This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to all the readers of A Sassy Spoon for all your support! xo
I’m sure you’ve heard me talk plenty about how much I loved going to the Cuban bakery with my mom on Saturday mornings as a kid. We’d always get Cuban bread, ham croquetas, guava pastelitos and torticas de moron, just to name a few.
Well, these guava cake bars would occasionally make an appearance and they were DELISH!
What is Masa Real?
In Spanish, these guava cake bars are called masa real (pronounced mah-sah-reh-al) which translates to “royal pastry” or “royal dough”.
Unless you were born in a Cuban family or were brought up here in South Florida, you’re probably clueless about these cake bars. Picture this: A dense vanilla-flavored cake with rich, sweet guava in the middle.
Sounds amazing, right!?
5 Star Review
“Made these bars today and they are amazing. The recipe is easy to follow and more importantly, the bars taste delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe!”
—Kim
For this recipe, I used Bob’s Red Mill’s Organic Unbleached All-Purpose Flour. This flour is a premium baking flour freshly milled from certified organic, hard red wheat.
You can use this high-quality wheat flour product for baked goods, including yeast breads, quick breads, biscuits, muffins, cookies, and cakes. It’s unbleached and unenriched, with no potassium bromate added. Bob’s Red Mill is one of my favorite brands of all time for baking.
Here’s how I made these guava cake bars!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Unsalted butter. Adds moisture, flavor, and richness to the cake batter. It helps create a tender and moist crumb in the cake
- Granulated sugar. Provides a caramelization effect during baking, giving the cake bars a beautiful golden brown color and a slightly crisp exterior
- Eggs. Acts as a binder and provides structure to the cake. They also contribute to the cake’s moisture and help it rise during baking
- Vanilla extract. Enhances the overall flavor of the cake, adding a warm and aromatic note. It complements the sweet guava filling and makes the cake more flavorful.
- Milk. Adds moisture to the cake batter, resulting in a softer texture. It also helps to balance the flavors and create a smooth, cohesive batter. Any type of milk can be used, including whole milk, skim milk, or plant-based alternatives like almond milk or soy milk.
- All-purpose flour, baking powder, salt. These are the key dry ingredients for the cake batter. All-purpose flour provides structure, baking powder acts as a leavening agent to help the cake rise, and salt enhances the overall flavor by balancing the sweetness and intensifying other flavors.
- Guava paste. Providing a unique, tropical flavor to the cake bars. It also adds a sweet, tart flavor and a luscious, jam-like filling that contrasts beautifully with the cake layers.
Recommended For This Recipe
9×13 Baking Dish
This Staub casserole dish is absolutely incredible! It has a porcelain-enamel finish and is microwave/dishwasher safe!
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Prep your ingredients and preheat the oven. Read through the ingredient list and prep all of them. This makes the process go by way faster. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Mix all your ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar first then add the eggs, vanilla extract, and milk. Next, you add the flour, 1 cup at a time, baking powder, and salt until all is well combined. The batter should not be drippy, it will be very thick yet spreadable.
- Transfer half the batter into the pan first. Into the prepared baking pan, add half of the cake batter, making sure the batter is evenly spread across covering the entire bottom of the pan. It doesn’t have to be perfect so don’t worry.
- Add guava slices then add the rest of the batter. Cover the entire first cake layer of batter with guava slices. Fill in any empty spots. Add the remaining cake batter on top of the guava slices, making sure to cover all the guava slices.
- Bake and DEVOUR! Pop it in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until brown on top. Make sure to wait until they are completely cooled before cutting into them. Trust me if you don’t wait, you may end up burning your mouth with hot guava. No bueno. You should get approximately rectangular cake bars.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Layer evenly: Make sure to spread the guava paste slices evenly over the cake batter to ensure every bite has a balanced flavor of the sweet, tart guava.
- Don’t Overmix: Mix the cake batter until just combined. Overmixing can lead to a dense and tough texture.
- Use Parchment Paper: Line your baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides. This makes it easy to lift the bars out of the pan for clean slicing.
- Cool Completely: Allow the guava cake bars to cool completely in the pan before cutting. This helps them set and prevents them from falling apart.
Storage Tips
If you plan to consume the guava cake bars within a day or two, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
- In the fridge: Place the cut guava cake bars in an airtight container or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 5-7 days. Before serving, allow them to come to room temperature for the best flavor and texture.
- In the freezer: Wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and then place them in an airtight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. Thaw before serving.
That’s all folks! Can’t wait for you to make these cake bars!
Guava Cake Bars (Cuban Masa Real de Guayaba)
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup any milk
- 3 cups Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 14 ounces guava paste sliced 1/2 inch thick
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix together eggs, vanilla extract, and milk then add flour, 1 cup at a time, baking powder, and salt. Mix until all is well combined. The batter should not be drippy, it will be thick yet spreadable.
- Into the prepared baking pan, add half of the cake batter, making sure it is evenly spread across covering the entire bottom of the pan.
- Next, add the slices of guava paste on top of the cake batter in the square pan, making sure to cover the entire cake layer. Add the remaining cake batter on top of the guava slices, making sure to cover all the guava slices.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until brown on top. Once completely cooled, cut the square cake into rectangular cake bars. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Thank you Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post and a HUGE thank you to all the readers of this blog for all your support! xo
Kaitlin says
Excellent recipe, thank you! I love the flavor of guava but the paste itself is SO SWEET it can be hard for me to find recipes that balance that. I absolutely loved how this came out and so did the many people I shared it with. I ran out of vanilla extract for the second time I made the recipe and substituted rum for an extra splash of Caribbean flavor and that worked very well, too.
Isabel says
Love your recipes!! I too grew up going to the bakery every Saturday morning with my Cuban Dad to pick up pan de Agua, y de Manteca. Pasteles de carne y guayaba. Thank you for your blog, site. It brings back sweet memories. Te deseo mucho exito😉
Jamie Silva says
Gracias Isabel, thank you for your support! Enjoy the masareal! :)
Sarah says
So GOOD! I didn’t have enough guava so I cut it all in half and it was SO perfect! A new fave!
Jamie Silva says
So happy you loved it, Sarah!!
Kim says
Made these bars today and they are amazing. The recipe is easy to follow and more importantly, the bars taste delicious. Thank you for sharing this recupe!
Jamie Silva says
So happy you enjoyed this recipe! :)
Nelson J Mendoza says
Hi,
The recipe says 9×13 pan, but the picture seems to show a 9×9 pan. Which one is correct?
Looks delicious!
Thank you,
njm
Jamie Silva says
9×13!