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Hawaiian Guava Cake

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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cool and Assemble Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • Guava Sponge:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup guava juice or nectar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 –3 drops pink food coloring optional
  • Guava Soak:
  • ½ cup guava juice or nectar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • Stabilized Whipped Cream:
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream very cold
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar sifted
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water
  • Guava Gel Topping:
  • 1½ cups guava juice or nectar
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
  • 2 tablespoons cold water

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment.
  • Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • Beat butter and sugar on medium-high for 4–5 minutes until very pale and fluffy.
  • Add eggs one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each. Add vanilla with the last egg.
  • Add flour and guava juice alternately in 5 additions. Mix until just combined each time.
  • Add food coloring if using. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30–35 minutes until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  • Cool in pan 15 minutes. Lift out and cool completely on a wire rack.
  • Heat guava juice, sugar, and lemon juice for the soak until sugar dissolves. Cool and brush generously over the cooled cake.
  • Bloom gelatin in cold water 5 minutes. Microwave 10 seconds until liquid. Cool to room temperature.
  • Whip cold cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to soft peaks. Stream in cooled gelatin. Whip to firm peaks.
  • Spread whipped cream evenly over soaked cake. Refrigerate 30 minutes until firm.
  • Bloom gelatin for gel in cold water 5 minutes. Heat guava juice and sugar until sugar dissolves. Add gelatin off heat. Stir until dissolved. Cool completely.
  • Pour cooled gel evenly over chilled whipped cream. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight until set.
  • Slice with a hot clean knife wiped between cuts. Serve cold.

Notes

  • Use pure guava nectar or juice — guava cocktail has too little actual guava for proper flavor and color
  • Cool the gel completely before pouring — warm gel melts the whipped cream beneath it
  • Stabilize the whipped cream with gelatin — plain whipped cream weeps and deflates within hours
  • Soak the cake generously in two passes for deep guava flavor throughout the sponge
  • Refrigerate between every layer — chilling each layer before adding the next produces clean distinct layers
  • Chill overnight for the best gel surface and deepest soak penetration
  • Slice cold with a hot knife wiped between cuts for clean bakery-style edges
  • Cool Whip works as a shortcut for the whipped cream layer — use 2 cups directly from the tub
  • The assembled cake keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days
  • Agar-agar at half the quantity replaces gelatin for a vegetarian version