A Wife Cake, or lao po bing (lǎopó bìng in Mandarin or lou po beng—pronounced more like “baeng“—in Cantonese – 老婆饼), is a Chinese dessert with a flaky pastry crust and a sweet winter melon filling.
It is a Cantonese treat, which can be found as a shadow of their former selves in most Chinese bakeries these days. However, this recipe recaptures what a wife cake is really supposed to taste like. Trust us, they’re very much worth making at home!
Reclaiming That Nostalgic Lao Po Bing Flavor
My sister-in-law, Wai Chin, has fond memories of eating these in her childhood, but couldn’t find ones in today’s bakeries that taste like what she remembers.
Those of you who remember these treats from years ago may have also noticed the recent transformation of the traditional wife cakes in bakeries.
They have become larger and flatter—dessert-plate sized, and less than ¼-inch thick, with a neon orange color. The filling is often so thin that it’s not super noticeable, and there isn’t much flavor or texture to it.
In fact, when I first started seeing them, I didn’t even realize they were lao po bing until I looked at the little labels—they didn’t look like what I remembered from Chinatown’s old days either!
Like many commercially made mooncakes, pineapple cakes, and other Chinese desserts, we’re not sure they are even using winter melon. (Lotus mooncakes are often made with white bean rather than 100% lotus paste, while pineapple cakes are often made—incidentally—with winter melon and pineapple flavoring.)
For the longest time, Wai has been on the hunt for that perfect wife cake. Like she said in the video, she has invested so much money buying and trying way too many wife cakes only to be disappointed.
Unlike her, I was too “glass half empty,” and didn’t trust that I’d be able to find that perfect wife cake again, so I didn’t even bother buying or trying any.
It was time to take the matters into our own kitchens.
My sister-in-law started on a journey to develop a recipe that would have that nostalgic flavor. When she would come to visit throughout the summer, we tested and refined the recipe, and I’m happy to say she succeeded.
Publishing this recipe today is a big deal—a triumph!—and it’s one we are very proud of. It was a collaboration, but the credit really goes to her—another member of The Woks of Life family. She did most of the heavy lifting!
Characteristics of a Traditional Wife Cake (Lao Po Bing)
A traditional wife cake is about the size of classic mooncake—about 3 to 3½ inches (8cm) in diameter, and ½-¾ inch (about 1cm) thick. The outer pastry is flaky and creamy white, with a pop of golden color on top from an egg yolk wash and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
The filling is mildly sweet, with a refreshing and light winter melon and coconut flavor. Usually, the filling includes fresh and candied winter melon. Coconut and vanilla are supporting flavor notes.
The texture of the filling should be slightly chewy, thanks to glutinous rice flour. That slight chewiness is a signature of a good wife cake.
If there was anything I remembered about them when I first tried one in the 80s (upon arriving in America—we didn’t have them in Shanghai), it was that texture, which I absolutely loved. For that reason, wife cakes are best served at room temperature, as the filling will get too firm if refrigerated or otherwise chilled.
Another signature flavor element is lard, which gives these wife cakes that traditional flavor. We tested the recipe with lard, all butter, as well as all coconut oil, and found that the lard is pretty irreplaceable if you really want that old Chinatown flavor. We also tried shortening, but didn’t love the flavor and generally don’t like using vegetable shortening in our baking, as it is highly processed.
That said, I know many of you will ask if you can replace the lard with butter. You can, but just know that the butter will make the dough a bit more like a pie dough, instead of super flaky, which is more characteristic of a Chinese pastry.
This recipe really does hit all the right notes, and once again, we are so, so happy with it. We hope you give it a try and feel the same nostalgic feeling we felt biting into these treats!
Why are they called wife cakes?
Wife cake, marriage cake, and sweetheart cake are just some of the English translations you might see for this pastry. The origin of the name is unclear, however. Stories involve the namesake pastry being dedicated to a baker’s wife, a talented wife inventing the pastry, or a man going to war with his wife’s freshly baked cakes along for the journey. We aren’t sure, but we do know that they’re a tasty treat to enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea!
Let’s get to the recipe!
