A special recipe since it’s Alanna’s first birthday cake! Happy birthday – how time has flown.

I feel that surviving the first year is always a bigger milestone for parents than for the baby. The second time around, while B and I were much more comfortable with holding a baby, diaper changing, nursing/pumping, getting baby to sleep, etc, going from one to two kids was definitely exhausting. Additionally we were both working this time, although thankfully my research year allowed a lot more flexibility.

Still it’s always amazing to see how even with the same parents and same environment, kids’ personalities and quirks turn out so different. As a baby, Alanna seemed to be an easier sleeper, a bigger eater, and even bigger pooper, and a louder crier. I think all in all, both girls were pretty good their first year, and Isabelle has loved being a big sister which warms my heart.

Since we celebrated her birthday a little early in Hawaii, I wanted to go a tropical theme for her cake smash. My mom and sister bought her a little guava cake in Hawaii, although it sadly didn’t have much guava flavor, so I was determined to create one at home. I did not anticipate how hard it would be finding guava flavored recipes, but I adapted this guava cake from Hummingbird High. It was a labor intensive cake, and I spent way too much time looking for tropical flowers, but I’m happy with how cute it looked.

I also bought guava paste thinking it would be like a jam, but it was actually very firm – like a hard cheese you can slice. I cut up some pieces to put in the cake filling, but I ended up mostly eating it as a side with cheese and crackers. I definitely recommend going with guava jam rather than guava paste for the filling. i also could not find guava puree, so I had to reduce guava juice on the stovetop.

When I did a cake smash for Isabelle, the hardest part was getting Izzy’s cooperation for photographs. Alanna has always been an eager eater, so I thought this cake smash would be a lot easier, but nope, she wanted nothing to do with the cake and required a lot of coaxing.

Also similar to Isabelle, Alanna didn’t really do a cake smash, but did more of a cake touch. I guess my girls know when a cake is too pretty to mess up.

Guava Cake

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Guava Cake

1 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup guava puree*
1/2 cup whole milk at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2-3 drops pink food coloring
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tablespoons canola oil
3 large egg whites at room temperature
2 tablespoons guava jam
flowers to decorate

Guava Frosting

1/2 cup cold heavy whipping cream
4- oz cream cheese half a package, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1-2 drops pink food coloring
1/4 cup guava puree*

Instructions

GUAVA CAKE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease three 3-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the guava, milk, vanilla, and food coloring. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar then add in the oil. Beat on medium until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume. Reduce the mixer to low and add the egg whites slowly.
With the mixer still on low, add the the dry ingredients in parts alternating with the wet ingredients. Beat until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pans
GUAVA FROSTING In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a medium bowl.
In the same stand mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, food coloring, and salt for the frosting, then add the guava puree. Beat on medium-low until soft and creamy. Mix in the guava puree.
Fold the whipped cream into the frosting.
ASSEMBLY: Cut off the domes from the guava cakes so they are level. Between the layers of the cakes, spread the guava jam.
Very thinly frost the cake (I did almost a naked cake style, so there wouldn't be too much mess to clean up for the cake smash). Decorate with flowers. Enjoy!

Notes

I could not find guava puree so I used guava juice, reduced to it wouldn’t be too watery. Double the volume needed; stir and reduce on a stovetop until thickened.