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Guava Cake is a tasty, traditional Hawaiian dessert. It’s a sweet, Hawaiian cake that’s perfect for any occasion, and it’s easy to make at home! You just can’t beat the flavors and textures of the spongy cake layered with creamy frosting and sweet guava glaze.
5-Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“This is absolutely the best recipe for making guava cake. I work at the Cheesecake Factory Austin and the first time I made this cake everyone fell in love with it so now I’m asked to make it for our company celebration week.” – Cindylou
“Made this for my daughter’s birthday…I still can’t get over how good this recipe is. We moved back here last year after living gin Hawaii for two years and the food is what we miss the most…” – Moe
“I made this for my daughter’s office and a few people actually asked if I could bring in my business cards so they could hire me to bake professionally. Thank you so much for sharing your bakery level recipes with the world! So generous! and well written too!”
– Smarty Marmy
Table of Contents
What is Hawaiian Guava Cake?
Guava cake is a classic Hawaiian dessert that was originally created at the famous Dee Lite Bakery in Honolulu. Its popularity grew, and now there are many different versions of this guava cake recipe out there. But this one is by far my favorite! When I worked at the bakery in Hawaii, we would often make this for catered events and it was always a huge hit. Plus, this recipe is so easy to make, you can have a taste of the islands at home!
Key Ingredients
- Strawberry cake mix – Use a standard 15.25 oz box. Strawberry pairs perfectly with guava and gives the cake its signature pink color, but white or yellow cake mix can work in a pinch if strawberry isn’t available.
- Guava nectar or guava juice – For this recipe, either works well. Guava nectar is thicker and more flavorful than juice and is traditional for Hawaiian guava cake. If all you can find is a guava nectar blend (passion-guava, guava strawberry, etc.) that is totally okay, too. If using guava juice, look for 100% juice for the best flavor.
- Eggs – Use large eggs at room temperature for the best texture and even mixing.
- Coconut oil (room temperature/liquid) – Make sure the coconut oil is fully melted but not hot. I like the faint hint of coconut that the coconut oil gives to the overall flavor of the cake. You can also swap out the coconut oil for canola or vegetable oil if you prefer.
- Cream Cheese Layer: Cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, Cool Whip (thawed).
- Guava Gel Topping: Guava nectar or juice, sugar, cornstarch, water.
Step by Step Instructions
- Prep the Cake
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, guava juice, eggs, and coconut oil. Mix until smooth and well blended.
- Bake & Cool
Pour the batter into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish and spread evenly. Bake according to the cake mix package directions. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely.
- Make the Cream Cheese Layer
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix until combined. Gently fold in the Cool Whip until fully incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare the Guava Gel Topping
In a medium saucepan, bring the guava juice and sugar to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water to form a slurry. Remove the guava mixture from heat and stir in the slurry. Return to heat and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until thickened. Chill until cooled.
- Add the Cream Cheese Layer
Once the cake is completely cool, spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the top.
- Finish with Guava Gel & Chill
Gently spread the cooled guava gel over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until set and ready to serve.
Tips for Success
- Balance Sweetness: Guavas can vary in sweetness, so taste your guava puree or juice and adjust the sugar accordingly in your cake and frosting. You want the cake to be sweet but not overly so.
- Check for Doneness: Test the cakes for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. It should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs when the cakes are done.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: For the cream cheese frosting layer, be sure to use room temp ingredients to make the frosting nice and smooth.
- Cool Before Frosting: Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting. If you frost while warm, the frosting layers may melt and not set right.
- Garnish Creatively: Consider decorating your guava cake with additional tropical elements like fresh guava slices, shredded coconut, or even a drizzle of passion fruit sauce.
How to Store Guava Cake
In my opinion, this cake tastes especially delicious after it has been refrigerated overnight, I suggest chilling the whole thing overnight in the baking pan before serving. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
First of all, make sure the glaze gets that extra minute or two of heat after adding the first slurry. If it still isn’t setting up, prepare an additional cornstarch slurry with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Stir together in a bowl until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. After adding the slurry, give it another minute or two of heat stirring continuously.
If you plan to freeze, prepare the cake without the toppings and freeze just the cake. When you are ready to serve, thaw the cake and prepare the cream cheese layer and the guava gel topping.
Any mild oil, like vegetable oil, canola oil, or even melted butter will work in thi
Looking for More Tasty Hawaiian Cakes?
Love this Hawaiian guava cake? Try some of these other cakes inspired by the tropical flavors of the islands!
Hawaiian Guava Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 strawberry cake mix
- 1 1/3 cups guava nectar, or guava juice
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, room temp (liquid)
For the Cream Cheese Layer:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 8 ounces Cool Whip, thawed
For the Guava Gel Topping:
- 2 cups guava nectar, or guava juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, mix together cake mix, guava juice, eggs, and coconut oil until well combined. Bake in a 9×13 glass baking dish according to cake mix package directions.
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with hand mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla and mix well. Slowly fold in the Cool Whip and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the 2 cups guava juice and sugar to a boil. Make a slurry out of the cornstarch and a small amount of water. Remove guava juice from heat and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Return to heat and bring back to a boil and boil for one minute. Cool in refrigerator.
- When cake has cooled, spread cream cheese mixture evenly over cake.
- Glaze the top of the cake with guava gel. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Do you add eggs in it cause i see that there is no egg in the recipe?
There are three eggs in the recipe!
Hi,
Is it necessary to fold the cream cheese mixture in the cool whip?
How does cool whip help the mix?
May I avoid the cool whip?
Regards
The Cool Whip makes the topping more spreadable, but you can use homemade whipped cream if you’d like!
I absolutely love this cake. Was wondering if I can swap out the Guava nectar and use Passion Fruit nectar to switch it up.
