7 secrets in the standard 'homemade delicious' moon cake

(Baonghean.vn) - Moon cakes are an indispensable dish on the tray of offerings on the full moon night of August. If you want to prepare moon cakes for your family to enjoy on the occasion of Mid-Autumn Festival, here are 7 tips you need to keep in mind to have delicious cakes with the right flavor.

1. The "effort" of preparing salted eggs:

Salted eggs are an indispensable ingredient to make a traditional mooncake. Perhaps this is also the most elaborate step in the process of making mooncakes. The method of making salted eggs is quite simple and rarely fails, but it takes at least 3 weeks to produce the finished product.

Hot spices like cinnamon, star anise, and cardamom can help salted eggs "cook" faster and add flavor.

Some tips to help your salted eggs "cook" faster are to add a few "hot" ingredients like star anise, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom... In addition, a little wine and sugar will also make the eggs have a more beautiful red color.

2. Don't forget the "silent" spices in the filling:

The most common mixed cake filling includes ingredients such as: Chinese sausage, lard, white sesame, lotus seed, lemon leaves, squash seeds... However, if that's all you have, you'll wonder why the cake you make doesn't feel full-flavored and rich.

Glutinous rice flour is sprinkled in when mixing the filling to create adhesion between the ingredients.

The secret lies in an invisible "flavoring" added to the filling: mai que lo wine. This is a wine soaked with cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, cloves, fennel, peppercorns, coriander seeds, and dried tangerine peel. Mai que lo is also a powerful "assistant" for braised, stewed, and stewed dishes with the ability to enhance the seductive aroma of the ingredients.

In addition, to create stickiness for the filling, remember to sprinkle a little sticky rice flour while mixing the filling.

3. Make sure you have enough patience to cook the filling:

In addition to baked cakes with mixed fillings, sweet fillings such as mung beans, coconut milk, and lotus seeds are also popular. The ingredients for making sweet fillings seem less complicated than those for savory fillings, but in fact the most "tiring" step is cooking the filling.

To get a batch of filling that is smooth, soft, not crumbly, not lumpy, not too dry or separated from the oil... requires you to patiently stir the filling evenly in a pan over low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours. The more carefully you stir, the longer the filling will last and the tastier it will be.

Making the filling - the process sounds easy but actually making it is "frustrating"...

4. Don't let air get between the filling and the crust:

When you shape the dough, air can get in when you wrap the dough around the rolled filling. The air pockets will make the dough slightly bulge, and when pressed, it will deflate. Just use a small toothpick to poke the air pocket and press lightly to let all the air out, then use your hand to gently press the dough to close it.

Be careful not to let air get between the crust and the filling so that the surface of the cake is flat and crisp when baked.

5. Keep the mold straight when pressing the cake:

To get a crisp shape and edges, hold the pan upright and perpendicular to the table while pressing and lifting the pan. To prevent the cake from sticking to the pan, sprinkle some flour or brush a little cooking oil into the pan before pressing.

If the flour gets on the surface of the cake, don't worry. After baking, just use a small dry brush to lightly sweep it away and the flour will fall off immediately.

Be decisive when pressing the mold to get a sharp cake.

6. Bake the cake 3 times at the right temperature:

Some recipes bake at a high temperature of over 200 degrees Celsius, while others recommend adjusting the temperature to around 180 - 190 degrees Celsius. The temperature also depends on the type of filling you choose. However, remember to use an oven with 2 burners so that the cake is evenly cooked on both the top and bottom. You should also turn the temperature up 10 - 15 minutes before baking to ensure the oven reaches the required temperature when you put the cake in.

Remember to check the oven temperature before baking.

After baking for about 7-10 minutes, you should take the cake out of the oven, spray some water on the surface of the cake to prevent the cake from drying out and cracking, then put it in the oven for the second time. After 10 minutes, take the cake out and brush a layer of a mixture of eggs, cooking oil, and sugar water on the cake to give the cake a beautiful shiny color. Bake for the last time for about 10 minutes.

Brush the cake quickly and evenly, do not brush too thick or the cake will turn brown and burnt.

7. Enjoy the finished product properly:

Freshly baked hot cakes bring excitement to the diners, but if left for 1-2 days, the oil in the cake will seep out, making the crust a little softer and a darker golden color.

The cake is golden brown when freshly baked, but will turn a beautiful dark brown the next day.

This cute pig shaped moon cake will make children love it.

Homemade cakes are best enjoyed within the first 3 days. If you want to preserve them longer, put them in a box and use a moisture-proof package. You can also create new shapes with funny cakes depending on your creativity.

Enjoy mooncakes with a cup of hot tea - a cozy, elegant treat for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Are you ready to go into the kitchen and prepare "homemade delicious" mooncakes for your family and friends to enjoy this Mid-Autumn Festival?

Article and photos: Thuc Anh

Performed by: Tu Oanh