Chinese pumpkin cake (南瓜饼, Nan Gua Bing) is a popular dessert and snack that shows up on restaurant menus all over China. The texture is close to mochi, gooey and soft, but the fried surface crackles when you bite in. The skin takes on a bright orange color from the pumpkin, and I include it into my list of Asian Thanksgiving recipes every fall.
We live in New York, and the first cool breezes of the season always pull me toward this one. The grocery store and the farmers market start to stack up fall produce, and pumpkin is the ingredient I reach for first. My 2 year old loves helping me shape the little cakes, since the dough presses like clay and he cannot make a mistake with it.
I make the dough by working glutinous rice flour into pumpkin puree a little at a time until it holds together like soft clay, then I wrap each piece around a small ball of red bean paste. I press the filled dough into a mini pancake, coat it in bread crumbs, and fry until the crust goes crispy while the center stays sticky. If you want a snack for the fall table with almost no fuss, the recipe below takes you from bowl to plate in 40 minutes. I hope you give this one a try!
Ingredients
I love that this whole dessert comes out of 4 ingredients, and 2 of them I buy already made. Here is what I use:
Glutinous rice flour: I use glutinous rice flour, also sold as sweet rice flour or sticky rice flour, and it is what gives the cakes their mochi chew. If you have never worked with it, I promise it is more forgiving than regular flour, since it hydrates into a soft, clay-like dough that is easy to shape.
Pumpkin puree: I like canned pumpkin puree because it saves me the steaming and mashing and the result is excellent. If you want to start from a raw pumpkin, I like red kuri pumpkin from the Asian market for its sweet flesh and bright color, though regular pumpkin or kabocha also work.
Red bean paste: I fill mine with sweet homemade red bean paste, , which I prefer to store-bought because it’s less sweet and tastes fresher. When I’m short on time, I buy it bagged from the Asian market or from Amazon. It works well and saves a lot of time.
Try different fillings: Red bean paste is my usual filling, but black sesame works beautifully too. You can use the black sesame filling from my tang yuan recipe. Chill the filling until firm enough to roll into balls before wrapping it with the pumpkin dough. Once cooked, the center turns soft, rich, and slightly melty.
Panko bread crumbs: I roll each cake in panko bread crumbs before it goes into the pan, and that coating is what gives the surface its extra crunch.
How to Make
1. Make the dough: Blend glutinous rice flour into the pumpkin puree slowly, about 2 tablespoons at a time, whisking with chopsticks or a fork until each addition disappears. Keep adding flour until the mixture gets hard to stir, then dust your hands and knead it into a soft, consistent dough. The dough should pick up in one piece and still stick a little to the bottom of the bowl.
2. Knead until smooth: Press and knead the dough with both hands for another 5 minutes so the rice flour works in fully. The surface should come out smooth with no stray flour on or inside it.
3. Shape the filling: Scoop 2 teaspoons of red bean paste and roll it into a small ball. Repeat until you have 16 filling balls ready to go.
4. Portion the dough: Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, then cut each part into 4 pieces, about 41 grams each. Roll each piece into a ball between your palms.
5. Wrap the cakes: Press a dough ball into a flat round about 2 inches wide. Set a red bean ball in the center, wrap the dough up around it, and pinch the edges shut to seal. Press the sealed ball into a mini pancake about 1/2 inch thick.
6. Coat in bread crumbs: Lay each cake in the bread crumbs and press lightly so they stick, then flip to coat the other side. Repeat with the rest of the dough to make 15 pumpkin cakes.
7. Shallow fry: Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then lower to medium-low and add a few cakes at a time. Fry for 2 minutes until the bottom goes golden brown, flip, and cook the other side over the lowest heat for another 2 minutes. Check the bottom after 1 minute, and if it is already browning, drop the heat and let it sit one more minute before transferring to a plate.
8. Or use an air fryer: Preheat the air fryer for 10 minutes at 350°F. Line the basket with parchment, arrange the cakes without overlapping, and spray the tops with a generous coat of oil. Cook for 6 minutes until the tops go golden, then flip, spray again, and air fry 4 more minutes until crispy and slightly puffed.
My Cooking Tips
Adjust the flour as needed: I developed this recipe using canned pumpkin puree, but the moisture content can vary by brand. If you use steamed and pureed fresh pumpkin, the moisture level can vary even more. Add the glutinous rice flour gradually in batches rather than all at once, and adjust the amount as needed until the dough comes together and is soft and easy to shape without sticking to your hands.
Weigh the dough pieces so they cook at the same rate: I divide the dough into equal pieces by weight so every cake fries in the same amount of time and look good.
Keep a bowl of extra flour nearby: If the dough sticks to my hands while I shape, a light dusting of rice flour fixes it right away. I keep a small bowl at my elbow so I never have to stop mid-wrap.
Don’t flatten the cakes too thin: Gently flatten the filled dough into a thick pancake rather than pressing it very thin. You want enough pumpkin dough around the red bean filling to get that soft, gooey, mochi-like texture inside while the outside turns golden and crisp.
Keep the heat moderate when shallow-frying: Glutinous rice dough needs a little time to cook through, so avoid frying over high heat. If the oil is too hot, the outside can brown before the dough in the center is fully cooked. Use medium to medium-low heat and adjust as needed so the cakes turn golden gradually.
Reheat to bring back the crunch: These are best hot, when the surface crackles and the inside stays soft. When I reheat leftovers, I use the air fryer or a covered skillet with a little oil so the crust crisps up again instead of staying soft.