Absolutely! I’m so glad you like the cake!
If cake mix calls for 1 cup water & 1/2 cup oil, do I still use 1 1/3 cup guava & 1/3 cup oil?
Yes! You just use the ingredients in the amounts listed in our recipe.
If I can’t be in Hawaii I can eat like I am!! I’m excited to use the box of strawberry cake mix for something other than cupcakes for a Valentine’s Day dessert!
I was looking for a recipe like this, thank you for sharing!
This is such a nice, tropical dessert. We went to Hawaii for our honeymoon. This brings back memories from over 40 years ago.
Wow this was delicious, the perfect cake! Huge hit when I made it
Such a beautiful cake! I love those layers on top. I still haven’t made it to Hawaii, but definitely hope to soon.
Ohhh this makes me miss Hawaii one of my favorite places!! Love how easy this cake is with the cake mix!
Do you pour the guava gel on immediately when it’s still hot? Or do you cool off the guava gel before pouring it onto the cake?
You cool the gel in the refrigerator first!
Make the gel first, then cake, and Cool Whip mixture last. Cool gel completely on the counter, it will pour better. Cornstarch thickened products become pretty solid in the frig, and have to be reheated to liquify or smooth out enough to pour.
My gel was like jello after it cooled down in the fridge, so I couldn’t spread on top. Can I skip the cooling in the fridge and cool it at room temperature? Also the cake was delicious – but it was kind of dry. What did I do wrong.? This is a yummy recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Oh no! I am sorry this didn’t work out how you had hoped. I will try to get down to the bottom of it to see what could have happened. How long did you cool the mixture for? I usually just cool it while I am doing the other steps, so not way long. Maybe 10 minutes? For the dryness… what kind of cake mix did you use?
What does it mean to “glaze” the cake? Do you pour all of the gel on top and just let it sit? What stops it from running off the sides? Do you spread it on with a spatula?
I pour the gel over the cake and smooth it around with a spatula. If you are using a casserole dish with high sides it shouldn’t fall off the edge. Hope this helps!
You could use the whipped cream mixture to create a boarder so the gel doesn’t slide off the edge.
Would this work as a 2-layer 8 or 9 inch round?
If so, would I need to chill first layer for glaze to set before putting 2nd cake on top?
We’ve never made this as a 2-layer cake. I don’t know if the glaze will hold up under the top layer of cake without spilling over to the sides. If you want to give it a try, definitely chill the glaze so it can set before adding the 2nd layer. You could make the cake in rounds and add the toppings to each round without layering. Thanks for asking!
This is so pretty and sounds delicious! I really like that you use a strawberry cake mix as the base.
Sorry it’s a late reply but I make this as a layered cake. I don’t add the gel between the layers just because the layer on top would soak it up so I just have the coolwhip and cream cheese mix between the layers and I just put the gel on the top of the cake. But if you do put the gel between the layers, I would cool the first layer with the gel before placing the second on top so it doesn’t soak it up too much
I followed the directions and my cake did not rise. I used the strawberry cake mix?!
Huh…that’s so weird! Did you check the expiration date on the cake mix? Sometimes I keep mine for too long and then when I use them they don’t work as well.
hi! This looks delicious and I’d like to try the cake but currently do not have access to a strawberry cake mix. Could you suggest a recipe for the cake? Thanks!
You could try adding Strawberry Jello powder to a white cake mix! Or use just a white cake mix base.
I tried to make the gel and the cornstarch got really clumpy and there are chunks in the glaze. Help?:(
Did you mix the water and cornstarch together first? That step is crucial to having a smooth gel.
Amazing! This cake turned out absolutely amazing. I brought it to a cookout and everyone said how delicious it tasted, and they all ate HUGE pieces. Thanks so much. I used a fresh guava syrup that I made from a Barbie guava a few days prior, so it had pieces of guava in the glaze. Really want to thank you for how wonderful the recipe is.
Sooo delicious!
Easy to follow recipe is what made it easy for me to make. This dessert is a hit. Thank you so much
Made this cake twice. Both times came out 😋 delicious. I used yellow cake mix with vegetable oil and added red food coloring. Second time white cake mix with coconut oil, red food coloring, texture denser than the first. Both were good. Couldn’t find Duncan Hines Strawberry cake mix here in Calif.
Can you use frozen concentrate guava to make this?
We haven’t tried it that way before, but let us know how it turns out if you do try it!
This looks incredibly beautiful! I would love to make this for my granddaughter’s birthday – pink being her favorite color!
Any thoughts on the idea of baking in two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans and layering once they have completely set? Maybe do something light like whipped cream around the outside or leave bare like the new “naked style” cakes?
Just brainstorming before I start hunting down the ingredients here in Cali! Thanks again!!
We haven’t made it as a layer cake before so I’m not sure how it would hold up. It is a softer cake texture, so I would be hesitant to try stacking it.
My family loves this cake!!! It’s required for birthdays and holidays!!!
We also make it for our special hosted events. I have made this cake for groups of 100-300 and gotten loads of compliments (as well as people begging for any leftovers)!!!
I have made this cake in Wilton’s fancy cake molds (hearts, flowers, paw prints) as well as mini and full sized cupcakes. No matter the shape/size of this cake, it’s a wonderful treat and very loved by all who try it😀😀😀
Thank you so much for sharing your review!! We are so flattered!!
Have you made this in sheet pans for those big groups? I need to feed 150 so it seems like sheets pans would be best but I’m not sure how to modify the recipe. Thanks for your help!!
I haven’t tried this, but my recommendation would be to use the recipe as it is written for the cake (bottom layer). It will be thin, but the only way it will fit in a sheet pan. For the cream cheese layer and the guava gel layer, I would add an additional 1/2 of a recipe – so 1.5x. Good luck!