Description
Thousand Layers Lava Custard Mooncakes are a delightful traditional Chinese pastry featuring a flaky, multi-layered pastry shell encasing a rich and creamy custard filling with a molten salted egg yolk lava center. This two-day recipe involves crafting a delicate water and oil dough to produce flaky layers, preparing both a luscious lava and smooth custard filling, and assembling everything into beautifully decorated mooncakes perfect for festive celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Lava Filling
- 3 salted egg yolks (steamed)
- 50 g heavy whipping cream
- 20 g salted butter
- 20 g granulated sugar
- 10 g evaporated milk
- 10 g milk powder
Custard Filling
- 2 salted egg yolks (steamed)
- 1 egg
- 75 g evaporated milk
- 40 g milk
- 40 g granulated sugar
- 30 g milk powder
- 25 g custard powder
- 25 g salted butter
- 12 g condensed milk
- 12 g cake flour
Thousand Layer Pastry
- 100 g all-purpose flour (water dough)
- 15 g confectioners’ sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 35 g unsalted butter
- 45–50 g ice water
- 100 g cake flour (oil dough)
- 55 g shortening
Additional
- 1 egg yolk (for egg wash)
- Black sesame seeds (for decoration)
- 5 salted duck eggs (to obtain yolks for steaming)
Instructions
- Prepare Salted Egg Yolks: Crack open 5 salted duck eggs, separate the yolks from the whites, and clean the yolks under running water. Place the yolks on a heat-proof plate, spray lightly with Shaoxing wine or a similar alcohol to remove any fishy odor, then steam over medium heat for 8-9 minutes until cooked through.
- Make Lava Filling: Blend 3 steamed salted egg yolks with heavy whipping cream, salted butter, granulated sugar, evaporated milk, and milk powder using an immersion blender or regular blender until smooth. Pour the mixture into a non-stick frying pan and gently heat on low to warm and dissolve sugar, avoiding boiling. Transfer to a small freezer-friendly container lined with cling wrap, freeze for 2-3 hours until firm, then portion into 12 pieces (about 12 g each), shape into balls, and store in a freezer-safe airtight container. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Make Custard Filling: Blend 2 steamed salted egg yolks with egg, evaporated milk, milk, granulated sugar, milk powder, custard powder, salted butter, condensed milk, and cake flour until smooth. Cook this mixture on low heat in a non-stick pan, stirring constantly until thickened into a dough-like consistency. Cover with cling wrap while hot to avoid drying. Cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate until use.
- Make Water Dough: Sift all-purpose flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt into a mixing bowl. Rub in unsalted butter, then add ice water and mix with a spatula to form a dough. Knead by hand or with a mixer fitted with a dough hook until smooth, elastic, and stretchable into a thin semi-transparent sheet. Cover with cling wrap and rest for at least 15 minutes.
- Make Oil Dough: Sift cake flour into a bowl, add shortening, and mix with hands until a smooth dough forms. Cover with cling wrap and set aside.
- Prepare Filled Custard Balls: Remove custard filling from the fridge, divide into 12 equal portions (about 27 g each), and shape into balls. Make a deep well in each custard ball, place one frozen lava ball inside, and seal completely, forming a ball again. Freeze filled custard balls until ready for assembly.
- Prepare Pastry Dough Balls: Divide water dough into 12 equal portions (15 g each) and roll into balls; cover to prevent drying. Divide oil dough into 12 equal portions (13 g each), shape into balls, and cover as well.
- Encapsulate Oil Dough Inside Water Dough: Take one oil dough ball and flatten it to about 2.5 inches (6.5 cm) diameter. Place this in the center of one water dough ball, fold and pinch the water dough over the oil dough to seal. Repeat for all portions.
- Roll Dough for Layering: Roll each sealed dough ball into a long strip about 5.5 inches (14 cm) long and roll tightly like a Swiss roll. Turn vertically and roll again to the same length tightly. Cover and rest briefly.
- Shape Dough for Mooncakes: Press the middle of the roll so that the swirled ends are pushed out, fold the ends into the center and press down. Roll thinly with a rolling pin to about 5 inches (12.5 cm) diameter discs.
- Wrap Filling: Place one filled custard ball in the center of each dough disc. Stretch and fold the dough around the filling, pinching the seams to seal completely. Place seam side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Egg Wash and Decoration: Beat an egg yolk lightly. Brush a thin layer over the mooncakes, wait 5 minutes, brush a second layer. Wet a fingertip, dip in black sesame seeds, and gently tap the top of each mooncake to decorate.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Bake the mooncakes for 12-15 minutes until the tops turn golden brown. Remove and cool completely on a rack before serving.
Notes
- It is best to prepare this recipe over two days to allow the fillings and dough to rest properly for ideal texture.
- Handle the lava filling quickly when shaping, as it melts easily.
- Use a light alcohol spray on salted egg yolks to reduce fishy aroma.
- Keep all dough covered with cling wrap to prevent drying during resting stages.
- Freeze the filled custard balls thoroughly before assembly to maintain shape.
- The layering effect in the pastry is achieved by enclosing oil dough in water dough and rolling with a Swiss roll technique.
- Allow mooncakes to cool completely for best texture and flavor before consumption.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: mooncakes, thousand layers, lava custard, salted egg yolk, Chinese dessert, flaky pastry, festive pastry
