Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with these Thousand Layers Lava Custard Mooncakes, a beautiful pastry-style mooncake filled with smooth custard and a rich salted egg yolk lava center. Each mooncake has delicate flaky layers, a buttery aroma, and a warm molten filling that flows when cut open.
Mooncake season is a special time for families to gather, share food, and enjoy traditional treats. If you are looking for a mooncake recipe that feels festive but a little different from the classic baked version, these Thousand Layers Lava Custard Mooncakes are a wonderful choice. They combine a flaky Chinese pastry crust with creamy custard and an indulgent salted egg lava filling.
About Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a traditional celebration in Chinese culture. It falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. The festival is closely associated with the full moon, harvest time, family reunions, and the sharing of mooncakes.
Mooncakes are one of the most meaningful foods enjoyed during this celebration. Their round shape symbolizes completeness, harmony, and reunion. Sharing round mooncakes with family members during the festival represents togetherness and the wish for unity among loved ones.
What Are Thousand Layers Lava Custard Mooncakes?
Thousand Layers Lava Custard Mooncakes combine two popular mooncake ideas in one dessert. The outer pastry is inspired by Dan Huang Su, a flaky Chinese pastry mooncake often made with salted egg yolk. The filling is inspired by lava custard mooncakes, known for their creamy custard and flowing salted egg center.
The pastry is made with two doughs: a water dough and an oil dough. When rolled and folded together, they create thin, flaky layers similar to puff pastry. The finished mooncakes are filled with sweet custard wrapped around a frozen salted egg lava center. Once baked and served warm, the lava filling becomes soft and molten.
The best part of these mooncakes is the contrast of textures. The pastry is crisp and flaky, the custard is soft and creamy, and the salted egg lava filling adds a rich, buttery, slightly salty finish. The flavor is sweet, savory, and satisfying without being overly heavy.
Special Ingredients to Make Lava Custard Mooncakes
- Salted egg yolks. Salted egg yolks are the yolks from salted duck eggs. They have a firm texture, deep orange color, and rich savory flavor. In this recipe, they are used in both the custard filling and the molten lava center.
- Custard powder. Custard powder helps create a stable custard filling with a smooth texture. It also adds color, flavor, and structure, making the filling easier to handle than a custard made only with eggs.
- Milk powder. Milk powder enhances the milky flavor of the custard and lava filling.
- Evaporated milk. Evaporated milk is thicker and creamier than regular milk because some of its water content has been removed. It gives the filling a richer taste.
- Condensed milk. Condensed milk adds sweetness and a smooth dairy flavor to the custard.
- Shortening. The pastry uses a water dough and an oil dough. Shortening is easy to work with and helps create the flaky layered texture. Traditionally, lard is often used for this style of pastry, but shortening is a practical substitute.
Make These Mooncakes in Advance
The steps for this recipe are not difficult, but the fillings need enough time to chill and freeze properly. For the best result, prepare the mooncakes over two days.
- Day 1. Make the salted egg lava filling and custard filling. The lava filling needs several hours in the freezer so it can be shaped and wrapped easily.
- Day 2. Make the pastry dough, assemble the mooncakes, and bake them.
How to Shape the Pastry
The layered pastry may look complicated, but the process is simple once you understand the steps. The key is to keep the dough covered when not in use and allow it to rest so it stays soft and easy to roll.
- Wrap one portion of oil dough inside one portion of water dough and seal it into a ball.
- Roll the dough into a long, flat strip, then roll it up tightly like a Swiss roll.
- Turn the roll vertically and roll it out again into a long strip.
- Roll it up tightly a second time.
- Press the center of the rolled dough with your finger.
- Fold the two swirled ends toward the center and press them down.
- Roll the dough into a thin round wrapper before adding the filling.
Pro Tips
- Work with small batches of lava filling. The salted egg lava filling melts quickly once removed from the freezer. Take out only a few pieces at a time while assembling.
- Move quickly during assembly. Cold filling is easier to wrap and less likely to leak.
- Keep the fillings frozen or chilled. This makes shaping neater and helps the mooncakes hold their structure.
- Rest the dough. Resting relaxes the gluten, making the dough easier to roll and stretch without tearing.
- Seal the pastry well. Pinch the seams firmly so the filling stays inside during baking.
- Serve warm. These mooncakes are best enjoyed warm, when the salted egg lava center is soft and flowing.
How to Store
Let the mooncakes cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. They can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 1 week. For the best molten lava texture, reheat the mooncakes before serving.
