This cake is festive, beautiful, and delicious. Made with a vanilla almond cake, cranberry guava topping, and fluffy meringue.
Grease bottom and sides of 9 inch cake pan well with non-stick cooking spray. Line pan bottom with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray again.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add guava paste cubes (or jam if using) and allow to melt. Once guava is melted into butter, increase heat to medium and add cranberries and sugar. Cook for 4-5 minutes until cranberries are slightly softened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Place cranberry topping with cooking liquid in prepared pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Place oven rack in middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl and set aside
Separate egg whites and yolks, placing yolks in a small bowl and whites in a medium bowl
Using a mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until butter is light in color, 2-3 minutes
Add egg yolks and vanilla & almond extracts. Mix until blended
Decrease mixer speed to low and add flour alternating with milk until both are just incorporated, being careful not to overmix
Separately, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Fold gently into prepared batter until incorporated
Remove prepared pan from refrigerator and carefully smooth batter over cranberry guava topping
Bake for about 35 minutes until light golden brown and toothpick inserted in cake comes out mostly clean
Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, invert onto serving platter to finish cooling
Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt in a mixer set to medium speed until frothy
Add cream of tartar and continue mixing
When whites are a bit fluffy, add sugar slowly (to not deflate the whites) and increase speed to medium high
Beat until meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks, being careful not to overmix
Place meringue on cake and use back of spoon to form decorative peaks. Use mini torch to toast meringue, if desired
This cake is best the same day it's made. If you wish to make it a day ahead, wait to whip and add the meringue on the day you are serving it.
The Cream of Tartar is optional, but helps to stabilize the meringue. It can be found in the spice section of grocery stores.
You can use substitute raspberry or strawberry jam for the guava if you wish.