Vanilla Guava Coffee Cake

Guava fruit. I learned about these jewels about 8 years ago. I went through the drive thru at Pollo Tropical and they had cake bars with a pink guava layer on them. They came with a kid’s meal and my kid’s adored them.

The restaurant no longer exists where I live but I still think about the fruit. In recent years, it has started popping up here and there. I have learned a bit more about it and where it comes from. It is native to Mexico, Central America, and South America and can be found in a variety of colors.

On one of my recent excursions to Central Market, I found the actual fruit for sale. I had seen it as a paste and canned but never fresh.

Fresh guavas for sale at Central Market (bottom left, they look like lemons).

Finally, I decided to do something with this fruit after a long time of contemplation. I located a 28 ounce can of Herdez Guavas in heavy syrup. I was able to purchase these at Winco grocery store and decided to put them into a coffee cake. I tasted one straight out of the can and was pleasantly surprised that the taste and texture were similar to that of a pear. That sealed it for me; I had to make a vanilla guava coffee cake.

The results were great; I ended up with a delightful sweet that was different than a typical coffee cake. The flavors were subtle yet rich, mild but satisfying. The vanilla and the guava flavors came through without competing with each other but enhancing the overall effect.

This recipe is great and I will be making it again.

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1/2 cup whole syrup drained from guava can

1 tablespoon vanilla

Toppings:

28 ounce can guavas in whole syrup (make sure you cut off the ends and deseed the fruit, cut in half)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup all purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a stand mixer, add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.

3. Add sour cream, eggs, syrup, and vanilla. Mix until batter is smooth.

4. Prepare a 9 inch springform pan by spraying with non-stick baking spray.

5. Pour batter in pan. Top with guava fruit.

6. In a medium bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Sprinkle mixture on top of guavas.

7. Bake for 50-60 minutes until lightly golden brown. Enjoy!