More Mooncake Recipes
- Honey Pistachio Mooncakes
- Cookie Crust Mooncakes
- Lava Custard Mooncakes
Thousand Layers Lava Custard Mooncakes
Ingredients
Lava Filling
- 3 salted egg yolks, 45 gr
- 50 gr heavy whipping cream
- 20 gr salted butter, room temperature
- 20 gr granulated sugar
- 10 gr evaporated milk
- 10 gr milk powder
Custard Filling
- 2 salted egg yolks, 30 gr
- 1 egg
- 75 gr evaporated milk
- 40 gr milk
- 40 gr granulated sugar
- 30 gr milk powder
- 25 gr custard powder
- 25 gr salted butter, room temperature
- 12 gr condensed milk
- 12 gr cake flour
Thousand Layers Pastry Water Dough
- 100 gr all-purpose flour
- 15 gr confectioners’ sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 35 gr unsalted butter, room temperature
- 45-50 gr ice water
Thousand Layers Pastry Oil Dough
- 100 gr cake flour
- 55 gr shortening
Toppings
- 1 egg yolk
- Black sesame seeds
Instructions
Recommended Schedule
-
Day 1: Prepare the lava filling and custard filling.
-
Day 2: Make the pastry, assemble the mooncakes, and bake.
Prepare the Salted Egg Yolks
-
Crack open 5 salted duck eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Rinse the yolks under running water and place them on a heatproof plate or bowl.
-
Spray or brush the yolks with a small amount of Shaoxing wine, baijiu, or another alcohol to reduce any fishy aroma.
-
Steam the yolks over medium heat for 8-9 minutes, or until cooked through.
Lava Filling
-
Blend 3 steamed salted egg yolks with the remaining lava filling ingredients until smooth.
-
Transfer the mixture to a non-stick pan. Cook over low heat just until warm and the sugar dissolves. Do not let it boil.
-
Line a small freezer-safe container with cling wrap. Pour in the mixture and freeze for 2-3 hours, or until firm to the touch.
-
Remove the frozen filling and divide it into 12 equal pieces, about 12 gr each. Shape them into balls quickly before they melt.
-
Place the lava balls in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Custard Filling
-
Blend 2 steamed salted egg yolks with the remaining custard filling ingredients until smooth.
-
Transfer the mixture to a non-stick pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until it thickens into a soft dough. Do not overcook, or the filling may become dry and crumbly.
-
Cover the hot custard with cling wrap to prevent drying. Let it cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate until needed.
Thousand Layers Pastry
-
Make the water dough. Sift the all-purpose flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt into a bowl. Add the butter and ice water. Mix until a dough forms, then knead by hand or with a dough hook until smooth and elastic. Cover with cling wrap and rest for at least 15 minutes.
-
Make the oil dough. Sift the cake flour into a bowl, add the shortening, and press everything together until smooth. Cover with cling wrap and set aside.
Prepare the Filling
-
Remove the custard filling from the refrigerator. Divide it into 12 equal pieces, about 27 gr each, and shape each piece into a ball.
-
Make a deep well in one custard ball with your thumb. Place one frozen lava ball in the center, close the custard around it, and reshape into a ball. Repeat with the remaining filling, working with only a few lava balls at a time.
-
Return the filled custard balls to the freezer until ready to assemble.
Prepare the Pastry Dough
-
Divide the water dough into 12 equal pieces, about 15 gr each. Roll into smooth balls and keep covered.
-
Divide the oil dough into 12 equal pieces, about 13 gr each. Roll into balls and keep covered.
-
Flatten one water dough ball into a round about 2.5 inches or 6.5 cm wide. Place one oil dough ball in the center. Wrap the water dough around the oil dough and pinch to seal. Repeat with all pieces.
Assemble and Bake the Mooncakes
-
Preheat the oven to 425℉/220℃. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
-
Place one wrapped dough ball seam-side up. Roll it into a strip about 5.5 inches or 14 cm long. Roll it up tightly like a Swiss roll. Turn it vertically, roll it out again to the same length, and roll it up tightly once more. Cover and repeat with the remaining dough.
-
Starting with the first roll, press the center so the swirled ends point outward. Fold the swirled ends into the center and press down. Roll into a thin round about 5 inches or 12.5 cm wide.
-
Place one frozen custard-lava filling ball in the center. Stretch the pastry over the filling and pinch firmly to seal. Place seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with all dough and filling.
-
Lightly beat the egg yolk. Brush a thin layer over the tops of the pastries. Wait 5 minutes, then brush on a second thin layer.
-
Wet your fingertip with water, dip it into black sesame seeds, and gently tap the seeds onto the top of each mooncake.
-
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Transfer the mooncakes to a cooling rack and let them cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
|
Calories: 269 kcal
|
Carbohydrates: 24 g
|
Protein: 6 g
|
Fat: 17 g
|
Saturated Fat: 8 g
|
Cholesterol: 143 mg
|
Sodium: 458 mg
|
Sugar: 9 g