Food

Guava Cake

I have decided to update this page, in response to my recent trip to Hawai’i, during which I literally ate Guava Cake every day!  The cakes I ate, the best being at Dee Lite Bakery, http://www.stghi.com/location-dillingham.htm, were filled with a layer of whip cream; my post below is incorrect.

Also, for the last several years, I have used Nature’s Sun Guava Nectar, which is completely natural, instead of Kerns; I am sure given the change in the way we view foods, that there are many other products available which would be similar, depending on where you live.

This is a chiffon cake; a boxed mix is still going to be easiest, but any chiffon recipe would be fine.

I do not know what excuse I will find to make this cake; but I am already feeling the withdraws!

~ M ~

When we lived in Hawaii, it was customary to bring a guava cake with you, when you went for a visit.  It was a lovely custom and a wonderful cake, which we all grew to love, from our time in Hilo.  The traditional version is not filled, but rather a single sheet, square, white cake, iced with whip cream and the guava “gel” on top.  This is my version, after much trial and error, and I think it is rather yummy.  I serve it as a round, filled, layer cake – adding a Cuban touch!

This cake can be baked ahead of time, but should not be assembled until the last minute, unless you have room in your refrigerator to store it, as it will be iced with whip cream.

Ingredients:

1 package of yellow or white Cake Mix

Guava Juice – I prefer Kerns.

3 Eggs at room temperature

⅓ cup of Oil, as directed on cake mix

Rum – about a ¼ cup – optional

Goya Canned Guava Marmalade

2 cups of Guava Juice

½ cup of Sugar

¼ cup of Cornstarch

⅓ cup of Powder Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

Whipping Cream

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees, and grease two round cake pans. Bake cake according to package directions, substituting guava juice for water.   When the cake is done, remove from the oven, and let cool on wire racks.  After ten minutes, invert and sprinkle with rum (this is optional, but not Hawaiian!)

In a small sauce pan, off of the heat, stir sugar and cornstarch, until they are incorporated. Add the juice, stir well, and bring to quick boil.  Stir this mixture constantly.  It will be a very pretty pink gel.  You will need to cool this mixture, so that it does not cause the whip cream to melt.

Goya sells canned guava “jelly” not to be confused with guava shells, they call it marmalade, but is does not have pieces of fruit. On your cake plate, place the bottom layer of cake, and spread the jelly, leaving ¼ inch, around the rim, free of jelly.  Put the top layer on, and then ice with the whip cream.

I use fresh whipping cream, but you could use Cool Whip, if you like. Chill your mixing bowl and beaters, if you can.  Whip the cream, adding the powder sugar and vanilla.

Once the cake is iced, you will spread a thick layer of guava gel over the top of the cake. You will have gel left over; you can spread a thin layer, using a spatula, over the cake plates, for an added touch.

This entry was posted on September 22, 2012 at 12:05 am and is filed under Food, SlideShow, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.