Guava Cake Bars (Printable)

Buttery pastry meets sweet guava paste in these classic Cuban bars. Perfect for desserts, snacks, or celebrations.

# Ingredient List:

→ Dough

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
04 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
06 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - ⅓ cup whole milk

→ Filling

09 - 12 oz guava paste, sliced into thin strips

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract until combined.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix until just combined without overmixing.
06 - Spread half the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan.
07 - Arrange guava paste strips in a single, even layer over the dough base.
08 - Gently spread remaining dough over guava layer using a spatula or damp fingers to ensure complete coverage.
09 - Bake for 38-42 minutes until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into pastry (not guava) comes out clean.
10 - Allow to cool completely in pan. Lift out using parchment overhang and cut into 16 bars.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The guava paste creates a stunning jeweled layer that looks fancy but requires zero advanced skill.
  • Your kitchen will smell like a Cuban bakery for hours, and friends will show up asking questions before you've even finished cooling them.
  • These bars are forgiving enough for a beginner but impressive enough to bring to anything from a casual picnic to a holiday table.
02 -
  • Room temperature eggs and butter are not a suggestion—I once used cold ingredients straight from the fridge thinking it wouldn't matter, and the batter never emulsified properly, resulting in a grainy cake that tasted fine but had a weird texture.
  • Slicing the guava paste thinly is what separates a good bar from an exceptional one, because thick chunks either stay dense in the middle or leak everywhere, while thin strips bake evenly and stay moist.
03 -
  • If your guava paste is very firm, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing so the knife glides through instead of shattering.
  • Don't skip the parchment overhang—it's the difference between lifting out a perfect rectangle and fighting with a broken mess that still tastes delicious but looks like you wrestled it.
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