No-bake snow skin mooncake is a simple, tasty alternative to traditional Cantonese mooncake. It consists of a tender, slightly chewy skin and a creamy custard filling. Follow my detailed instructions to make some!
WHAT IS CHINESE MOONCAKE
According to the Chinese lunar calendar, Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhong Qiu Jie, 中秋节) is on the 15th day of the eighth month of the year which is a full moon day. Apart from the tradition of moon gazing, eating mooncakes is an absolute must for Chinese around the world. As its name suggests, mooncake (Yue Bing, 月饼) is a cake that resembles the shape of the moon.
Consisting of a crust and a filling, mooncakes come with different looks and tastes. They are usually sweet but savoury versions also exist. The most popular type, known as Cantonese mooncake, is a brown, round pastry baked in the oven. Today’s recipe introduces a simple alternative: snow skin mooncakes which don’t involve baking.
What Is Snow Skin Mooncake
Known as Bing Pi Yue Bing/冰皮 in Chinese, snow Skin Mooncake is believed to have originated in Hong Kong (although some argue that it’s from Singapore). It has become increasingly popular in Chinese bakeries, as well as in family kitchens thanks to its diverse appearance and simple cooking procedure.
Snow skin mooncake usually has a white outer layer and is always served cold. That’s how it got the name “snow skin”. Nowadays, you can find colourful ones which are even more attractive. Unlike other types of mooncake, snow skin mooncake doesn’t call for any special ingredients (such as lye water, inverted syrup, etc.) and it doesn’t involve baking. So it’s more novice-friendly.
Before I discuss more detailed information and tips on each aspect of making snow skin mooncakes, here is a summary of three simple steps:
- Mix all the ingredients for the skin into a batter. Steam to harden. Then knead briefly into a dough.
- Add all the ingredients for the filling into a saucepan. Use the hot-water-bath method to heat it until it becomes a solid mass.
- Divide the dough and the filling into equal pieces. Wrap the filling with the dough to form a ball. Use a mooncake mould to shape the balls. Then you’re ready to serve!
How to Make the Skin
The ingredients you need
The outer part of snow skin mooncakes has a slightly chewy, sticky and springy texture which I find very interesting and pleasant. To make 9 mooncakes (with a 50g mould), you will need the following to make the dough.
- 3 tbsp glutinous rice flour
- 3 tbsp rice flour
- 2 tbsp wheat starch (or cornstarch)
- 3 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
- 120 ml milk (½ cup)
- 1 tbsp condensed milk
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
A trip to a Chinese store would be necessary to purchase glutinous rice flour (糯米粉), rice flour (粘米粉) and wheat starch (澄粉). If you’re looking for a gluten-free alternative, simply replace wheat starch with cornstarch. Condensed milk adds a rich flavour to the skin and it’s widely available in mainstream supermarkets.
The cooking procedure
- In a mixing bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the skin until well combined. Pour the mixture into a deep plate.
- Put the plate into a steamer. Cook over medium heat for 15 mins. If you double the recipe, increase the steaming time by 5 mins.
- With a spatula, scrape the hardened dough off the plate. Once cool enough to touch, knead with hands (with a pair of gloves to prevent sticking) until smooth and elastic. Keep refrigerated for 2 hours (covered).
How to colour the skin
Whenever possible, I always have fun colouring my food with natural ingredients (Examples on my blog: Colourful Dumplings, Mango Pancakes, Pink Glutinous Rice Balls). Snow skin mooncakes are no exception. For this recipe, I use matcha powder (finely ground green tea) to make a green dough and purple sweet potato powder to achieve a purple look. Other dying options include spinach powder, beetroot powder, turmeric powder, etc. These ingredients are often available in whole food stores or mainstream online shopping platforms.
You need to add the colouring powder when you are ready to knead the dough (That is to say, after steaming). Sprinkle it onto the dough. Then knead well to evenly distribute the colour. I suggest you add it little by little until the desired colour appears.
HOW TO MAKE THE CUSTARD FILLING
The Ingredients You Need
Among many filling choices, my absolute favourite for snow skin mooncake is Chinese custard filling (奶黄馅) which I think pairs perfectly with this type of mooncake skin. Through testing and experimentation, I’ve found a great combination of ingredients and their ratio. To make 9 mooncakes (with a 50g mould), you will need:
- 45g (1.5oz) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2½ tbsp wheat starch (or cornstarch)
- 40g (½ cup) powdered milk (or 2 tbsp condensed milk)
- 3 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
The Cook Procedure
- Using the hot-water-bath method, it’s pretty straightforward to cook the filling.
- In a small saucepan (or a metal mixing bowl), mix all the ingredients for the filling. Place it into a bigger pan filled with hot water. Heat up over low heat.
- Stir the mixture constantly with a spatular until it becomes solid (doesn’t stick to the spatular any more).
- When completely cool, keep in the fridge for 2 hours.
