Snowskin Mooncakes Part 2: Making the Dough and the Cakes (Cach Lam Vo Banh)

This is Part 2 of the recipe for making Snowskin Mooncakes (Banh Deo), must-have cakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival.  Last week I posted Snowskin Mooncakes Part 1 which shares the recipes for the Simple Syrup and Taro Root filling.  These delicious mooncakes come in a wide variety of fillings from sweet to savory and traditional to trendy.  The taro root is one of my favorite fillings but there are plenty of other scrumptious options.  So, if there’s another filling you enjoy, by all means, substitute that filling for the taro root.  You can also refer to my earlier Mooncake posts for a Lotus Seed filling and a Red Bean filling.

Beautiful and delicate, these Snowskin Mooncakes are so much fun to make! | recipe from runawayrice.com

Notes on the Recipe, Tips and Tricks

Please note you must use roasted or cooked glutinous rice flour.  There are no substitutes for this unique flour.  As this flour is already cooked, no additional cooking is required.  Using glutinous rice flour will not work in this recipe and you will have raw dough that should not be eaten.  The roasted/cooked glutinous rice brand is typically sold right next to the rice flours and glutinous rice flours.  If may be labeled “Cooked Glutinous Rice Flour”, “Roast(ed) Glutinous Rice Flour” or “Glutinous-Fried Rice Flour”.  It has a distinct roasted rice aroma and taste, unlike raw rice flour.  Some of the brands that are available are in the US are:  Coconut Tree, (brand I use in this recipe) and Fortuna.  I use to be able to buy the Cock brand but haven’t been able to find it the markets in recent years.  This brand was my favorite.  (Update:  A special thanks to Amy (who in the comments below) shared with me the store carrying the Cock brand:  AA Marketplace, 13220 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92843.  It’s a really awesome Asian grocery store with tons of products.)

This dough is quite sticky.  When working with it, make sure there’s a thin layer of the cooked glutinous rice flour between the dough and your hands.  Work the dough gently with your hands and avoid squashing your fingers in the dough or they will be incredibly sticky.

The texture and consistency of the dough varies with the brand of cooked glutinous rice flour used.  You’ll need to experiment  to achieve the same dough consistency I showed in the video.  You may have to add more cooked glutinous rice flour or even cut back so sift in the flour gradually.

As you need to use a good amount of the flour in the recipe and then to knead the dough, I recommend sifting an entire package of the flour.  That way it’s ready to go and you don’t have to sift each time the flour is needed.

I do not add oil to my dough.  If the dough is extremely sticky and adding flour leaves it really dry, add 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil and knead it for 1-2 minutes.

If you enjoy the pomelo essence that’s commonly added to these cakes, add about 1/2 teaspoon while kneading the dough.  Go easy on pomelo essence as the fragrance can be overpowering and too much can make the cake bitter.

The below recipe yields approximately 2 pounds or 907 grams of dough.  You can make 9-200 gram cakes having 100 grams of dough and 100 grams of filling per cake.

When all the cakes are made, place them in a cake dish/pan, cover and let rest overnight.  Enjoy these delicious cakes the next day and you’ll be pleased to find the cakes are softer and sweeter after they’ve had time to rest.  The mooncakes can be left unrefrigerated for about 2 days.  After that time, cover and refrigerate.  Allow to warm to room temperature before serving or warm in the microwave on Low power.

Watch the video for instructions.

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups Simple Syrup
1 3/4 cups roasted/cooked glutinous rice flour + 2/3 cup for rolling, dusting the molds
Taro Root filling (or your choice of filling)

Directions

Pour the simple syrup into a large bowl.  Sift 1/2 cup cooked glutinous rice flour into the simple syrup and stir quickly.  Repeat the process 2 more times making sure to stir vigorously for at least 1 minute with the addition of each 1/2 cup of cooked glutinous rice flour.  Add the remaining 1/4 cup flour and combine well.  Note the dough will be quite thick and sticky.  Let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes.

Cover the work surface with a 1/4 cup of sifted cooked glutinous rice flour.  Transfer the dough to the work surface.  Sprinkle the dough with another layer of sifted cooked glutinous rice flour.  Gently roll the dough in the flour coating it well.   Roll the dough into a log.  Fold over the ends and then roll again.  Repeat this process 3 times.  Gently knead the dough a few times.  Do not overwork the dough.  This process should take about 5 minutes.

Cut off a golf ball-sized amount of the dough.  Roll into a ball and allow to rest on the work surface for 5 minutes.  If the ball does not flatten or lose its shape, it’s good and you can continue to making the cakes.  If the ball flattens or loses its shape, add more flour and incorporate into the dough.  Perform the ball test again.

Dust the mooncake molds with the sifted flour and then remove the excess amounts by inverting the mold and tapping it gently with our fingers.

Cut a piece of dough and weigh it to make sure it’s the needed size.  Shaped the dough into a small patty.  Place the filling ball in the center of the dough and then wrap the dough around the filling.  Pinch the dough together to seal.  Gently roll the ball between your palms to smooth out the dough.

