A Beijing deep-fried pastry made from hot-water-scalded dough enriched with cream and eggs, puffing in the wok into a hollow golden shell, dusted with powdered sugar—one of the celebrated Thirteen Classic Beijing Snacks.
A Beijing confection that emerged after 1900, when Western dairy products entered the city following the Boxer Rebellion. Local snack makers fused choux-style enriched-dough methods with the northern hot-water-scalded dough (烫面) tradition, substituting cream for plain water to create a richer, more extensible batter that puffs dramatically in hot oil. It became a staple at the Huguo Temple and Longfu Temple snack stalls under the name 奶油炸糕, and entered the roster of the Thirteen Beijing Classics.
The first bite shatters a thin, crackling gold shell to reveal a steam-puffed hollow chamber—warm, barely sweet, with a faint drift of vanilla rising with the steam.
Pouring boiling water over flour gelatinizes the starch granules (60–70°C) and partially denatures gluten proteins, creating a plastic, moisture-retaining dough with no raw flour taste. During deep frying, the trapped moisture flash-vaporizes into steam and expands the dough outward into a hollow shell—the same steam-leavening principle as choux pastry. The cream's fat coats gluten strands, making the shell more extensible and less prone to cracking before the air pocket fully inflates. Surface temperatures above 140°C trigger Maillard browning for the golden, fragrant crust.
Variations
Modern versions inject sweetened red bean paste or custard cream into the hollow after frying; some shops use butter in place of peanut oil for a richer flavor; a savory variant stuffs the shell with shredded pork or minced meat.
On the Palate
Where Cream Fritter sits in the Chinese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · 20 min
- 15 min
Bring 180ml water to a rolling boil, then immediately pour over 150g flour in a bowl and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth, cohesive hot dough with no dry patches.
Watch outPour genuinely boiling water over the flour and stir at once — cooler water won't gelatinize the starch, so the shells stay dense instead of puffing hollow.
- 27 min
Allow to cool for 5 minutes until safe to touch, then beat in 2 eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly until fully absorbed after each addition.
- 35 min
Add 60ml heavy cream, 30g sugar, and half a teaspoon of vanilla powder; knead until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky.
- 45 min
With lightly wetted hands, shape the dough into oval balls of about 30g each and set aside on a lightly oiled plate.
- 55 min
Heat 500ml peanut oil in a wok to 170°C—a wooden chopstick dipped in should produce small, steady bubbles.
- 66 min
Lower the dough balls into the oil in batches of 4–5 and deep-fry over medium-low heat for 5–6 minutes, turning gently occasionally, until puffed and deep golden.
Watch outFry at 170 over medium-low, turning gently, until puffed and deep golden — too hot and the outside colors before the inside inflates hollow.
- 72 min
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels for 1 minute.
- 81 min
Dust generously with powdered sugar and serve immediately while still hot.
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