Other Filling Options
Many common Chinese sweet fillings can go into snow skin mooncake. I’ve written a post on how to make red bean paste (红豆沙馅). Also, you can find instructions on homemade lotus seed paste (莲蓉馅) in my post Cantonese Mooncake with Salted Egg Yolk, and a black sesame paste (黑芝麻馅) recipe in my post Glutinous Rice Balls (Tang Yuan), etc.
How to Shape Mooncakes
Having cooked the skin and filling in hand, now we’re ready to assemble the mooncakes! Before moving on to the shaping action, make sure the dough and filling have been chilled as they are much easier to be handled when hardened a little. Also, you should have the following items at hand:
- A pair of plastic gloves. They will come in handy when you handle the sticky dough for making the mooncake’s skin.
- A mooncake mould. To achieve an authentic look, you would need to use a special mooncake mould which is available both in Chinese shops and mainstream online shopping platforms. I use modern plastic ones which have a spring mechanism making assembly quick and neat. Usually, they come with several plates in different designs.
Following these steps to shape:
- Divide the dough and filling into equal pieces (a kitchen scale helps). Roll the filling into balls.
- Flatten a piece of dough with your hands. Wrap it around a piece of filling. Gently push the wrapper upwards to seal completely (try not leaving any space/air between the skin and the filling).
- Put it into a mooncake mould which is dusted with sifted icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar). Place the mould on a surface (lined with parchment paper if necessary). Gently press to shape.
A note: For dusting the mould, traditional recipes call for cooked glutinous rice flour instead. I find icing sugar works fine and it involves less hassle.
How to store the mooncakes
After assembling, your snow skin mooncakes are ready to be served straight away! If you wish to enjoy them later, place them in an air-tight container and consume within 48 hours. Make sure you add a layer of parchment paper between each layer if you have to stack them up.
Snow skin mooncakes freeze well too. Lay them in a single layer to freeze. Once completely frozen, transfer them into an air-tight container/plastic bag and keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. Leave to thaw in the fridge before serving.
CANTONESE MOONCAKE WITH SALTED EGG YOLK
Check out my recipe for a more traditional type of mooncakes. These Cantonese style mooncakes are oven-baked and filled with a delicious filling consisting of salted egg yolk & lotus paste.
Snow skin mooncake with custard filling (冰皮月饼)
Ingredients
For the skin
- 3 tbsp glutinous rice flour
- 3 tbsp rice flour
- 2 tbsp wheat starch, or cornstarch
- 3 tbsp icing sugar(confectioners’ sugar), sifted
- 120 ml milk, ½ cup
- 1 tbsp condensed milk
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
For the filling
- 45 g unsalted butter, melted, 1½oz
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2½ tbsp wheat starch, or cornstarch
- 40 g powdered milk, ½ cup, or 2 tbsp condensed milk
- 3 tbsp icing sugar(confectioners’ sugar), sifted
You also need:
- Icing sugar(confectioners’ sugar), sifted , for dusting
Instructions
Make the skin
- In a mixing bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the skin until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into a deep plate. Steam over medium heat for 15 minutes (If the ingredients are doubled, steam for a further 5 minutes).
- Scrape the hardened dough off the plate. When cool enough to touch, knead with hands (using gloves to prevent sticking) until smooth and elastic.
- If you wish to colour the dough: Add matcha powder (for green)/purple sweet potato powder (for purple) directly to the steamed dough then knead well to evenly distribute the colour (add little by little until the desired colour appears).
- Keep refrigerated for 2 hours.
Cook the filling
- Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a small saucepan (or a metal mixing bowl). Place it into a bigger pan filled with hot water (make sure the small saucepan is floating and not touching the bottom of the bigger pan). Heat over a low heat.
- Stir the mixture constantly with a spatular until it becomes solid (doesn’t stick to the spatular any more).
- When completely cool, keep in the fridge for 2 hours.
Assemble the mooncakes
- Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces. Shape 9 balls with the filling.
- Flatten a piece of dough into a round wrapper with your fingers (gloves on). Place a ball in the middle. Gently push the wrapper upwards to seal completely.
- Place it into a mooncake mould (dusted with icing sugar to avoid sticking). Push gently to shape (see note).
Store & serve
- The mooncakes can be served straigh away after assembling.
- Otherwise, place them in an air-tight container in the fridge and consume within 48 hours.
- To freeze: Lay them in a single layer to freeze. Once completely frozen, transfer them into an air-tight container/plastic bag and keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. Leave to thaw in the fridge before serving.
NOTES
Wish you a very happy Mid-Autumn Festival full of love, laughter and great food!
Note: This post was created in Sep 2017 and revised in Aug 2020.
Wei, These are absolutely beautiful. They don’t look real. You are amazing. They are works of art! I want to try one! 😉
Thank you so much Heddi! They do look pretty and taste just as nice. Very happy to introduce Chinese patisserie as they are less known to the West. Will definitely make you some whenever you come over!