Wife Cake Recipe Instructions
1. Make the filling:
Cook the glutinous rice flour for 15-20 minutes on low to medium heat in a non-stick pan. Stir often and adjust the heat level as needed so it doesn’t burn, until it turns a light tan color.
To coarsely puree the winter melon, peel/cut the rind off the winter melon, and remove any seeds. Cut into chunks and transfer 250g (8.8 ounces) to a food processor. Pulse a couple of times until you get a coarse puree.
Transfer the winter melon to a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the sugar, water, and coconut oil, and cook for 10 minutes.
The mixture should be bubbling, thickening slightly, but still pretty watery.
Now reduce the heat to low, and add the finely chopped winter melon candy, ginger powder, salt, lemon zest, vanilla, toasted sesame seeds, and coconut flakes.
Mix well. Cook for another 10 minutes, until there is no visible liquid, and turn off the heat.
Stir in the toasted glutinous rice flour in a few batches and press everything together using a rubber spatula, until the flour is fully mixed in and you have a thick translucent paste. Cool.
After cooling, weigh the filling, and divide it evenly into 10 equal portions. Roll the portions between your palms into balls.
2. Make the water and oil doughs & combine them:
To make the water dough, add the flour to a mixing bowl, and use a pastry cutter or two butter knives to cut the lard into the flour.
Mix in the water to form a dough. Roll into a ball, cover (or wrap in plastic), and let it rest for 15 minutes.
To make the oil dough, add the flour to a mixing bowl, and cut in the lard with a pastry cutter or two butter knives. Mix with your hands into a dough, and roll it into a ball. Cover, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Next, combine the two doughs. After both have rested for 15 minutes, roll out the water dough ball into a round disc large enough to evenly wrap around the oil dough ball. Place the oil dough ball in the middle, and bring the water dough up around it, sealing all seams tightly closed.
Place the ball of two doughs seam-side down on your work surface.
Flatten the ball. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll it out into an 8×12 inch (20x30cm) rectangular sheet.
Roll up the short end of the sheet tightly into a roll. Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes to chill. (You can chill for less time in colder weather. If your kitchen is very warm, chill for the full 1 hour.)
Next, roll out the refrigerated dough roll into a 10×14 inch (25x35cm) rectangular sheet. Then roll up the short end again into a 10-inch (25cm) long roll. Make sure it is a relatively even thickness everywhere. Use a ruler to cut this roll into 10 roughly equal pieces.
TIp!
To shorten the prep time for this recipe, divide and conquer! If one person is making it from start to finish, this recipe can take up to 4 hours to complete. We found you can cut that time in half if you have someone making the filling and someone preparing the dough at the same time. Then, if you split the assembly, you can each make 5 wife cakes and get them into the oven faster!
3. Assemble & Bake:
Take one dough segment, and stand it upright so that the swirls are facing up. Use your palm to press it flat.
With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 4-inch disc that’s slightly thinner around the outer edges and thicker in the middle.
Add a ball of winter melon filling to the center, then close the dough around it. Seal it tight without air pockets or visible filling.
Place it seam side down, gently flattening the ball into a round disc that’s ½-inch (1.25cm) thick.
Place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until you’ve made all the wife cakes, placing them on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C on a convection setting/in a fan-assisted oven. Or if using a conventional oven with a regular bake setting, preheat to 425°F/220°C.
Use a sharp knife to cut 2 to 3 slashes into the top of each wife cake. This will help them release steam during baking.
Mix the egg yolk with the water, and brush the tops of the wife cakes with egg wash. Sprinkle the tops lightly with sesame seeds.
Bake the wife cakes for 20-22 minutes with convection/fan or 25-30 minutes at a regular bake setting until lightly golden brown on top. Going a couple minutes over is fine—just make sure to bake until the tops are lightly golden brown.
Cool completely on a cooling rack before serving.
Storage
Wife cakes taste the best at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers that are more than 3 days old. Let them come back up to room temperature before serving.
The wife cakes can be frozen for up to 3 months at best quality in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature before eating.
Enjoy!
