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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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Very yummy
Thanks so much!
This recipe made my whole year! It reminds me of my childhood! I would suggest the nectar vs from concentrate it takes more like it should. My grandmother brought this cake home with her whenever they traveled back from Maui! They stopped in Honolulu and went to Delites and bought one so we could all enjoy it. Thank you!
I am so glad yo hear how much you liked it! And thanks for the tip.
I’ve been looking for this recipe for a year now! 😆 I was in labor last year and I had few hours to eat before my c-section.. Guava cake was one of them! It was unfortunately the last I’ve had since I’ve moved to the mainland lol
So glad you found what you were looking for! It is definitely a great treat to have right before a C-section. Good choice!
The whole family absolutely loved this cake! I usually make all my cakes from scratch but if I want something that I can make quickly without sacrificing the flavor, this is it! Next time I think I will make this recipe into cupcakes. Thanks for sharing.🩷
Thanks Debbie, so glad you like it!
Hi, under substitutions you suggest using white cake, would I use only egg whites as the cake box asks for? Also, do you think using 1 cup of guava concentrate would make the cake less dense and have a stronger guava flavor?
Hi Mari, good questions! The only reason you would use egg whites is if you were worried about the color of the cake staying white. Because you are adding guava nectar the cake will be a pink color, so using the egg with the yolk won’t affect the color that much. I have not used guava concentrate with this recipe, so I can’t confidently say what the result would be if you used this instead of guava nectar. If you decide to try it, please let us know how you like it!
This is a nice recipe, but the nectar (I believe) makes the cake more dense. If the cake mix calls for 1 cup of water is adding that much extra nectar without adjusting any of the dry ingredients a problem? The guava cake I remember eating in Hawaii was lighter than this, but it’s still a delicious cake!
Yes, using the nectar does make the cake slightly more dense, but it also adds so much flavor!
I bake the cake and replaced the strawberry cake mix with white cake. Unfortunately I couldn’t taste any guava flavor. The guava juice alone will not work. Do you think guava purée or guava concentrate will make it taste like a guava cake? I didn’t try the strawberry cake mix because that to me is not a guava cake,
Thanks
What can I use as a substitute for the coconut oil?
You can just use vegetable oil if you don’t have or can’t use coconut oil. Hope this helps!
While visiting Hawaii this year i fell in love with everything guava. Made a daily trip for get guava bread
This sounds great, Ill be baking it for a friend that is home sick from Hawaii, the only question is . I can’t find the cake mix anywhere around 9 Any suggestion ) Or can I substitute something else.
Roman
You can try ordering one online, or you can use a vanilla or white cake mix. The guava juice will add flavoring but it will be a different flavor than the original recipe.
Great recipe but how come my guava gel is too clear and not as opaque as the photo?
Could be the type of guava juice you used! What brand did you use?
Add 2 drops of food coloring to the juice.
Delicious. I was skeptical, but this guava cake is better than some I’ve picked up at the grocery stores on island.
I used guava nectar, cut the sugar by half, and used a white cake mix. A few strawberries blended into the cake mix, added red food coloring.
The coconut oil is a lovely choice.
Thank you for a wonderful guava cake recipe!
Did the cake itself taste like guava? I made the same changes as you, my cake tasted like white cake. Once I added the guava glaze it tasted better. I want the cake to taste like guava, I don’t know what else I should add…
Since you used a white cake, did you use only egg whites or the whole eggs?
I also used red food color in the guava.
Love Guava cake but I can only get it in LA, 3 hours away so I decided to make one. Changes I made are, I made it 4 layers with cream in each layer except with 3rd layer I layered with cream and Guava. Loved it! Next time I will layer each layer with both cream and Guava as I had so much Guava left over!
I made a few adjustments, I used a white cake mix and a box of white Chocolate pudding mix, also added some red velvet flavoring. It was dense and flavorful. I used melted butter instead of oil.
Turned out so good!
I was raised almost my life in Hawaii and this recipe is the exact yumminess I remember. It’s the first guava cake I’ve made myself and it was delicious! Just as good as Napoleon’s Bakery or any of the local bakeries from home. I was even thinking of using the same recipe and use coconut in place of guava.
I started with guava fruit so had to guess about quantity of fruit, liquid, and tartness of guava. Cake came out too dense but was delicious with definite guava flavor. Will work on the proportions again.
Made this yesterday for my daughter’s birthday. OMG…I still can’t get over how good this recipe is. We moved back here last year after living in Hawaii for two years and the food is what we miss the most. I’ve been looking for an easy recipe(not a baker by any means)to try as this is one of our family favorites. Let me tell you…We thank you and appreciate you for sharing this recipe. I did use less sugar and vegetable oil instead of coconut oil. It was delicious and we loved it! 🩷
I made this recipe yesterday. It was good, but I thought it was a bit too sweet with the 1/2 cup of sugar in the jelly. Probably would’ve been just fine without it. The juice nectar is already sweet, so it was a bit overpowering and I couldn’t taste as much guava. The strawberry cake box also overpowered the guava juice in the cake itself. Family members in the house said it just tasted like a good strawberry cake. Still delicious though!
Wow!! What a great recipe! Cake was soft and moist with great guava flavor. The cream cheese topping and guava jel added flavor without sugar. Loved that it is not overly sweet. I made it using homegrown pink guava puree. Have a great picture of the cake.
How much purée did you use?
I made this for my daughters 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! 😉