Key Lime Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Moist key lime cake with sweet cream cheese frosting. A light and fluffy citrus lime cake with the perfect lime buttercream frosting!
I work long and hard to perfect my cake recipes. I take baking cakes pretty seriously and want to pass on these tried and true recipes to my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren...so they better be perfect!
I have been baking since the time I could climb up on a stool and help my Mom in the kitchen. Baking cakes and cookies for my friends and family have always been my favorite thing to bake! I shared how my kids get to choose the flavor of their birthday cake every year and they get pretty creative! Since my daughter, Sadie, is obsessed with anything lime flavored, I knew this had to be her special birthday cake.
This is literally one of my husband's favorite cakes I have ever made. It is seriously the best lime cake!
We just returned home from a Caribbean cruise with the family and had the best time! It was so nice to be away from cellphones and laptops and reconnects as a family. My kids felt like Kings and Queens with access to unlimited food and drinks! Our favorite virgin non-alcoholic drink was definitely the mojito -- made with fresh lime juice and mint. This drink was definitely the inspiration for this fresh key lime cake!
This Key Lime Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting can be made as a layered cake with two 9-inch cake pans or three 8-inch cake pans or in a 9 x 13 pan.
How to make the Best Key Lime Cake (the best tips and tricks):
- Whip oil, eggs, whole milk, lime juice, and lemon zest for about 2-3 minutes. I would highly suggest using FRESH lime juice for this cake. It makes such a difference in the flavor. Also, zest the limes first before juicing since it is much easier to zest while the limes are hard and round.
- Fold in dry ingredients. Pour into greased cake pans. It is so important to grease the cake pans well so the cakes easily come out of the pans. You can choose to use two 9-inch cake pans or three 8-inch cake pans, depending on preference. If you use three 8-inch pans, the layers will be thinner and will need less baking time. This can also be made in a 9 x 13 pan.
- After cakes have baked, set aside to cool. Make frosting by whipping softened cream cheese and butter for 4 minutes until light and fluffy. This makes the frosting extra light. Add powdered sugar and whip for 1 minute. If you want a stiffer frosting, add more powdered sugar. Fold in lime juice and lime zest.
- Remove cakes from pan. Spread frosting on top of one cooled cake layer. Place the other cooled cake layer on top and spread frosting all over. I use this angled spatula to spread frosting all over the cake layers. Garnish with freshly sliced limes.
If you love cakes, here are some of the most popular cake recipes:
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Key Lime Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Key Lime Cake:
- 1 cup Canola or Olive Oil
- 3 large Eggs
- 1 ⅓ cup Whole Milk
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Zest
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
- 2 cups Sugar
- 2 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Lime Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ½ cup Butter (softened)
- 8 ounce Cream Cheese (softened)
- 4 - 4 ½ cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
- ½ teaspoon Fresh Lime Zest
- Fresh Limes (sliced for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, add oil, eggs, whole milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Cream for 2 minutes.
- In a large bowl, add sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into egg mixture and fold.
- Spray two 9-inch or three 8-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Place batter into baking pans. If using three 8-inch pans, bake for 20-26 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. If using two 9-inch pans, bake for 30-36 minutes. Cool.
To make Lime Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl often. Add powdered sugar, lime juice, lime zest, and cream together. Chill.
- Remove cakes from pan. Spread frosting on top of one cooled cake layer. Place the other cooled cake layer on top and spread frosting all over. Garnish with fresh lime slices.
Dana
Can it be made gluten free with almond flour and almond milk?
Juanelle
Wow! This cake is amazing. I read the other reviews so I added more lime juice and cut the milk down a little. I put too much juice in the frosting so take care adding a lot because it made the frosting thin. Still amazing! Everyone raved!! Thank you. ????
Gemma
Thank you for this Fantastic cake, so moist and light. I switched the frosting for a russian buttercream with some lemonade powder and filled with a homemade lime curd. A definite crowd pleaser!
Lyn
I live at 3300 ft above sea level, will recipe require more flour and higher cooking temperature?
Gina Medford
I am little confused. I followed the directions but the batter is very runny. Should it be? After 26 minutes at 325 degrees it is still just wet batter? Any suggestions? Is anyone else's batter very runny?
