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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.
Love this recipe?
We want to hear from you! Please leave a review.
Tried this recipe out for a birthday and it was a hit! Everyone loved it, islanders and non-islanders included. The cake is moist and the guava flavor really shines through. This is becoming one of my staple recipes 🙂
Hello,
I’m allergic to cream cheese, what can I substitute it with, or can I make it without the cream cheese?
I haven’t made this recipe without cream cheese before, but I found this article that might be helpful: https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/cream-cheese-substitute/
Where can I get guava juice or nectar? Can I substitute another type of juice?
I have found guava nectar at most Wal-Marts and Kroger grocery stores!
Look in the Mexican section (tacos, tortillas etc) I found it at Festival foods in a round paper carton.
This recipe is so delicious and was really easy to follow. Thank you.
Hello,
Can the Guava nectar be changed to Mango, using the same ingredients?
Thank you
Yes, you can use mango but then it wouldn’t be a “guava” cake anymore. I am sure the mango would taste great though!
I have been looking for a guava cake recipe. I do have a question on the guava concentrate usage or juice. If you use the concentrate, do you add any sugar. Also, can you use guava paste? If so, do you heat it and add water to become a liquid?
Thank you,
Anita
Using concentrate will make the guava flavor come through more. It will just be stronger. You don’t need to add sugar. We have never used the paste before so I don’t know how well it will work. For sake of ease, I usually just stick with guava juice. Hope this helps!
So delicious!! Everyone in my family loved it! As my daughter said, “the guava layer just takes it over the top!”
Delicious! A perfect dessert to take to a gathering. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Yes, it is perfect for serving a group. Thank you so much for your review!
I absolutely LOVE this cake! The first time I had it was when I went to a coffee shop in Pohnpei. I was hooked. Ever since then I have craved for another Guava cake, and so I am SO excited to have found your recipe!! Thank you so much!
We love this cake! It is easy and delicious. I have made it multiple times and now it is being requested by my family. Always a sign of a good recipe. Thank you!
I made it and my family loved it. But we have two kinds of guava nectar available in my area. One yellow and the other pink. I bought the yellow. Haha! Just add a dot of red food coloring to make it pink. I bought pink guava nectar this time I’m going to make it again this weekend thanks for the recipe
Can I make cupcakes with this recipe?
I haven’t tried making cupcakes with this recipe, so I am not sure! Let us know how it goes if you do try it!
Ive made them as cupcakes. super easy! Just followed the box instructions
Perfectly sweet & moist & the prettiest color! Thank you for sharing this!!
Yum!! Love this cake! Have had it a few times & I am so excited to make it at home!
Ok, the flavor of this cake is amazing! It looks so beautiful too!
This guava cake tasted so delicious and really easy to make! Will surely have this again, thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Highly recommended!
YUMMY! I have long loved guava smoothies but never thought to make it into a cake. This was genius! Tasted so fresh and fruity and perfect for a special occasion.
I made this cake for my Sunday dessert with my Hawaiian inspired dinner and it was AMAZING!! My husband loved it and said this was a keeper. I will definitely be making this again.
So glad you liked it!
Hello,
I’m sorry I failed to mention changing the strawberry mix to yellow cake as well and the rest of the ingredients remaining the same.
Thank you
Can I just double everything for a sheet pan size?
I haven’t tried it that way before, and I worry that the sheet pan wouldn’t allow the cake to rise without spilling over the edge.
This is definitely NOT Big Island guava cake. Strawberry boxed cake base? My entire family is from Hawaii, all of us bring the genuine Big Island Guava cake back to other family members on Maui when we visit The B.I. It is NEVER Strawberry flavored, strawberries are about as authentic and native as Reggae music and Mai Tais , and drinks with paper umbrellas.
But have you tried it?
That’s sad to hear. Maybe recipes are tweaked differently on the BI versus Oahu (where I grew up) I’m curious to know the BI Guava cake recipe and the difference between yours and what we make on Oahu
I don’t see Big Island anywhere in the recipe title. She mentions there are different variations, and this is the version she wants to share. I was born and raised in Hawaii, my entire family from Hawaii as well, and this STRAWBERRY based Guava cake is DELICIOUS and never disappoints when I bring it to our family gatherings; no complaints or comparisons.
Your comment is as authentic as an egotistical asinine can provide. Make the cake, it won’t disappoint. and remember to make it with LOVE!
I researched for weeks and found a handful of recipes that looked worthy enough to confuse me. I wish I would have stopped when I found your recipe (it was the first).
I followed the recipe EXACTLY, I did make sure to find the Guava Nectar with the HIGHEST percentage of JUICE – which was Libby’s – it has 41%. The others had a measly 10-19%.
The cake was so ono! This was for my son’s birthday cake and now that he’s all grown up at 16 😂 the character cakes from the store no longer impress him. This certainly did!
Much gratitude and aloha! It’s been 16 months since we’ve been back to visit all of our family. Because of Covid, my 80 year old dad has been fearful of us going back home for visits…(but, still no worries about climbing up a 30 foot ladder to clean off the roof and gutters!)
Hi Lynette- I am so glad to hear you and your son enjoyed this cake! Your son has good taste, especially for a 16 yea old! 😉 I hope you can make it back to Hawaii soon. It will be so nice when all this crazy stuff has passed. Getting back to the islands will be much easier!
Can you use fresh guava juice for this recipe? Should the juice be sweetened or unsweetened?
Thank you
Sure! I think either would work since there is sugar in the cake mix!
This is a really good cake. I would have liked a stronger guava flavor though.
I used canola oil instead of coconut oil, but it came out good . My family enjoyed it