you can add a suitable amount of cooking oil and lye water to make the cake crust softer, easier to shape, and knead.

Besides the ingredients for the cake crust, another influencing factor that few pay attention to is the filling. The crust of cakes with soft fillings like lotus seed and various types of beans is usually softer than that of mixed filling cakes due to the oil released from the filling.

After ensuring that all the ingredients for the cake crust are ready, we also need to know how to knead the dough properly.

2 Proper Dough Kneading

How to mix soft and delicious dough

• Measure the correct amount to prevent the dough from being dry or too wet.
• Gently mix the dough until the ingredients are well combined.
• Do not knead the dough for too long, as it will make the cake difficult to shape and lose its features when baked; just mix the dough until it forms a mass.
• Let the dough rest for 20 – 30 minutes for even rising and a smoother, more pliable cake.

Some Dough Mixing Recipes

Here are some mooncake crust recipes you can refer to:

Recipe 1:

• 120 gr cake flour (number 8)
• 120 gr bread flour
• 160 gr baking syrup
• 1 egg yolk
• 30 gr cooking oil
• 10 gr peanut butter

Recipe 2:

• 500 gr all-purpose flour
• 370 gr syrup
• 90 gr cooking oil
• 1/3 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (or 2 egg yolks)
• 2 tablespoons Mai Que Lo wine (for mixed cakes)

3 Wrap the Cake with the Appropriate Amount

Wrapping the cake is also an art that helps the mooncake not only taste good but also look beautiful. The mooncake wrapping must meet the following requirements:

• The shell should be thin, about 0.4 – 0.6 cm.
• During the process of wrapping the filling, it is necessary to wrap tightly to prevent air from getting in; otherwise, the finished cake will separate from the filling and shell.
• After wrapping the filling, the cake mold must be closed immediately, as delaying will cause the cake to dry out, making it difficult to mold and lose the cake’s pattern.

• The ratio of dough to filling for wrapping the cake is 1:2 to ensure the shell is thick enough.

The ratio of filling to dough is divided according to the size of the cake as follows:

• Mold 50gr: Divide with a ratio of 20gr dough, 30gr filling.
• Mold 75gr: Divide with a ratio of 30gr dough, 45gr filling.
• Mold 125gr: Divide with a ratio of 50gr dough, 75gr filling.
• Mold 150gr: Divide with a ratio of 60gr dough, 90gr filling.

4 Temperature and baking time

The temperature and baking time greatly affect the quality of the finished product.

Baking temperature:

• Before baking, preheat the oven to about 200 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes.
• Prepare a mixture to brush the surface of the cake, usually consisting of egg yolk, cooking oil, a little water, or a bit of syrup to enhance the sweetness and color of the cake.
• Brush the egg 2 to 3 times during baking and monitor the correct temperature for each baking session to ensure the cake is golden but does not crack. Use a soft brush to apply a thin layer. If the egg is brushed too thick, the cake will easily burn on the surface and crack the shell.
• Bake the cake on the middle rack of the oven. After each baking session, take the cake out for about 15 – 20 minutes, spray with water, and let the cake cool before brushing with egg.

Baking time for mooncakes is as follows:

First time: Arrange the cakes on the tray and place them in the mooncake oven for 7 minutes, at a temperature of 200 – 220 degrees Celsius (depending on the type of oven and the size of the cakes).

Second time: Brush the cakes and continue baking at 190 – 200 degrees Celsius for 5 to 7 minutes.

Third time: Brush the cakes and bake them at about 160 – 180 degrees Celsius until the cakes change color to a shade similar to syrup and emit a distinctive fragrance.

So with a few tips for making mooncake crust dough, you will be able to create beautiful batches of cakes that do not crack or break! Wishing you success with these baking tips and a peaceful Mid-Autumn Festival with your family and loved ones!