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A slice of Key Lime Cake is almost as good as a visit to the tropics! It is a light, fluffy, moist cake with a delicious lime cream cheese frosting.
What You’ll Love About this Recipe.
This key lime cake has a light and tender crumb that is perfection. And the lime flavor in this cake is just right, not too much and not too little. Your citrus lovers are going to go crazy over this dessert. The cake is frosted in a lime buttercream frosting that is the perfect compliment to the cake. Just the right combination of sweet and citrus.
Ingredients Needed
- Flour. I use unbleached all purpose flour
- Sugar. You will use granulated sugar in the cake and powdered sugar or confectioners’ sugar in the frosting.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda. Always make sure your powder and soda are fresh for best results.
- Salt.
- Eggs. I use large eggs.
- Oil. Use canola oil or vegetable oil.
- Key Lime Juice. Fresh or bottled will work but make sure it is key lime juice, not regular lime juice. I recommend Nellie and Joe’s bottled key lime juice.
- Sour Cream. Full fat sour cream is best, it helps make this cake tender and moist. Can also substitute with plan Greek yogurt.
- Butter. Use salted butter that is softened.
- Cream Cheese. Make sure it is room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract
- Lime Zest. For garnish
- Green food coloring. This is totally optional and I don’t use it
- Whipped Cream. For garnish.
How to Make Key Lime Cake Recipe
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans or 3 6-inch pans. You can also line the bottom with wax paper or parchment paper.
- Mix together flour, sugar, powder, soda and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add eggs, oil and lime juice. Beat until smooth.
- Stir in sour cream until smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 20- 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool
- Mix together softened butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add in powdered sugar
- Pour in vanilla extract
- Add in 1/4 cup of key lime juice.
- Add a small amount of green food color if you’d like the frosting tinted.
- Frost cooled cake, garnish with whipped cream, lime zest, and a sliced lime.
Tips from Leigh Anne
- The frosting uses cream cheese but you can also just use a plain buttercream frosting if you prefer. Just use key lime juice instead of the milk in the frosting. The frosting recipe makes a lot so you can be generous when adding the frosting between the layers of cake.
- If you want more of a green color to your cake and frosting you can add some green food coloring but I just went with the natural, lighter color that the lime juice gives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to keep the cake in the refrigerator?
If you garnish the cake with whipped cream you will need to keep it in the refrigerator otherwise it can be kept stored at room temperature. Leftover cake will last up to a week in the refrigerator and 3-4 days at room temperature.
You can also freeze cake, wrapping it in plastic wrap so that it is airtight and it will last for 2-3 months. I recommend freezing individual slices of cake rather than the whole cake.
What is the best way to cut a cake?
Check out my full tutorial on my favorite way to cut a cake here.
What other size cake pan can I use?
I used three 6 inch round cake pans for a 3 layer cake. You can use an 8 inch or 9 inch round cake pan but you will only get two layers. Those two layers can be cut in half to make four layers if you like or you can just make the cake with two layers.
Can I use cake flour instead?
I have always just used all purpose flour but if you want to substitute I would recommend adding an extra 2 tablespoons per cup of cake flour to equal the quantity in 1 cup of all-purpose flour. So for this recipe, add in 4 extra tablespoons of cake flour.
For other yummy key lime recipes check out these:
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Key Lime Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup oil
- 2/3 cup key lime juice
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- lime zest for garnish
Frosting
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar add more if needed
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup key lime juice optional
- green food coloring optional for color
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream For garnish on cake
- 1 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 8-inch cake pans or 3 6 inch pans.
- Mix together flour, sugar, powder, soda and salt into mixer.
- Add eggs, oil and lime juice. Beat until smooth.
- Add sour cream and beat until smooth.
- Pour in prepared pans and bake for 20- 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool and then split each layer into two. Frost
Frosting
- Mix together butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add in powdered sugar
- Add in vanilla.
- Add in 1/4 cup of key lime juice.
- Add a small amount of green food color if you’d like the frosting tinted.
Whipped Cream
- In a chilled bowl whip cream with sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
- Garnish top of cake with whipped cream, sprinkle with lime zest
Tips & Notes:
- After frosting the cake, I garnished it with some sweetened whipped cream and lime zest. Then, I used a piping bag and a large star tip to pipe the whip cream stars onto the cake.
- Add a piece of sliced lime in the middle for the final touch.
- If you add whipped cream, store leftover cake in the refrigerator otherwise it can be kept at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts:
Rita says
Follow-up on the comment below: I made it a second time and it was Beautiful. It was delicious and the texture was perfect. Thank you, Leigh Anne, for the reply yesterday and the amazing recipe. My mistake on the first attempt was over mixing it. Now I know 🙂
Rita says
I made this recipe as a test for a birthday cake, but it came out very dense and heavy – almost like a thick cheesecake. The taste was very good, but my consistency was off. What could I have done wrong? I want to try it again. Would it work if I don’t add the sour cream?
Thanks a lot.
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
Rita, I’m not sure what would cause it to be so dense and heavy. Did you make any ingredient substitutions? Could you possibly have over mixed the cake batter? the sour cream should help make the cake lighter and more moist.
Rita says
I did not substitute any ingredient, and made sure I had the right measurements. But, I might have over mixed it. I will try it again today and not mix so much. Thanks!
Stephanie McNeese says
Should I use salted or unsalted butter? I’m going to try tomorrow!
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
I always use salted butter
Kate says
Delicious! Made it twice as a trial run for an upcoming birthday party. Second time, I made a layer of key lime curd filling… was a bit too messy, so I am going to bake a third cake layer to hollow out for the filling for next time. Thank you for your post!
Kelly says
Can you use this recipe for cupcakes?
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
Yes you can!