Modern Honey
Hi Gina! What size pans did you use? I am wondering if it may need more time depending on how thick the batter is in the pan.
JJ
I made this recipe exactly as described with olive oil and wound up with a liquid batter and gummy, dense, not very flavorful cake. I tried again using canola, properly creamed the oil and sugar first, followed by eggs and remaining wet ingredients and folded in dry. Got a completely different texture and taste. Would not follow steps as described in the recipe again. Baked at 350 for 45-50 minutes in single 8 inch and 6 inch pans. Buttercream was divine!
Tay
Love this recipe, but every time I do cupcakes they separate from the liner during the cooling process. How can I prevent this?
Ndm
Can I use one 8 inch pan for this recipe and bake it for a long time?
Lynn
I live in Australia and would like know for this key lime cake which flour is used self raising or plain flour
Melanie
Plain flour
Drl Laura Boldt
I use all purpose flour, not self rising. Love Au our family is in Brisbane.
XX
Amber
So, so delicious! I loved the texture.
Lee
In America is all purpose flour unless otherwise specified.
Cheryl
The recipe as written is ok, but I did modify it to give me more of a key lime flavor. I added an additional tablespoon of lime juice, subbed 1/3 cup of milk for orange juice, I used vegetable oil and added 1/2 teaspoon of key lime extract. I’ve also used the recipe to make vanilla cake by subbing the lime juice for vanilla extract and omitting the zest.
Patti
Absolutely delicious!!! A definite keeper
Laura
I made this cake for my mom's birthday, key lime is one of her favorite flavors. I did add slightly more lime juice, and cut back the sugar a tad. It turned out absolutely delicious! My entire family couldn't get enough of it. I will definitely be making this cake again, it may become my go-to cake recipe!
Heidi
How much less sugar did you use? I was thinking of cutting it back as well
Summer
Oh boy this was good! I was pleasantly surprised. It was super moist and flavorful.
I made a few adjustments. Replaced ⅓c of milk with orange juice. Added a small package of lime gelatin. Added a teaspoon of lemon extract to the icing. I only used 3c powdered sugar in the icing, I don't like mine too sweet.
I had to use 3 pans, this makes a lot of batter. And lots of spray and parchment paper is needed. Line the bottom and the sides. This cake sticks like crazy.
Sue
This was a fabulous cake! It was easy to make, moist and delicious. Only thing I changed was to double the lime juice in the cake. I will DEFINITELY make this again.
Nancy
Love this recipe! This is my bf’s favorite cake that I’ve ever made. I make it with some fancy pants olive oil and key limes and pair it with a key lime curd filling and it’s ridiculously moist and delicious. I was worried initially that it wouldn’t turn out right because the batter is pretty thin, but it’s been perfect both times I’ve made it.
Michelle Grimes
Amazing!
This was the first time I made, or even heard of, a key lime cake. I made 18 cupcakes, baked 25 minutes, and followed the recipe exactly. I didn't have any cream cheese so it was buttercream icing and I followed that recipe exactly.
My family was impressed. So light and fresh. I will be making this again.
Courtney
Definitely add more lime juice. I didn't add enough zest, so that could have been it too. Very moist and great texture. Buttercream is sweet and rich as expected. I added extra lime juice over the cakes before frosting to ensure the lime taste. Recipe made 4 mini bundt cakes and 12 cupcakes with a little left over. Family approved, recipe saved.
kerrah
Love the recipe I like how it was not has tart and sweet as the recipe I used to use and had a settle taste and balanced ingredients.
Aalee
Hands down the best key lime cake recipe. I made graham cracker crust for it as well which I added in one of the 9 inches pan and baked for ten minutes and then add the batter and bake the rest of it. I baked this cake, freeze it and then took it to my international travel to my family. I defrosted it and my whole family devoured it and can’t say enough great words about this cake and how moist it was. Thanks so much for the great recipe 🙂
Nicole
this cake was soooo delicious. seriously was the best cake I have ever had and not hard to make. thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it.
William Floyd
I'm going to try and make this cake; this recipe calls for flour, is it ALL PURPOSE FLOUR, OR SELF-RISING FLOUR?
Modern Honey
Hi there! It is all-purpose flour. 🙂
Jo
Any recommendations for making this cake and frosting a couple days in advance of eating? can it be done while keeping its moistness?