Guava Cake Bars (Printable)

Rich buttery pastry meets sweet guava paste in these classic Cuban bars. Perfect balance of fruit and tender cake for any occasion.

# What you need:

→ 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, at room temperature
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - ⅓ cup whole milk

→ Filling

09 - 12 ounces guava paste, sliced into thin strips

# Directions:

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 sugar together until light and fluffy.
04 - Add eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour. 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 cover completely.
09 - Bake for 38 to 42 minutes, or until top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the pastry comes out clean.
10 - Allow to cool completely in pan. Lift out using parchment overhang and cut into bars.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • The guava paste creates these little pockets of jammy sweetness that surprise you in every bite, making something so simple feel elegant.
  • You can make these in under two hours and they stay fresh for days, which means you can bake them Sunday and feel like a hero all week.
02 -
  • Spreading the second layer of dough is the trickiest part—if you try to do it with a dry spatula it will tear and drag the guava around, so use damp fingers or a lightly dampened spatula and work gently from the center outward.
  • Don't skip cooling the bars completely in the pan—cutting them while they're still warm will result in a crumbly mess, but waiting gives them time to set into clean, neat bars that hold together beautifully.
03 -
  • Room temperature eggs and softened butter aren't just suggestions—they create a smoother, more emulsified batter that bakes into tender bars instead of dense ones, and the difference is noticeable.
  • When spreading that second layer of dough, work gently and deliberately from the center outward rather than back and forth, which prevents pulling the guava layer around underneath.
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