Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
There’s no dessert that captures the pure, sweet zing of citrus quite like a Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting. Each bite brings together irresistibly tender cake layers bursting with fresh key lime flavor, and a dreamy cream cheese frosting that’s at once tangy, silky, and just sweet enough. This recipe transforms a handful of kitchen staples and a few juicy limes into a sunshiny showstopper – guaranteed to brighten any potluck, birthday, or rainy day. If you love a cake that’s as gorgeous as it is flavorful, this is the one to bake next!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Baking this Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting is pure joy, thanks to its simple, truly essential ingredients. Each one serves its delicious purpose—some building that plush, moist crumb, while others infuse the cake and frosting with an unmistakable lime sparkle.
- All-purpose flour: The backbone of your cake, providing just the structure you need for perfect, fluffy slices every time.
- Baking powder and baking soda: These leaveners lift the batter, giving your cake that light, airy texture everyone loves.
- Salt: A little bit wakes up the sweetness and sharpens the key lime’s flavor throughout the cake.
- Unsalted butter (softened): Gives both cake and frosting an unbeatable richness and smoothness—softened butter whips up with sugar to create a lush, creamy base.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake just enough while helping to create that classic fine crumb.
- Large eggs: Bind all your ingredients together and add wonderful moisture.
- Key lime zest and juice: The true star! These bring that punchy, tart brightness to both cake and frosting. Fresh is magic, but bottled key lime juice works in a pinch.
- Vanilla extract: Adds depth and balance, making the lime flavors pop.
- Buttermilk: Its slight tang guarantees a moist cake and works hand-in-hand with the lime.
- Cream cheese (softened): For the frosting, this is your ticket to a thick, lavish, tangy finish you’ll want to lick off the spoon.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting to that ideal lofty texture.
How to Make Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
Step 1: Prepare Your Pans and Preheat the Oven
Start by heating your oven to 350°F (175°C)—a classic cake temperature that ensures even, golden baking. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans so the batter won’t stick and your finished cake slides out easily, with perfectly smooth edges ready for frosting.
Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. This guarantees your leaveners are evenly distributed, ensuring a consistent rise and soft crumb all the way through.
Step 3: Cream Butter and Sugar
In your largest mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture turns pale and fluffy—a crucial step that traps air for a tender, airy cake base.
Step 4: Add Eggs and Lime Flavors
Beat in your eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then stir in the key lime zest, key lime juice, and vanilla extract for a wonderfully fragrant, punchy batter.
Step 5: Alternate Dry Ingredients and Buttermilk
Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour. Mixing gently and just until everything is combined helps keep your cake soft and light.
Step 6: Bake the Cakes
Divide your batter evenly between the prepared pans, smooth the tops, and pop them in the oven. Bake for 25–30 minutes. They’re done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean—or with just a few moist crumbs for a decadent texture.
Step 7: Cool the Cakes
Let the finished cakes rest in their pans for 10 minutes (they’re easier to handle this way), then turn them out onto wire racks and cool them completely. This is key: a cool cake ensures your frosting won’t melt or slide off.
Step 8: Make the Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
In a clean bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until completely smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar to thicken and sweeten the frosting. Finally, whip in the key lime juice, zest, and vanilla extract. This frosting is ultra creamy and packed with citrus zing!
Step 9: Assemble and Frost Your Cake
Place one cake layer on your serving plate and lavish the top with a generous layer of frosting. Stack your second cake layer right on top, and coat both the top and sides with the remaining frosting. If desired, garnish with a little extra lime zest for color and extra citrus flair.
How to Serve Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
Garnishes
A sprinkle of fresh key lime zest or delicate curls of lime peel on top of your cake is not just pretty—it adds a final aromatic burst. Thin lime wedges, candied lime slices, or even a few edible flowers are gorgeous, festive touches that entice before the first forkful.
Side Dishes
You can make your Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting the star of dessert hour, but it also pairs beautifully with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a handful of fresh berries. Serve alongside iced coffee, a fruity herbal tea, or even a light sparkling wine for a refreshingly bright finish to any meal.
Creative Ways to Present
Turn this cake into delightful cupcakes for easy serving at picnics, or slice into mini squares for a fun tray of summer-inspired petit fours. For special celebrations, decorate the sides with crushed graham crackers to echo the flavors of classic key lime pie.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Cover any remaining slices or wrap the whole cake tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. The Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting stays moist for up to 5 days in the fridge, and the flavors deepen as it sits, making the leftovers just as tempting.
Freezing
You can freeze the unfrosted cake layers wrapped in plastic, then aluminum foil, for up to 2 months. Let them thaw completely before frosting. While the frosted cake can also be frozen (well wrapped), the texture of the frosting may soften a bit upon thawing—still delicious for home snacking!
Reheating
No need to reheat, but if you prefer a softer, almost bakery-fresh slice, let your chilled cake rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. This relaxes the butter in the cake and frosting, making each bite extra luscious.
FAQs
Can I use regular lime juice instead of key lime juice?
Absolutely! While key limes have a distinctive tartness and floral aroma, regular limes are a fine substitute if that’s what you have on hand. The cake will still taste bright, citrusy, and totally delicious.
What can I do if I don’t have buttermilk?
No worries—DIY your own buttermilk by mixing 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into 1 cup of milk, then letting it sit for about 5 minutes before adding to your batter. This trick produces the perfect tang for your Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting.
Can I make this cake as a sheet cake or cupcakes?
Yes! Pour the batter into a greased 9×13-inch pan for an easy sheet cake, or scoop into cupcake tins and bake for 18–22 minutes. Both options work beautifully with the luscious key lime cream cheese frosting.
Is bottled key lime juice really okay to use?
It sure is! While nothing beats the punch of freshly squeezed key limes, bottled juice is tart, consistent, and far less labor-intensive—especially when key limes aren’t in season. Just be sure to pick a high-quality brand.
How do I stop my cake from sticking to the pans?
Greasing and flouring your pans generously is the key. For extra insurance, place a round of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan. Your Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting layers will turn out perfectly every single time.
Final Thoughts
I hope you feel inspired to whip up this vibrant, zesty Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting soon. It’s pure citrus sunshine in a slice, always a hit, and so much fun to make and share. Give it a try—you may just find your new favorite citrus dessert!
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Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Indulge in the zesty and refreshing flavors of this Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting. Perfect for any occasion, this citrus-infused dessert is a true crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon key lime zest
- ¼ cup key lime juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
For the frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons key lime juice
- 1 teaspoon key lime zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
- Prepare the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Prepare the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, followed by key lime zest, key lime juice, and vanilla extract.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three parts, alternating with buttermilk. Mix until just combined.
- Bake: Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 25–30 minutes. Cool the cakes on wire racks.
- Make the frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, key lime juice, zest, and vanilla. Frost the cakes once cooled.
Notes
- If fresh key limes are unavailable, bottled key lime juice is a good alternative.
- For extra citrus flavor, brush some key lime juice between the cake layers before frosting.
- Store the cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 39g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 59g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
