Where the snowskin story began for Smoulder
Smoulder was best known for its lava cakes, but its snowskin mooncakes proved just as deft. The box had a lotus paste nearly as smooth as purée, wrapped around a Belgian chocolate truffle centre that avoided being cloyingly sweet. The snowskin itself was soft, chewy and not too thick.
The standout was the pink Raspberry mooncake, with a juicy, jam-like paste. Chewy berry bits balanced the sweetness of the chocolate centre. The box was priced at $46 for eight minis, two each of Raspberry, Dark Chocolate, Green tea and Rum and raisin. It was a sweet compromise between old and new, and the dense lotus paste came close to the ideal snowskin mooncake.
Smoulder’s current mooncake range could not be confirmed, so that box is best treated as a snapshot of how the idea of an “exotic” mooncake once looked: fruit, chocolate and a splash of liquor.
How exotic has it become?
Mid-Autumn Festival fell on Friday, 25 September 2026, and the flavours that year went much further. Time Out Singapore noted inventive flavours such as durian kunafa, cempedak and pink guava. Several of the picks below show the range.
Champagne, whisky and other grown-up fillings
- Raffles Hotel Singapore: its Champagne Truffle Snow-Skin Mooncake is as tied to the hotel as the Singapore Sling. The 2026 line-up added Whisky & Lapsang Souchong Truffle and Matcha & Raspberry Truffle.
- The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore: a mini snowskin rosé champagne truffle made with Barons de Rothschild Rosé Réserve Champagne, plus snowskin “Mao Shan Wang” durian.
- Hua Ting: an 8-piece Snowskin Treasures Gift Set at S$78+, with White Lotus Paste with Champagne Ganache, Yuzu with Pineapple Coconut and Rose Lotus with Orange Whisky.
- Xin Cuisine, Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium: two new mini snowskin flavours, Orange Whiskey and Elderflower Apple.
Local flavours in a snowskin
- Sheraton Towers Singapore: a Mini Caramel Kaya snowskin inspired by the breakfast spread, and a baked Honey Pineapple mooncake reminiscent of a pineapple tart.
- Four Seasons Hotel Singapore: snowskin flavours including Custard Bird’s Nest, Balsamic Strawberry, Mao Shan Wang Durian and Kunafa Pistachio Pandan Chocolate.
- Carlton Hotel Singapore: two new snowskin creations from Wah Lok Cantonese Restaurant, Hong Kong Milk Tea and Baileys Cheesecake.
- Man Fu Yuan, Frasers House: low-sugar baked classics and Nanyang snow skin flavours.
- Fairmont Singapore: mooncakes shaped like a shou tao (longevity peach), with rose-infused lotus seed paste. The bestsellers Champagne Snowskin Mooncake and Raspberry Rose returned.
Raspberry, the flavour that won over the original review, is still around. It now sits alongside rose, as in Fairmont’s Raspberry Rose.
What the 2026 season looked like
Most of these collections were sold on a tight timetable. Xin Cuisine’s order period ran from 1 July to 21 September 2026, with collection and delivery from 25 August to 24 September. The Ritz-Carlton’s collection was available online until 24 September. The 2026 festival date has passed, so these sets are no longer on sale. Hotels usually announce new collections ahead of the next Mid-Autumn season.
Packaging has become part of the appeal. Carlton’s box turns into a glowing lantern. Wan Hao’s Golden Tingkat Box pays homage to the tiffin carrier.
FAQ
What is a snowskin mooncake?
It is a mooncake with a soft, chewy, unbaked skin rather than a baked pastry crust. Fillings range from lotus paste to truffle, fruit and liquor.
When was Mid-Autumn Festival in 2026?
It fell on Friday, 25 September 2026.