These Vegan Red Bean Flower Cakes are filled with a sweet red bean paste. They are fun to make and make for the perfect snack or dessert to have.
These Red Bean Flower Cakes were so fun to make. It might appear to be difficult, but all you need are a few basic ingredients. You can make them into any shape you like or if you want something simple, roll them into a ball instead.
As I am writing this, the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching. Traditionally, it is considered as the second most important holiday after Lunar New Year’s in many East Asian countries. It is a day where families gather together and a time to celebrate all the harvests of the year. On this day, the moon is said to be the brightest and roudest, highlighting the importance of family reunion.
When I was home, my mom would make mooncakes and prepare for a ritual to honor our deities. Lanterns will be seen throughout Chinatown and any other cities where the holiday will be celebrated. Although I am not home right now, I tried to keep the tradition alive. Although these are not mooncakes, they are a fun alternative to them. They are not overly sweet and you can have them for breakfast too with a cup of tea. Red bean paste is a common sweets filling in many Chinese desserts.
The cake itself is easy to make after the first and second tries. Read the directions carefully and if you have any questions, drop them in the comments below. I hope you will have fun making them!
Are you ready to make these Red Bean Flower Cakes? Let’s start baking!
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These Vegan Red Bean Flower Cakes are filled with a sweet red bean paste. They are fun to make and make for the perfect snack or dessert to have.
Ingredients
Filling
-One 16-ounce (415g) can, sweetened Red Bean Paste (you can find them in many asian grocery stores)
-1 tbsp unsalted, vegan butter
-1 tsp arrowroot powder
Cake Dough
-⅔ cup (100g) organic all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
-2 ½ tbsp (55g) butter
-2 tbsp organic cane sugar
-a couple drops of vegan purple food coloring (optional)
Oil Dough
-1 cup (120 g) organic all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
-1 ½ tbsp (45g) unsalted, vegan butter
-3 tbsp (30g) organic cane sugar
-¼ cup(50g) water
Topping
-¼ cup nuts of choice, chopped
Instructions
- Make the filling. Add the red bean paste to a small saucepan with the vegan butter over medium-low heat. Stir until well-combined. Add in the arrowroot and continue to stir until the mixture has thickened and you can form a dough. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Once cooled, divide the filling into 12 balls and roll evenly. Place in the fridge until the doughs are ready.
- Make the cake dough. Add all the ingredients together and knead until the dough is smooth.Add more vegan natural food coloring if you want a richer color. Cover the dough and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.
- Make the Oil Dough. Add all the ingredients together and knead until smooth. Add more flour if the mixture is too wet or a little flour at a time if the dough is too wet. Cover and allow the dough to sit for 30 minutes.
- One ready, dust a clean surface with some flour. Roll both doughs into a log and divide each into 12 pieces, 24 pieces total. Roll each dough into a ball.
- Roll the non-colored dough into a circular shape. Place the colored dough on top of the non-colored dough. Roll into a ball.
- Using a rolling pin, flatten the ball of dough into a rectangular shape. Roll into log. Holding both ends of the dough, squeeze them together. Then, flatten again with a rolling pin, rolling it into a rectangular shape. Repeat this step 2 more times until the color is more evenly distributed. End with the dough in a ball shape.
- Roll the dough into a circular shape. Place the red bean paste in the center. Roll into a ball. Using the palms of your hands, flatten the dough slightly.
- Using a small knife, slice the dough into 5 sections, being careful not to slice it all the way from the center of the dough (you want the dough to be intact, not 5 separate pieces). These will be the petals of the cake. Squeeze the ends of each of the pieces slightly so a pointed shape forms.
- Using a knife, carefully mark 3 lines on each petal of the dough. Add one piece of the chopped nuts to the center of each cake. Place on a baking sheet pan.
- Repeat steps 6-10 for all remaining pieces of dough. After you have finished, let the cakes sit for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Once ready, bake the cakes for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
*These cakes can be placed in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer. When you want to eat them, you can microwave them for 1-2 minutes.
Keywords: red bean, Chinese, vegan cakes
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