Please the cake ball into the mooncake mold with the seams facing upward.  Using your palm, gently press the cake into the molds.  Use your fingers to push the dough to the edges of the mold making sure to fill it completely.

Flip the mold over.  Remove the lid and then tap the sides of the mold to remove the cake.

Dust off the excess flour using a pastry brush and transfer to a plate using an small offet spatula.  These cakes are delicate so move them with care.

Yields: 2 lbs dough, number of cakes varies depending on size of the mooncake molds

To make these pretty and colorful mooncakes, watch the video below.


These Snowskin Mooncakes with a Taro Root filling really pop with just a bit of food coloring! | recipe from runawayrice.com

 

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48 Responses to Snowskin Mooncakes Part 2: Making the Dough and the Cakes (Cach Lam Vo Banh)

  1. Arix September 6, 2022 at 4:27 pm #

    Hi is it normal my mooncake stick to the molder? It’s really sticky

  2. Lin January 7, 2019 at 3:02 pm #

    I want to add banana flavoring essence to have the taste of banana. Do I add it along with the ingredients or when kneading the dough?

    • Trang January 11, 2019 at 7:12 pm #

      Hi Lin,
      I add the essence to the syrup. The liquid helps to disperse it evenly. Good Luck!

      • Anabel September 21, 2020 at 6:18 pm #

        Hii! How should i store them once they’re made?

  3. Lien September 16, 2018 at 4:04 am #

    Hi Trang, just wondering if you can use an electric mixer for the dough and if so, do you use the dough hook or the flat beater? Thank you.

    • Trang September 16, 2018 at 4:04 pm #

      Hi Lien,
      An electric mix works great for larger batches. Use the flat beater. Good Luck!

    • Lien September 22, 2018 at 1:04 am #

      Hi Trang, just have to let you know the electric mixer worked wonders. The mixer took out all the hard work and your recipe took out all the guess work. This is a perfect recipe for my favourite cake. Many thanks to you Trang.

      • Trang September 22, 2018 at 7:55 am #

        Hi Lien,
        You’re so welcome! I am really glad you enjoyed this recipe. That was a great idea of yours to use an electric mixer. No more tired hands! 🙂 Wishing you and your family a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

  4. Helen August 26, 2018 at 2:48 pm #

    Hi Trang,

    Part 1 – Simple Syrup of the recipe asked for 2 cups water; 2 cups sugar; 1 tbsp lemon juice, why is part 2, only needs 2 and 3/4 cups of syrup?

    For the smallest push mold, what is the weight for the fillings, and dough?

    Thanks,
    Helen

    • Trang August 28, 2018 at 3:13 pm #

      Hi Helen,

      The Simple Syrup recipe is 4 cups water + 4 cups sugar and yields about 5 cups simple syrup. You only need 2 3/4 cups simple syrup with 1 3/4 cups roasted/cooked glutinous rice flour for the mooncakes. I always like to have extra syrup when making these cakes. Depending on the dry measurements and brand of cooked glutinous rice flour, you may need to add a bit more syrup to get the dough just right. You will have some simple syrup leftover and can make another batch of mooncakes with it. The smallest stamp mold is 60 grams and I used 30 grams snowskin and 30 grams filling. Enjoy the recipe!

  5. Isha May 28, 2018 at 3:07 am #

    How long do we bake it in the oven for?

    • Trang May 28, 2018 at 10:14 am #

      Hi Isha,
      This recipe uses cooked/roasted glutinous rice flour. It’s fully cooked so no additional baking is needed. Let me know if you have any questions.

  6. Shahvay August 21, 2017 at 6:09 am #

    Hi Trang, can I’ve the 4 color snow skin measurements recipe?

    • Trang August 25, 2017 at 2:14 pm #

      Hi Shahvay,

      It’s 1 snow skin recipe (2 3/4 cups Simple Syrup + 1 3/4 cups roasted/cooked glutinous rice flour) divided into 4 parts and then 2-3 drops of each food coloring: green, yellow, pink and purple. Enjoy the recipe!

      • Julie August 18, 2021 at 7:20 am #

        Hi Trang, tried your recipe but the dough is very sticky, it just stick to my fingers, can’t work on it at all.

        • Trang August 20, 2021 at 2:34 pm #

          Hi Julie,
          Yes, the dough is really sticky and when working with it avoid getting your entire fingers in the dough. Instead, work the dough by patting it minimally with your fingertips. Also, adding more cooked glutinous rice flour and dusting your work surface helps minimize sticking as well. Good Luck!

  7. Tooty Yue August 13, 2017 at 4:17 pm #

    What is roasted cooked glutinous rice flour? Can you show me the look of the bag?

    Thank you!

    T. Yue

    • Trang August 25, 2017 at 2:10 pm #

      Here’s a pic of the roasted/cooked glutinous rice flour: http://bit.ly/2wFHndC
      Hope that helps!

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