Hi,
Do you have a Mooncake recipe with custard That can be baked as opposed to steamed?
Thanks
Hi Robin, you can use my recipe for Cantonese Mooncakes and stuff them with custard filling.
Hi Wei!
Thanks for this wonderful recipe. Can I make the mochi wrapper dough the night before and wrap the next day?
Thank you! Jules
Yes Jules! Wrap it very well and keep in the fridge overnight. You’ll need to bring it back to room temperature for easy assembly. Happy Moon Festival!
冰皮月饼真漂亮！我今年也做了，广式月饼材料不好找，就做个简单一点的冰皮月饼，很好吃啊！
嗯！很喜欢冰皮。还在等新厨房新烤箱，所以暂时没法做广式。提前祝你们全家中秋快乐！
请问filling可以收多久？
Hi Emily, You may leave the filling in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How long can you store these mooncakes in the fridge?
Hi Kimiko, as I suggest in the recipe, these mooncakes can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can freeze them too. Leave to thaw in the fridge before serving.
Hi Wei. I would like to use your recipe for the custard filling. However, can i use corn flour instead of wheat starch? Thanks!
Hi Justina! It’s possible to replace wheat starch with corn starch if you have difficulties finding the former. Good luck and please let me know the result.
Ok cool this is my first time trying out Chinese recipe . Moon cakes
Hope you enjoy it! Good luck!
I’m not quite sure about tapioca starch as a substitute. If you don’t wish to use wheat starch, try cornstarch instead.
Hi wei,
I tried making this recipe but for some reason the snow skin turned out to be very sticky that i cannot touch with my hands when i eat it. I had to use a spoon to eat it. What could be wrong?
Hi Sandy! A number of factors can cause stickiness: the brand of the flour/starch, the accuracy of the measurement, the steaming time, etc. The quick fix is to chill the mooncakes in the fridge for longer (without covering or loosely covered). The dough will become less sticky over time. Hope this helps.
Hi, these look great! I want to try the coloured versions but can I use liquid colouring rather than powder?
Hi Natalie! You could add liquid colouring to the milk when mixing all the ingredients for the skin. Add a little more glutinous rice flour accordingly.
Hi Wei, I have a question in relation to the rice flour… I can get this at my local supermarket (eg Doves Farm brand) but is this the same rice flour that you mention above, or is it specifically from a Chinese store?
Hi Tana! Yes, the rice flour I use is of a Chinese brand and I haven’t tried other ones. But I assume it’s OK as long as it’s pure rice flour and ground to a very fine texture.
Hi, these are amazing! I made them and they tasted great! I wondered if I can substitute milk to soya milk instead? Would it taste a little different or change the texture of it?
Thanks,
Winnie
Thank you Winnie for trying out my recipe. I’ve never tried with soy milk. I assume that the texture won’t change too much but the taste will. I suggest you make a very small batch to test. Good luck!
Hi Wei,
Thanks so much with your reply, I have made it with soya milk and doesn’t taste much different to be honest, apart from the colour ever so slightly and it’s a little tougher the skin. Maybe I over cooked it a little 😂
I also wanted to ask I want to make more than double the batch, I like to make 50 🙈can I just steam them all at once? Obviously with the correct amount of ingredients..
so if I want to make 36 Mooncakes it’s x 4 the ingredients needed I presume…?
Yes, you’ll need 4 times of the ingredients for making 36 mooncakes. Theoritically you could steam the dough for 50 all at once. But in order to cook through, you would need a huge plate and steamer as you need to keep the dough batter as shallow as possible while steaming. If you have a large, multi-layer steamer, it might work. Otherwise, I wouldn’t recommend you do so. Hope this helps!
Hi Wei,
I had a hard time wrapping the filling because the dough kept sticking to my hands. How can I prevent the mochi dough from sticking?
Thank you.
Hi Nana! Here are three ways to deal with the problem: 1. chill the dough for longer. 2. Wear a pair of kitchen gloves when handling. 3. rub a very thin layer of oil on your hands (if not using gloves) or gloves. Hope this helps
Hi,
I’m trying to make these right now but the custard won’t become solid. It might be because I accidentally heated it right in the saucepan before switching over to the double-boiler method?? but that was only for about a minute?? I’ve been mixing for a while and it’s still very liquidy. Please help me :,((
Make sure the small pan is in touch of the boiling water all the time. Since you’ve cooked it directly in a pan, it might need longer time to come together. Be patient, it will become solid eventually.
Can you use regular flour in place of rice flour?
Hi Kris! For this recipe, you can’t use regular wheat flour as a substitute.
Hello! First time I’ll be attempting to make mooncake. Do you think this would work with ice cream filling?
Theoretically you can. But you would need to work very fast when assembling. Otherwise the ice cream filling will start to melt. Good luck!
Does the mooncake skin become matcha flavored when you color it with matcha powder? I’d like to try making matcha flavored skin with red bean paste filling. Thank you!
You would taste just a hint of matcha flavour.