Hawaiian Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Guava Cake
Light, airy sponge cake layered with pink guava gel and cream cheese frosting — a tropical pastel showpiece beloved at Hawaiian birthday parties and celebrations.
Contains common allergens
In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.
Instructions
8 steps- 1
Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two 9-inch round cake pans, lining the bottoms with parchment.
- 2
Beat the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, and guava gelatin together until smooth and pale pink, about 2 minutes on medium speed.
- 3
Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- 4
Cool the layers in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks and cool completely.
- 5
Poke the tops of the cooled layers with a fork and brush generously with guava juice so the cake stays moist and picks up extra guava flavor.
- 6
Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth, then add the powdered sugar gradually, beating until fluffy, and tint with guava puree and a touch of food coloring until pastel pink.
- 7
Stack the layers with a thick layer of frosting in between, then frost the top and sides, smoothing with an offset spatula.
- 8
Chill the cake for at least 1 hour before slicing so the frosting sets and the layers hold their shape.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
73/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving310
Calories
7 g
Protein
46 g
Carbs
11 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Guava cake is a plate-lunch-bakery staple across Hawaii, built the same way as Chantilly cake — starting from a boxed mix rather than scratch — but built around guava juice folded into the batter and a bright pink guava gel layer under a cream cheese frosting, using the same tropical fruit that grows wild across the islands.
Listahan note
This version replaces the box's water with guava juice for flavor baked into the crumb, then layers on a separately cooked guava gel before the cream-cheese frosting, so you get guava in three distinct places rather than just a tinted frosting.
Technique cues
- Replace the cake mix's water with guava juice one-for-one — this bakes the flavor directly into the crumb instead of relying on the topping alone.
- Cool the guava gel completely before spreading it over the cake; warm gel will melt straight into the frosting instead of sitting as a distinct layer.
- Whip the cream to stiff peaks before folding it into the cream cheese mixture, or the frosting will be too soft to hold its shape on the cake.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Cook the guava gel while the cake bakes and cools — it needs to cool fully before it goes onto the cake anyway.
- Make-ahead
- The gel layer can be made a day ahead and kept chilled until you are ready to assemble.
- Leftover move
- Keeps well as chilled slices for a few days — the flavors actually meld further after a day in the fridge.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Rinse the gel saucepan right away — cooled guava-cornstarch gel sets firm and is harder to scrub once cold.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
1 box white cake mix (plus called-for eggs, oil)
Cake base
Purpose: A neutral white cake mix lets the guava juice and gel carry the flavor without competing with chocolate or vanilla notes.
Handling: Bake per box directions, substituting guava juice for the water called for on the box.
Adaptation: From-scratch white cake works too, but most bakery versions use the box.
2 cups guava juice or nectar (divided)
Signature flavor, in the cake and the gel
Purpose: Guava is the entire point of this cake — it goes into the batter itself and again into the cooked gel layer, so the flavor comes through twice.
Handling: Reserve part for the batter and the rest for the cooked gel; both uses need the juice to be well-stirred if it has separated.
Adaptation: Passionfruit or strawberry juice both keep the tropical color and tang if guava isn’t available.
sugar and cornstarch (for the gel)
Gel-setting layer
Purpose: Cooked together with the guava juice, sugar and cornstarch thicken into the glossy pink gel layer that sits between the cake and frosting.
Handling: Whisk into the guava juice while cold, then cook and stir until thickened and glossy, about 5 minutes.
Adaptation: No good substitute for the cornstarch here — it is what gives the gel its distinct sliceable layer.
cream cheese and heavy cream (frosting)
Frosting body
Purpose: The whipped cream folded into sweetened cream cheese gives a lighter frosting than the cooked-custard Chantilly style, better suited to sit on top of the soft guava gel.
Handling: Whip the cream to stiff peaks separately, then fold gently into the beaten cream cheese mixture so it stays airy.
Adaptation: Chilled coconut cream can replace the heavy cream for a dairy-lighter version, though the cream cheese itself still carries milk.
Technique notes
- Replace part of the cake liquid with guava juice for guava flavor baked right into the crumb.
- Cool the guava gel completely before spreading or it will melt the frosting.
- Whip the cream to stiff peaks before folding so the frosting holds its shape and stays light.
Ingredient swaps
- guava juice
- passionfruit or strawberry juice - keeps the bright tropical color and tang
- cream cheese
- mascarpone - contains milk
- heavy cream
- chilled coconut cream - coconut is a tree nut allergen for some
Serve alongside
- Fresh guava slices
- Macadamia nut shortbread
- Kona coffee
- Guava juice
- Kona coffee
- Iced tea
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate covered up to 4 days; the cream-cheese frosting must stay chilled and the cake does not freeze well.
- Serve chilled straight from the fridge — the gel layer softens too much at room temperature.
Equipment
- 9x13 baking pan
- Hand or stand mixer
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