How to make mooncakes: top tips from a Hong Kong pastry chef

There's no question that devouring mooncakes is our favourite way to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival. There’s a version for everyone, from traditional mooncakes made with lotus seed paste and salted duck egg yolk to delicate snow skin varieties filled with creamy custard. 

As the festival approaches, we speak to Imperial Patisserie’s chef Yip Wing Wah , founder of The Peninsula Hong Kong’s iconic egg custard mooncake, about the art of making this cherished pastry.

When and how did you start learning to make mooncakes? 

Chef Yip: I began as an apprentice at teahouses and restaurants when I was 13, learning how to make dim sum. In addition to har gow and siu mai, I learned how to make seasonal mooncakes. To date, I have nearly 60 years of mooncake-making experience. 

Can you tell us how you created egg custard mooncakes? 

Chef Yip: I started working at The Peninsula Hong Kong ’s Spring Moon restaurant in 1986, overseeing the dim sum department. The hotel wanted to make a batch of Mid-Autumn mooncakes as gifts for our guests. I wondered if we could create mooncakes that were completely different from the traditional ones most people were eating. 

The idea suddenly came to me while I was looking at our deep-fried custard buns. Since custard fillings were so popular, why not try making custard mooncakes? I experimented with dozens of iterations and finally landed on a combination of Chinese and Western methods, wrapping the custard filling in shortcrust pastry.

What is your favourite type of mooncake to make and to eat?

Chef Yip: My favourite is the custard mooncake, since it is my original creation. I took it to new heights by inventing the lava custard mooncake, which was well-received and won the "Grand Gold Award " from Monde Selection. This encouraged me to take on the role of "lava custard mooncake master". I want to continue developing new flavours that will surprise and delight.

What steps are involved in making mooncakes?  

Chef Yip: Lava custard mooncakes comprise three parts: crust, filling and lava sauce. The initial appeal is all in the crust. Aside from being golden in colour, it has to be fragrant, which is why we are very particular about the wheat flour we use. Our Japanese wheat flour has a strong wheat flavour that brings out the aroma of butter.  

Next is the custard filling, which affects the taste of the entire mooncake. We need to add enough salted egg yolk to make it savoury. We choose fresh, high-quality salted egg yolks and bake them at a low temperature to ensure that they’re fragrant while preventing burning. Then, we crumble the yolks to make the flavour more prominent.  

Finally, the very essence of the mooncake is found in the lava sauce. We have to ensure that it’s the right consistency so that it’s able to flow out. I spent a lot of time working on over 100 different versions before achieving the perfect flowing effect. 

It’s a complicated process, but you must do things wholeheartedly to get the perfect result. 

What is the personal significance of mooncakes to you?  

Chef Yip: Not only are mooncakes a traditional Mid-Autumn Festival treat, but they’re also highly symbolic. If they are not continuously reinvented and improved, people will gradually think that they are old-fashioned. I want to pass on this traditional pastry, supplementing the classic flavours with innovative options. By catering to both young and old, I hope mooncakes can continue to encapsulate the sense of family reunion. 

What important lessons have you learned as a pastry chef?  

Chef Yip: There are three lessons. The first is to pay attention to every detail. Even if we are very pleased with our mooncakes this year, we can use our customers’ feedback to improve them for next year.  

Second, you need to have a clear goal and persevere in it. For example, many thought that making low sugar lava mooncakes was not feasible. However, because I had a goal and was motivated, I was able to successfully develop them.  

The third lesson is to use good ingredients. Good ingredients are not necessarily expensive ingredients, but suitable ones. Only by finding ingredients that work well with each other can you achieve the results that you want. 

What have been the most rewarding moments in your career so far?  

Chef Yip: I feel a great sense of accomplishment when everyone is eating happily. When others recognise my craftsmanship and my creations, and want to share them with others, I feel satisfied. 

What can we expect from Imperial Patisserie’s mooncake offerings this year?  

Chef Yip: Every year, we challenge ourselves to innovate while staying true to the traditions that make Mid-Autumn Festival so special. This year, we're introducing several new additions to our collection, including the Extra Rich Musang King Durian Lava Mooncake, Soft-Centered Pistachio Mooncake and a limited-edition Bird's Nest Custard Mooncake. Each reflects our commitment to combining premium ingredients with the craftsmanship that has defined Imperial Patisserie since the beginning.

We're also continuing to refine the experience of our signature lava mooncakes. After extensive research and testing, we've developed what we call "One-Minute Lava at Room Temperature". This means the mooncakes reveal a smooth, flowing lava centre without the need for reheating, allowing more people to enjoy the texture and flavour exactly as intended.

For those looking for a lighter option, our Low Sugar Series remains a much-loved choice of the collection. By using natural maltitol and carefully balancing our recipes, we've reduced sugar content to below 5 per cent while preserving the rich taste and texture that mooncake lovers expect.

Beyond mooncakes, Imperial Patisserie's new Abundance Series reimagines the festive gift box, combining mooncakes, handcrafted pastries and carefully selected teas – perfect for sharing and gifting during the festival.

For us, innovation and heritage go hand in hand, and our goal is always to create mooncakes that bring people together and make Mid-Autumn celebrations more memorable.

This article was originally published in August 2024 and updated in September 2026.