What is Cantonese Mooncake
The Cantonese mooncake (广式月饼) is the most recognisable and widely enjoyed mooncake style in Malaysia and across the Chinese diaspora. With its glossy golden-brown crust, intricate patterns, and smooth, rich fillings, it’s the style most people picture when they think of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Originating from Guangdong Province in southern China, Cantonese mooncakes became the dominant style in Malaysia due to the strong presence of Cantonese communities in states like Selangor, Perak, and Penang. They are a fixture in petty traders’ stalls, family-run bakeries, and luxury hotel gift sets. Their balanced sweetness, long shelf life, and impressive presentation make them the go-to choice for gifting during the festive season.
Cantonese mooncakes are characterised by their thin baked crust, often embossed with elaborate Chinese characters and floral motifs. The crust encases a dense, smooth filling, sometimes with one or more salted egg yolks. Traditional fillings include white lotus paste, red bean paste, and mixed nuts, but modern variations feature flavours like green tea, coffee, chocolate, or durian lotus.
They are baked until the crust develops a deep amber colour and a glossy finish from egg wash, then left to “rest” for a few days. This resting period allows the crust to soften and the oils from the filling to permeate, giving the mooncake its distinctive aroma and texture.
Cantonese Mooncakes in Malaysia
Cantonese mooncakes are by far the most commonly sold mooncake type in Malaysia because they strike a balance between tradition, presentation, and shelf life. The Oily Pastry Skin 油皮 (yóu pí, oil-based skin) stays soft for days after baking, making it ideal for pre-packaging and transport. The thin crust and generous filling appeal to customers who want value for money, while the intricate mould patterns and golden sheen make them visually perfect for gifting.
Another reason for their dominance is versatility. Cantonese mooncakes can accommodate both classic flavours—such as lotus paste, red bean, and mixed nuts—and modern innovations like pandan lotus, matcha red bean, durian lotus, and chocolate truffle. This adaptability allows both large-scale manufacturers and small home bakers to tailor their offerings to market demand.
In Malaysia, you’ll find Cantonese mooncakes in supermarkets, wet markets, hotel lobbies, traditional Chinese medicine halls, and small family bakeries. Luxury hotels such as Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur (website) and The Westin KL (website) create high-end gift boxes for corporate and festive gifting.
For more affordable, homemade Cantonese mooncakes, several local bakers sell directly to customers via online marketplaces and social media:
Mooncake House Malaysia – Sells traditional lotus paste and pandan mooncakes via Shopee.
Homemade Mooncake KL (visit page) – A small-scale baker on Facebook offering low-sugar Cantonese mooncakes at reasonable prices .
Bake With Paws (website) – A Malaysian home baker sharing recipes and selling small batches of Cantonese mooncakes .
This accessibility—ranging from premium hotel sets to budget-friendly homemade options—is why Cantonese mooncakes remain the most widely available and purchased mooncake type in Malaysia every Mid-Autumn Festival.
The Oily Pastry skin of a Cantonese mooncake is made from wheat flour, golden syrup, alkaline water, and vegetable oil. In Chinese, this skin is called 油皮 (yóu pí), meaning “oil-based skin.” Unlike the hard skin (硬皮) of Hainanese mooncakes or the shortcrust (酥皮) of Shanghai mooncakes, 油皮 is tender yet sturdy, designed to cling closely to the filling and soften over time for a pleasant chew. Golden syrup gives the crust its rich amber hue and subtle caramel sweetness, while alkaline water ensures the pastry remains tender without cracking.
The fillings are where Cantonese mooncakes truly shine. The most prized is white lotus paste, made by slowly cooking lotus seeds with sugar and oil until silky and aromatic. Other classics include red bean paste, black sesame paste, and five-kernel nut mix (五仁), which blends chopped nuts, seeds, candied fruits, and winter melon for a chewy, crunchy texture. Salted duck egg yolks are often embedded whole or halved, adding a luxurious savoury counterpoint to the sweet paste. Modern Malaysian variations feature pandan lotus, Musang King durian lotus, and even low-sugar options for health-conscious buyers.
The texture of a Cantonese mooncake is smooth, dense, and cohesive. The 油皮 crust, once baked and rested, softens to a tender, slightly chewy layer that blends seamlessly with the filling. Each bite delivers a rich, creamy mouthfeel from the paste, punctuated by the grainy, savoury burst of salted yolk if included.
Unlike the crumbly bite of a Shanghai mooncake or the chunky, rustic filling of a Hainanese mooncake, the Cantonese style aims for refined uniformity—the filling should be perfectly smooth, with no visible cracks or air pockets. The balance of thin crust to generous filling makes it feel indulgent without being heavy, especially when paired with lightly brewed Chinese tea such as tieguanyin or pu-erh.
The mouthfeel improves after two to three days of storage, as the oils in the filling migrate into the crust, creating the “soft bloom” texture that mooncake aficionados love. This combination of craftsmanship, presentation, and flavour is why the Cantonese mooncake remains the gold standard of Mid-Autumn celebrations in Malaysia.
Moon Cake Types
Reinventing the Classics
At Kek & Crust, we elevate classic traditional mooncake by introducing bakable snow skin mooncakes, allowing you to enjoy them warm with a subtle crispness while still maintaining their signature tenderness. This innovative approach combines the nostalgic charm of mooncakes with the comforting aroma of freshly baked pastry – perfect for those who love both classic and modern flavours. Our mooncakes are Halal-friendly, ensuring they can be enjoyed by everyone during the Mid-Autumn celebrations. We use only the finest ingredients, from premium lotus paste and silky custards to rich chocolate and nutty infusions. Every mooncake is made with care, ensuring a smooth, velvety filling wrapped in delicate, flavourful snow skin.
Malaysia’s FIRST snowskin mooncake that is bake-able. Bake in your oven at 160c for 10 mins. Enjoy crusted skin texture like a traditional mooncake with soft-lava oozy filling inside.
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