Fresh Guava Layer Cake Food

GUAVA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 13x9 inch pan.
• Sift together flour, nutmeg, soda, cinnamon, and cloves.
• In another bowl, mix together guava pulp and juice.
• In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Add flour mixture and guava mixture alternately to creamed mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30-35 minutes.

GUAVA POUND CAKE

Steps:

• For the pound cake: Slice the pound cake into 2-inch thick pieces and set aside.
• For the guava cream: Place the guavas, condensed milk, cream cheese and lime juice in a blender. Process mixture until smooth. Strain the mixture into a bowl. Discard the seeds. Set aside.
• For the guava compote: Bring the guavas, 1 cup water, the sugars, butter, cinnamon and vanilla to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium low; simmer until almost all the liquid evaporates, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Cover and chill. (Can be made 2 days ahead). Serve warm or at room temperature.
• To assemble the pound cake: Place a slice of pound cake onto a serving plate. Drizzle with the guava cream. Top with a spoonful of guava compote. Garnish with 4 blackberries. Dust with some powdered sugar and serve.

GUAVA CHIFFON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Prepare three 9-inch cake pans by lightly greasing them, dusting with flour, and shaking out the excess.
• Sift together the flour with 2/3 cups of sugar, the baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat together the oil, water, nectar, yolks, vanilla, and lemon zest until well combined. Pour the yolks into the flour, and mix until the batter is smooth, mix in food coloring until desired shade is reached. Beat together egg whites with the cream of tartar in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add the 1/2 cup of sugar, and beat until stiff. Gently fold whites into batter. Pour into prepared cake pans.
• Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Run a metal spatula or small knife around the edges of the cake to loosen, and allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.

GUAVA CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Mix guava paste and water in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 min. or until softened to spreading consistency; set aside.
• Beat cream cheese, butter and brown sugar in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each until well blended. Add milk, vanilla, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour half the batter into 9-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray; cover with guava paste and remaining batter.
• Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 min. Remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

EASY GUAVA CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and flour 2 round cake pans or a 9x13 baking pan. Bake cake according to package directions, substituting the 1 1/3 cup guava juice for the water called for. Allow to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with hand mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until completely mixed and smooth. Slowly fold in the Cool Whip, combined well. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups guava juice and sugar to a boil.
• Make a slurry out of the 1/4 cup cornstarch and the remaining 1/2 cup Guava juice. Remove guava juice from heat and stir in the cornstarch slurry. Add a few drops of red coloring, if needed. Return to heat and bring back to a boil for one minute. Allow this to cool completely.
• To assemble cooled cake:.
• For a round layered cake; thickly ice the cake with of the cream cheese mixture in between the layers, leaving a well in the center of the layer. Pour some of the glaze in between the layers.
• Top with the cake and repeat with cream cheese and then glaze the top of the cake with guava gel. Refrigerate until set before serving.
• IF using a single layer 9x13 pan; ice the entire cake, pour some of the glaze over the center. Refrigerate until set before serving.

FRESH GUAVA LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• To make the cake layers, position one rack in the top third and another rack in the bottom third of the oven, and preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly spray three 9-inch nonstick cake pans with nonstick cooking spray.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in another bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add the granulated sugar, beating until well blended. Add the egg mixture in three additions, beating until well blended after each addition. Then beat in the flour mixture in three additions alternately with the buttermilk, scraping down the inside of the bowl occasionally.
• Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the layers are puffed and a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean. Transfer to wire racks and let the cake layers cool completely in the pans. Invert the cakes onto the racks. (The cake layers can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.)
• To make the guava filling, combine the guavas, 3/4 cup water, and the granulated sugar in a medium-size heavy saucepan set over medium heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes, or until the guavas begin to break and are tender. Drain the guavas, reserving the syrup. Cool both separately.
• Seed and coarsely chop half of the guavas (they may fall apart slightly). Set the chopped guavas aside. Put the seeds in a blender and add the remaining guavas, the cream cheese, and 1 cup of the reserved syrup. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Strain the mixture into a large bowl, whisking the mixture in the strainer to extract as much of the liquid as possible. (Discard the solids.) Gently mix in the chopped guavas.
• Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on a platter. Brush 3 tablespoons of the remaining reserved syrup over the cake. Spread half of the guava filling over the top. Top with a second cake layer, brush with 3 tablespoons syrup, and spread with the remaining guava filling. Top with the third cake layer. Refrigerate until ready to frost. (Reserve the remaining syrup for another use; see page 218.)
• To make the cream cheese frosting, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 25 minutes, or until firm enough to spread.
• Spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Coat the sides of the cake with the pistachios. (The cake can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Cut into slices, and serve.

GUAVA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a 13x9-inch pan, and line with foil or parchment paper.
• Lightly grease paper/foil (I use cooking spray) Combine brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and rolled oats.
• Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly.
• Press half of the crust mixture into the prepared pan.
• Slice the guava paste into enough pieces to cover the crust within 1/4 inch of the edge, and place in pan.
• Sprinkle remaining crust mixture over guava paste layer, and lightly press down with the back of a fork or spatula.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes in preheated oven, or until crust is lightly browned.
• Allow to cool in pan on wire rack before cutting into 16-24 bars (depending on the size bars you cut).