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Corn Cake with Guava Frosting is a flavor combo inspired by Colombian Mazzamora. The cake is super fluffy with a hint of cornmeal. Its topped with a super delicious guava buttercream that lends a nice fruity flavor to the cake. This simple, yet impressive cake can be made in 40 minutes with a handful of pantry staples plus a little bit of cornmeal and guava paste! Serve with Arepas for a Colombian and Latin-inspired dinner!
Some desserts have a unique character to them that is surprising yet incredibly delicious. Some of these desserts are this Meyer Lemon Blueberry Cornbread, Rhubarb Upside Down Cake and Sweet Corn Creme Brûlée. Or if you are in love with guava check out Pastelitos de Guayaba, its a flaky puff pastry stuffed with a sweet and fruity guava/cream cheese filling!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Corn Cake and Guava Frosting
- Cake flour. This is to help make the cake nice and fluffy. Usually I like to use all-purpose flour for cake but this cake needs cake flour since we’re adding cornmeal which will make it denser.
- Cornmeal. This is where we get the corn flavor from. Think of cornbread and the corn flavor that has and divide it by about half. Not a ton but just enough to pair nicely with the guava.
- Butter and oil. Butter adds flavor while the oil ensures the cake stays moist.
- Guava Paste. You can find this in a Hispanic market either fresh or canned.
- Heavy Cream. Key to a good American buttercream, it helps lighten the whole thing and not taste as much like powdered sugar.
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe index card below!
How to Make Fluffy Corn Cake with Guava Frosting:
- Prep the pans. Preheat your oven and grease the pans and line with parchment.
- Mix dry ingredients together. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream the butter, oil, and sugar. Beat it together until light and fluffy then add the eggs, one at a time.
- Add the dry ingredients and milk. Alternating between the two makes it a fluffier cake.
- Bake. Add the batter to the prepared pans and bake just until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
- Make the guava puree. We need to thin the guava puree out for the buttercream. Cook down the paste with a little bit of water then set it aside to cool.
- Make the buttercream. Beat together the butter with the powdered sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Add the guava paste and heavy cream and beat together until fully combined.
- Assemble. Cut the cake into 4 layers or leave as is. Frost the cake as desired then add sprinkles if you want!
Tips and Tricks
Make sure to sift the powdered sugar. You don’t want to end up with clumps of powered sugar in your frosting!
Cool cake to room temperature before frosting. The cooling process can take well over an hour to complete, but it’s best to frost the cake once its completely cooled to room temperature so that the warmth of the cake doesn’t melt the frosting.
Where to find guava. Often times I find guava paste at Hispanic markets. In place of guava paste, you can always use strawberry jam. You won’t need to make a syrup first like with the guava paste, simply add 2 tablespoons of jam to the frosting measurements, then you’re good to go!
Leftover guava. Use any leftover guava puree for cocktails or some other dessert!
Recipe FAQs
Cornbread is a savory bread made with half cornmeal and half flour and it’s very dense with a strong corn flavor. This corn layer cake is a dessert made with mostly flour and a hint of cornmeal to provide a subtle corn flavor!
Guava is a tropical fruit native to Central America and the Caribbean. It’s citrusy and floral tasting with a hint of strawberry and pear flavors!
You can, but I would highly suggest using heavy cream because it will make your frosting silky smooth and airy. If you only have milk on hand, add just a little bit at a time so it doesn’t become too loose.
More Cake Recipes
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Corn Cake with Guava Frosting Recipe
Equipment
- 2 (8-inch) cake pans
- Stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
- 1 small skillet
Ingredients
Fluffy Corn Cake Layers:
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
Guava Frosting:
- 4 ounces guava paste
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature , or 4 sticks
- 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
To Make the Cake Layers:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add the cake flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Whisk until combined. Set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment, add the butter, sugar and vegetable oil. Beat until combined, about 1 minute. Add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and, alternating between the dry ingredients and the milk, add them to the butter/oil/sugar mixture until the batter is relatively smooth.
- Divide the batter amongst the two prepared baking pans and transfer to the oven to bake for about 17 to 20 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack and cool to room temperature. It’ll probably take a good hour.
To Make the Guava Puree (for the frosting):
- To a small skillet, set over medium heat, add the guava paste and water. Stirring gently and regularly, cook until the guava paste has turned into a puree. This may take 2 to 3 minutes until the guava paste has softened and combined with the water. Transfer to a small bowl and allow to come to room temperature before adding it to the frosting. If needed, you can stick it in the fridge to chill it faster. Measure out 2/3 cup guava puree. Save any leftover puree for cocktails.