How I Recommend Serving These
Chinese pumpkin cakes taste best straight from the pan, when the surface still crackles and the inside is soft and sticky like mochi. I prepare a plate of them out at the end of dinner with a pot of tea. On a cooler afternoon I eat 1 or 2 as a snack with nothing else, since a little sweetness is all I want between meals.
If you enjoy the chewy texture of these pumpkin cakes, you might also like my coconut mochi and sesame balls. For more traditional Chinese sweets, try red bean soup, red bean bread, or traditional mooncakes.
Frequently Ask Questions
Why did my pumpkin cakes char on the outside while the inside stayed raw?
This happens when the oil gets too hot. I keep the heat at medium-low so small to medium bubbles rise around each cake, and if the surface colors too fast I cut the heat and let the oil cool before I keep going.
Can I make these without the red bean filling?
Yes, plain pumpkin cakes are a common way to make them, and you just skip the filling and shape the dough straight into pancakes. I prefer the red bean version because the sweet center makes each bite more satisfying, but the plain ones are lovely with a light sprinkle of sugar.
My dough is too sticky to shape, what went wrong?
Glutinous rice flour dough is meant to stay a little tacky, so it should stick to the bottom of the bowl just slightly. If it is too wet to pick up, work in more flour a spoonful at a time until it holds together, and keep your hands dusted with rice flour while you shape each cake.
How do I store leftovers in the fridge and freezer?
Store the cooled cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen cakes before reheating, then warm them in a 300ºF air fryer or oven, or in a covered skillet with a bit of oil, so the surface crisps back up.
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My Chinese pumpkin cake is a classic dim sum made from glutinous rice flour and pumpkin puree, wrapped around a sweet red bean paste center and fried until the crust goes golden and crispy. I love that inside it stays gooey and sticky like mochi. I give you both a shallow-fry method and an air fryer method, and start to plate it in 40 minutes.
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Make pumpkin puree (optional)
(Optional) If making pumpkin puree from uncooked pumpkin – Cut the pumpkin into large bite-size pieces. Fill a steamer with water and bring to a boil. Place pumpkin on a steaming rack, skin side down. Cover pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn to low heat and steam until the pumpkin can easily be pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Transfer pumpkin to a plate to cool. Scoop the pumpkin flesh from the skin and add it into a large bowl. Smash into paste. (*Footnote 1)
Make the pumpkin cake
Slowly blend glutinous rice flour into pumpkin paste, about 2 tablespoons at a time. Whisk with a pair of chopsticks (or a fork), until flour is fully incorporated. Add more flour and keep mixing, until the flour becomes difficult to blend. Dust both hands with rice flour. Knead the dough together with one hand until it forms a consistent and soft dough. The dough should be easily picked up by hand and should stick to the bottom of the bowl a bit. Pick up the dough and use both hands to press and knead the dough for another 5 minutes to blend the rice flour in well. The surface of the dough should be smooth and you shouldn’t notice any stray flour on or inside the dough.
Put bread crumbs in a tall plate or a bowl and set aside.
To prepare the filling, scoop 1 tablespoon (15 g) of red bean paste and shape it into a small ball using your hands. Repeat until you’ve made 16 red bean filling balls.
Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, then divide each of those parts into 4 small pieces (about 41 g per dough piece). Shape each small piece into a dough ball with both hands.
To make pumpkin buns: Hold a dough ball in one hand and use the other hand to press it into a flat, round shape, about 2” (5 cm) in diameter. Place the red bean paste in the center. Wrap the dough around the filling and pinch the edges together to seal the filling, forming a ball again. Gently press the ball until it is shaped like a mini pancake, about 1/2” (1 cm) thick.
Place the buns in the bread crumbs, pressing gently so the bread crumbs coat the surface. Flip to coat the other side. Process the rest of the dough in the same manner to make 15 pumpkin cakes.
Cook the pumpkin cake
If using stovetop: Heat 1/2” (1 cm) oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook in batches by placing a few pumpkin cakes into the skillet. Fry over medium-low heat for 2 minutes, until the bottom side turns golden brown. Flip the buns and fry the other side over lowest heat for another 2 minutes. Check the bottom side of the buns after 1 minute. If the color has already turned brown, turn to low heat, and allow to sit for another minute. Transfer to a plate to cool.
If using an air fryer: Preheat the air fryer for 10 minutes at 350°F (176°C). Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper. Place the pumpkin cakes into the basket without overlapping and leave a bit of space in between. Spray the top of the cakes with a generous amount of oil. Cook for 6 minutes, until the top becomes golden. Take out the basket, flip, and spray with oil. Air fry for another 4 minutes until the top becomes golden crispy, and the pumpkin cakes have slightly ballooned.
Let the pumpkin cakes cool slightly before serving. Serve hot or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw the cakes before reheating. You can reheat the cake in a 300°F (150°C) air fryer or oven until the cake is warm throughout. You can also reheat them on the stove top by adding a bit of oil into the pan, covering the pan, and reheating over low heat.
Ingredient Substitution Guide
- Fresh pumpkin can contain more or less moisture than canned puree depending on the variety and cooking method, so the amount of glutinous rice flour needed will vary. Add the flour gradually and adjust the amount until the dough is soft and pliable but no longer sticky.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 129kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 0.5g, Saturated Fat: 0.1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 25mg, Potassium: 22mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 10IU, Vitamin C: 0.003mg, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 0.4mg
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