Name: Guava Chiffon Cake – Light and Fluffy Hawaiian Cake
Cook time: 55 h
Cuisine: Hawaiian
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups cake flour; 1 1/2 cups sugar; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 7 egg yolks; 3/4 cup guava nectar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 7 egg whites; 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Servings:

Guava chiffon cake is Hawaiian baking at its finest—light as a cloud, pink as a sunset, and fragrant with that unmistakable guava perfume. This is the cake that shows up at graduations, weddings, and birthday parties across the islands.

Chiffon cake was perfected in Hawaii (some say invented here) in the 1940s and 1950s, and local bakers immediately started adding tropical flavors. Guava chiffon became the signature version, with its beautiful pink color and delicate tropical sweetness.

Ingredients

Everything you need for guava chiffon cake — the pink guava nectar gives this cake its signature island color.

For the Cake

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
7 egg yolks
3/4 cup guava nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the Guava Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup guava nectar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Pink food coloring (optional)

Instructions

Prep: Preheat oven to 325°F. Have a 10-inch tube pan ready (don’t grease it).
Mix dry: Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.
Add wet to dry: Make a well in the center. Add oil, egg yolks, guava nectar, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
Whip whites: In a large clean bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
Fold: Gently fold yolk mixture into whites in three additions. Don’t deflate the batter—fold gently.

Gently folding the pink guava batter into the whipped egg whites — this is what gives chiffon cake its incredible lightness.

Bake: Pour into ungreased tube pan. Bake 55-65 minutes until top springs back when touched.
Cool inverted: Immediately invert pan onto a bottle neck. Let cool completely upside down (at least 1 hour).
Remove: Run a knife around edges and center tube. Tap pan firmly to release cake.
Glaze: Whisk glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake.

The finished guava chiffon cake — tall, light, and beautifully pink with a sweet guava glaze drizzled over top.

Tips

Don’t grease the pan – The batter needs to cling to the sides as it rises
Invert to cool – This prevents the cake from collapsing
Room temperature eggs – Whites whip better when not cold
Fold gently – The air in the whites is what makes chiffon so light

Where to Find Guava Nectar

In Hawaii, guava nectar is at every grocery store. On the mainland, check the international aisle or order online. Meadow Gold and Hawaiian Sun are classic brands. If you love guava, also try our Guava Nectar Punch — and for more tropical baking, check out Mango Bread and Chocolate Haupia Pie.