To Make the Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, with the paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar and salt. Cover your mixer with a clean kitchen towel and beat until smooth, about a minute. Covering the mixer will prevent a bunch of powdered sugar from flying everywhere. Pour in the 2/3 cup guava puree and mix until combined. If there are a few little chunks of guava, that’s ok! Mine had them too. Add the heavy cream and beat for a full minute. This will make the frosting light and fluffy.
To Frost the Cake:
- So, I sliced each cake layer into two so that I had four cake layers. This is one hundred percent optional. You can definitely just use two cake layers for your cake.
- Place the first cake layer on your cake board (or plate), and add about 1/4 cup of frosting and smooth out to an even layer. Repeat with the second, third and fourth cake layer. Add a crumb coat to the outside and chill for about 15 minutes in the fridge.
- Add the second outside layer and add sprinkles of choice to the sides.
- Slice and serve with a cup of Nespresso. My favorite blend is Fortado Gran Lunga! I usually add a splash of almond milk and it’s so good.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure to sift the powdered sugar. You don’t want to end up with clumps of powered sugar in your frosting!
- Cool cake to room temperature before frosting. The cooling process can take well over an hour to complete, but it’s best to frost the cake once its completely cooled to room temperature so the warmth of the cake doesn’t melt the frosting.
- Where to find guava. Often times I find guava paste as Hispanic markets. In place of guava paste, you can always use strawberry jam. You won’t need to make a syrup first like with the guava paste, simply add 2 tablespoons of jam to the frosting measurements, then you’re good to go!
- Leftover guava. Use any leftover guava puree for cocktails or some other dessert!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My cake is not baking as quickly with 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Super fluidity
Did it end up being ok?
Mine too! I set the timer for another four minutes, still not done, so it went for another four. It’s nice and golden on top-fingers crossed it didn’t get dried out!
Wonderful cake with amazing flavor. I just love it. And it doesn’t long lasting in my house. hahaha! 5 out of 5!
Ahh! Wonderful YAY!!
That’s so great to visit a farm. Everything at there is super interesting. I’m always dreaming about owning a farm on my own when I get old xD
Also, the cake seems so matching with a cup of Nespresso! I’d like to try them in a cozy day soonn <3
Yum, you had me at Guava. I tried this fruit for the first time during our visit to Cuba and have been in love with it since then. I’m not sure I’ll find guava paste where I live, but I’d really like to bake this cake <3
E || OH LA LATKES
Ooooh, the cake sounds delicious, however, not as much as the touring Columbia and drooling all over the pretty lands. I have always been so interested in touring the world, and I am now guessing that Columbia will have to be my first stop (to see the goats, duh!)! Have a great day eating the cake (without me) and hanging out with the memories of the goats!
I found your blog through a link on a friends blog, and now it’s literally my favorite blog <3 I'm an aspiring baker and your pictures and recipes make me so happy ^_^
This cake looks wonderful and the photos and story from Colombia were beautiful, too. Makes me feel better about using the pods when you know some of the back story about how the company is helping the farmers. Side note: do you have a link to your wonderful mugs??
Thank you so much! Yes, here is a link to the mugs with saucers (I didn’t buy it with the saucer, actually!):
https://www.danishdesignstore.com/collections/accessories-category-mugs-glasses-drinkware/products/scholten-baijings-paper-porcelain-coffee-cup-and-saucer-mugs-hay
Thanks – great site!
Colombia looks like such a beautiful place to visit. I absolutely love the pictures of the vibrantly painted churches, the flower pots, and the coffee beans and cherries! Oh yeah, and did I mention that the cake looks like a masterpiece? But that’s no surprise given your skill! I bet the corn cake tasted even better given its process and how it was sourced too. When you learn where your food comes from, you appreciate it a LOT more!
The town of Jardín was so ridiculously cute. And thank you!! Haha. The corn there tastes amazing. And they put it in everything xoxo
Great article. I’m not a baker but I might try this one – it looks delicious!
Thank you, Dana!
dang! colombia looks dope. cool to hear about nespresso’s practices, i never even thought about how they source their stuff even tho i see them everywhere.
i want to make this cake. where’d ya get guava from?
it was so interesting to learn about the sourcing!
and i got it at a hispanic market. they sell it pretty fresh. but also you can use a guava jam, too! or strawberry jam since i know guava can sometimes be hard to find.