Guava Cake (Hawaiian)

Guava cake has three components to it - the cake, the filling/frosting and the shiny gel topping. You need to have all three for an authentic Hawaiian bakery style guava cake. The cake is made with cake flour for a light and tender crumb. The frosting is made with guava as well as cream cheese. It sweet, tart and tropical. The guava gel is so easy to make and adds that extra layer of guava goodness to the cake. Hawaiian guava cake is typically made in a sheet or half sheet pan. You could make it in a round cake pan if you like. It is usually one layer, but I decided to be fancy and make a filling layer. But you can keep it simple and just go with the cake, a layer of the frosting on top and then the gel. Up to you.

Cake:
2½ cups cake flour (not all-purpose) (325 g)
2½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. sea salt
½ cup butter, unsalted, at room temperature (113 g)
1¼ cups granulated sugar (250 g)
6 large egg whites
¼ cup neutral oil, such as; sunflower (62 mL)
1 cup whole milk (250 mL)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup guava purée or concentrate (250 ml)
3 squeezes red gel colouring or natural food dye (optional)

Frosting:
1 cup heavy whipping cream (250 mL)
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature (1 pkg/225 g)
½ cup sugar (100 g)
pinch kosher salt
2 squeezes red gel colouring or natural food dye (optional)
½ cup guava purée or concentrate (125 mL)

Guava Gel:
1½ cups guava juice concentrate or purée (thawed if frozen) (375 mL)
½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
¼ cup cornstarch (30 g)
2 Tbsp. water

Make the Guava Gel First:
Make the guava gel first so it has time to set up. In a small saucepan combine the guava juice or concentrate with the sugar and heat until simmering and the sugar has dissolved. Mix the corn starch with water in a separate bowl until well mixed then add to the guava mixture in the pan. Bring to a boil stirring until thick. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until fully chilled.

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Line a 9x13" pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the long sides.

Make the Cake:
In a bowl combine the cake flour, baking powder and salt, whisking to combine. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add in the egg whites one at a time, mixing well in between each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl when needed. Add in the oil and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl combine milk, vanilla, guava purée and optional food colouring. On low speed alternated adding in the flour and milk mixtures until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center, about 25-30 minutes.

Let cool in pan for 10-15 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the Frosting:
Once the cake is cooled, make the frosting. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the heavy cream until light and fluffy with soft peaks then transfer to a bowl. Add in the cream cheese to the mixing bowl (no need to clean out after whipping the heavy cream) and whip until smooth. Add in the sugar and salt, increase speed to high. Lower speed and colour with optional food colouring. Pour in the guava purée in 4 additions, scraping down sides of bowl when needed.

Fold in the whipped cream in three additions, incorporating completely after each addition.

Frost the Cake:
Spread frosting over cooled cake, reserving some of the frosting to pipe stars or rosettes around the edges. Spread the guava gel over the top of the cake almost all the way to the edges. Pipe rosettes or stars around the top edge with the remaining frosting.

Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Cut into 24 pieces and serve.