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Recipe
Wife Cake (Lao Po Bing, 老婆饼)
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 100 g glutinous rice flour
- 250 g peeled, de-seeded, and coarsely pureed fresh winter melon
- 25 g granulated sugar
- 80 ml water
- 35 g coconut oil
- 120 g winter melon candy (finely chopped)
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 18 g toasted sesame seeds
- 13 g unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
For the water dough:
- 125 g all-purpose flour (spooned into measuring cup and leveled)
- 50 g lard (or unsalted butter)
- 50 g water
For the oil dough:
- 90 g all-purpose flour
- 60 g lard (or unsalted butter)
To assemble & bake:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon water
- 9 g sesame seeds
Instructions
Make the filling:
- Cook the glutinous rice flour for 15-20 minutes on low to medium heat in a non-stick pan, until it turns a light tan color, stirring often and adjusting the heat level as needed so it doesn’t burn.
- To coarsely puree the winter melon, peel/cut the rind off the winter melon, and remove any seeds. Cut into chunks and transfer 250g (8.8 ounces) to a food processor. Pulse a couple of times until you get a coarse puree.
- Transfer the winter melon to a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the sugar, water, and coconut oil, and cook for 10 minutes. The mixture should be bubbling, thickening slightly, but still pretty watery.
- Now reduce the heat to low, and add the finely chopped winter melon candy, ginger powder, salt, lemon zest, vanilla, toasted sesame seeds, and coconut flakes. Mix well. Cook for another 10 minutes, until there is no visible liquid, and turn off the heat.
- Stir in the toasted glutinous rice flour in a few batches and press everything together using a rubber spatula, until the flour is fully mixed in and you have a thick translucent paste. Cool.
- After cooling, weigh the filling, and divide it evenly into 10 equal portions. Roll the portions between your palms into balls.
Make the water and oil doughs & combine them:
- To make the water dough, add the flour to a mixing bowl, and use a pastry cutter or two butter knives to cut the lard into the flour. Mix in the water to form a dough. Roll into a ball, cover (we just cover the bowl with an overturned plate), and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- To make the oil dough, add the flour to a mixing bowl, and cut in the lard with a pastry cutter or two butter knives. Mix with your hands into a dough, and roll it into a ball. Cover, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Next, combine the two doughs. After both have rested for 15 minutes, roll out the water dough ball into a round disc large enough to evenly wrap around the oil dough ball. Place the oil dough ball in the middle, and bring the water dough up around it, sealing all seams tightly closed.
- Place the ball of two doughs seam-side down on your work surface. Flatten the ball, and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll it out into an 8×12 inch (20x30cm) rectangular sheet. Roll up the short end of the sheet tightly into a roll. Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes to chill. (You can chill for less time in colder weather, or if your kitchen is very warm, chill for the full 1 hour.)
- Next, roll out the refrigerated dough roll into a 10×14 inch (25x35cm) rectangular sheet. Then roll up the short end again into a 10-inch (25cm) long roll, making sure it is a relatively even thickness everywhere. Use a ruler to cut this roll into 10 roughly equal pieces.
Assemble & Bake:
- Take one dough segment, and stand it upright so that the swirls are facing up. Use your palm to press it flat. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 4-inch disc that is slightly thinner around the outer edges, and thicker in the middle.
- Add a ball of winter melon filling to the center, then close the dough around it until it’s sealed tight without air pockets or visible filling. Place it seam side down, gently flattening the ball into a round disc that’s ½-inch (1.25cm) thick.
- Place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until you’ve made all the wife cakes, placing them on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
- With a rack positioned in the middle of the oven, preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C on a convection setting/in a fan-assisted oven, or to 425°F/220°C in a conventional oven with a regular bake setting.
- Use a sharp knife to cut 2 to 3 slashes into the top of each wife cake to release steam during baking. Mix the egg yolk with the water, and brush the tops of the wife cakes with egg wash.
- Bake the wife cakes for 20-22 minutes with convection/fan or 25-30 minutes at a regular bake setting until lightly golden brown on top. Baking them a couple of minutes over is fine—just make sure to bake until the tops are lightly golden brown.
- Cool completely on a cooling rack before serving. Wife cakes taste the best at room temperature. You can refrigerate any leftovers that are more than 3 days old, but let them come back up to room temperature before serving. Enjoy!
