Save to Pinterest My neighbor Maria showed up one afternoon with a plate of these guava cake bars still warm from her kitchen, and I understood immediately why she'd been guarding the recipe like a family secret. The first bite was a revelation—buttery, tender cake giving way to that distinctive guava paste sweetness, nothing like the overly sugary desserts I'd grown up with. She laughed when I asked for the recipe, saying her abuela had made them for every celebration in Havana before moving north. Now I make them whenever I want to feel that same kind of hospitality, that sense of something genuinely homemade in a world of shortcuts.
I baked these for my daughter's school fundraiser last spring, and they vanished before the bake sale even officially started. Parents kept coming back asking what they were, and a few admitted they'd bought extras just to have at home. That afternoon taught me something: the simplest, most traditional recipes often beat anything trendy or complicated because they're built on generations of people getting it right.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour (2 cups): This is your foundation, and measuring by weight if you can makes a real difference in consistency from batch to batch.
- Baking powder (1 ½ teaspoons): The secret to getting that tender crumb rather than something dense, so don't skip it or reduce it.
- Fine sea salt (¼ teaspoon): Even a tiny pinch lifts the sweetness and prevents the cake from tasting flat.
- Unsalted butter (½ cup, softened): Room temperature is not optional here—cold butter won't cream properly with the sugar, and your bars will be tough.
- Granulated sugar (¾ cup): This creams with the butter to trap air, which gives you that light, almost cloud-like texture.
- Large eggs (3, room temperature): Cold eggs won't incorporate smoothly, so pull them from the fridge about an hour before you start.
- Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon): A good quality vanilla makes itself known and rounds out all the other flavors beautifully.
- Whole milk (⅓ cup): The acidity helps balance sweetness and keeps the cake moist without being wet.
- Guava paste (12 oz): This is where the soul of the recipe lives—look for brands that list guava and sugar as the main ingredients, nothing else.
Instructions
- Set yourself up for success:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line your 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper, letting it overhang the edges so you can lift everything out cleanly when it's done. Having everything prepped and in its place makes the actual baking feel effortless.
- Bring the dry ingredients together:
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until they're evenly combined. This takes about thirty seconds and ensures your leavening is distributed throughout.
- Cream the butter and sugar:
- Beat them together in a large bowl for about two to three minutes until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and noticeably lighter than when you started. This is where you're building air into the batter, so don't rush it.
- Add the eggs one at a time:
- Drop in one egg, beat until it's fully incorporated and the mixture looks smooth, then repeat with the second and third eggs. This patient approach prevents the batter from looking curdled or separated.
- Introduce the vanilla:
- Mix it in after the last egg, just for a few seconds until everything is cohesive. You'll notice the batter smells more inviting already.
- Alternate your wet and dry ingredients:
- Start by adding about a third of the flour mixture, stir until just combined, then add half the milk, then another third of flour, the remaining milk, and finally the last of the flour. Always begin and end with flour to keep the batter stable.
- Resist the urge to overmix:
- Stop stirring as soon as you don't see streaks of flour anymore—your bars depend on this restraint. Overmixing develops gluten and toughens the crumb.
- Spread the base layer:
- Pour half the batter into your prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer with a spatula. You don't need it to be perfect, just relatively level.
- Arrange the guava paste:
- Slice your guava paste into thin strips and lay them in a single, even layer across the batter. If the paste is particularly thick, you can soften it slightly between your hands before arranging it.
- Top with the remaining batter:
- Gently spread the rest of the batter over the guava layer, using a damp spatula or damp fingertips to smooth it without disturbing the filling underneath. This is the trickiest step, but working gently and patiently makes it manageable.
- Bake until golden:
- Place the pan in your preheated oven for 38 to 42 minutes—the top should be a light golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the pastry (avoiding the guava) should come out clean. Start checking around the 35-minute mark so you don't overbake.
- Cool with patience:
- Let the entire pan cool to room temperature on a wire rack, which usually takes an hour or so. This cooling time is crucial because the bars will firm up and cut cleanly.
- Release and cut:
- Use the parchment overhang to lift the whole sheet out of the pan, then use a sharp knife to cut it into 16 neat squares. A hot knife wiped clean between cuts gives you the cleanest edges.
Save to Pinterest Last year, I brought a batch to a gathering where three generations of a Cuban family were present, and watching the grandmother pick one up and smile without even tasting it first told me everything about tradition and memory baked into something so simple. Food that connects us to other places, other times, other people—that's what this recipe really is.
The Tropical Variation Worth Trying
If you're feeling adventurous, add a teaspoon of finely grated lime zest to your butter and sugar when you cream them together. The brightness cuts through the sweetness in a way that feels sophisticated, and suddenly these bars taste like a Caribbean afternoon. I've also swapped out half the guava paste for a thin layer of cream cheese mixed with a little lime juice, which transforms them into something almost cheesecake-like, though purists might say I'm tampering with perfection.
Storage and Keeping
These bars stay fresh and tender at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days, which is usually how long they last in my house anyway. They're equally good straight from the pan on day one or as a mid-morning snack a day or two later, though the guava paste can occasionally crystallize slightly if you keep them longer than that. They don't freeze beautifully, so I recommend making them fresh whenever you're craving them rather than planning ahead.
The Equipment and Final Thoughts
You'll want an 8x8-inch baking pan, mixing bowls, either an electric mixer or a good arm and a whisk, a spatula, parchment paper, and a sharp knife for cutting. That's truly all you need to create something that tastes like it came from a proper bakery.
- If your guava paste is very firm straight from the package, leaving it on the counter for fifteen minutes softens it enough to slice and arrange without cracking.
- Room temperature ingredients really do matter here—take the extra five minutes to let everything sit out because cold butter and cold eggs make a difference you can taste.
- These bars are equally at home as an afternoon dessert, a packed lunch, or something you set out for guests, so don't hesitate to make them whenever the craving strikes.
Save to Pinterest These guava cake bars are the kind of recipe that reminds you why people bake at all—not for Instagram, but for the person who opens your container and smiles at what's inside. Make them whenever you want to feel like you're sharing something real.
Recipe Questions & Answers
- → What type of guava paste is best for these bars?
Choose firm, sliced guava paste to maintain texture and achieve balanced sweetness during baking.
- → Can I substitute ingredients for dietary needs?
Butter and milk can be replaced with plant-based alternatives, but texture may vary slightly.
- → How do I prevent the bars from becoming soggy?
Use parchment paper for easy removal, bake until golden, and let cool completely before cutting.
- → Is there a way to enhance the tropical flavor?
Adding grated lime zest to the dough introduces a refreshing citrus note that complements the guava.
- → What equipment is essential for baking these bars?
A baking pan (8x8 inches), mixing bowls, electric mixer or whisk, spatula, and parchment paper are needed.