Meet Kev’s Mom, Katie…
We’re going to blog about her awesome key lime cake today. It’s soooo good, and we’re excited to share the recipe with you!
Here are the directions, straight from Katie’s kitchen…
For the cakes-
Step 1: Prepare three round 9″ pans by lining the bottoms of each with 9″ circles of wax paper.
Step 2: Grease the wax paper with Pam and then sprinkle with flour.
Step 3: Mix the cake mix, lime jello, oil, eggs, orange juice and water together for 2 to 3 minutes at medium speed.
Step 4: Pour an equal amount of the batter into each of the three lined cake pans.
Step 5: Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
For the glaze-
Step 6: While the cakes are baking, knead two key limes against a hard surface to loosen the juice inside of them.
Step 7: Cut each of the limes in half.
Step 8: Squeeze 1/4 cup of fresh key lime juice into a small bowl.
Step 9: Pour 1/4 cup of bottled lime juice into the bowl of fresh lime juice.
Step 10: Mix in 4 tbsp. of confectioners sugar.
(I love that the confectioners sugar fell into the bowl in the shape of a heart in step 10!)
When the cakes come of out the oven, and while they’re still warm, use a spoon to drizzle the glaze mixture onto the entire surface of each of them.
For the icing-
Step 11: Mix the margarine and cream cheese together.
Step 12: Mix in the remainder of the box of confectioners sugar.
Step 13: Add the vanilla, and mix until it’s smooth.
Step 14: Remove the first cake from its pan, discard the waxpaper on the bottom of it, and spread a layer of icing on the top of it.
Step 15: Remove and stack the second (wax paperless) cake on top of the first one, and spread a layer of icing on the top of it.
Step 16: Remove and stack the third (wax paperless) cake on top of the second one, and spread a layer of icing on the top of it. Use the remaining icing to cover the sides of the cake.
Place the cake in the refrigerator to keep the icing firm.
Optional Refrigeration Instructions: Immediately cut and serve up several large pieces to your famished family.
So there ya have it- Katie’s Key Lime Cake recipe! If you decide to make one, let us know what you think of it…
…and if you have any questions about the recipe (or would just like to say hello to Katie!) please feel free to leave her a comment on this post!
She’s an absolute sweetheart and I look very forward to sampling the next neat thing she cooks up!
Ingredients
- 1 box of lemon cake mix
- 1 - 3 oz. box of lime jello
- 1/3 cup of vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup of orange juice
- 3/4 cup of water
- 1 box confectioners sugar
- 1/4 cup of key lime juice (bottled)
- 1/4 cup of key lime juice (fresh)
- 8 oz. of cream cheese (softened)
- 1 stick of margarine (softened)
- 1 tsp. of vanilla flavoring
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare three round 9" pans by lining the bottoms of each with 9" circles of wax paper.
- Step 2: Grease the wax paper with Pam and then sprinkle with flour.
- Step 3: Mix the cake mix, lime jello, oil, eggs, orange juice and water together for 2 to 3 minutes at medium speed.
- Step 4: Pour an equal amount of the batter into each of the three lined cake pans.
- Step 5: Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
- For the glaze-
- Step 6: While the cakes are baking, knead two key limes against a hard surface to loosen the juice inside of them.
- Step 7: Cut each of the limes in half.
- Step 8: Squeeze 1/4 cup of fresh key lime juice into a small bowl.
- Step 9: Pour 1/4 cup of bottled lime juice into the bowl of fresh lime juice.
- Step 10: Mix in 4 tbsp. of confectioners sugar.
- When the cakes come of out the oven, and while they're still warm, use a spoon to drizzle the glaze mixture onto the entire surface of each of them.
- When the cakes come of out the oven, and while they're still warm, use a spoon to drizzle the glaze mixture onto the entire surface of each of them.
- Step 11: Mix the margarine and cream cheese together.
- Step 12: Mix in the remainder of the box of confectioners sugar.
- Step 13: Add the vanilla, and mix until smooth.
- Step 14: Remove the first cake from its pan, discard the waxpaper on the bottom of it, and spread a layer of icing on the top of it.
- Step 15: Remove and stack the second (wax paperless) cake on top of the first one, and spread a layer of icing on the top of it.
- Step 16: Remove and stack the third (wax paperless) cake on top of the second one, and spread a layer of icing on the top of it. Use the remaining icing to cover the sides of the cake.
- Place the cake in the refrigerator to keep the icing firm.
Jeanene
Wow, that looks delicious! And very pretty too. I must try it soon!
tai
oh my WORD! FANTASTIC!
refresh restyle
I only have one question: Can you overnight me some to Statesboro GA?? That cake is beautiful and looks delicious! Thanks for making my tummy growl!
Debbie
Katie
Thanks Debbie for your kind remark. Sorry, I can’t overnight it to you. You will have to try your hand at making the cake.
refresh restyle
ok, I just hope mine looks as pretty as yours! and tastes good too! 🙂
Christi
Hi Layla! Please say hello to Katie for me. I worked with her several years ago – she did a great job of keeping Dr. Shannon and Ralph lookin’ good! She always shared news of Kevin and his music with us. Hope she is doing well – she looks great, as always! Oh, and the cake looks delish, too!
Katie
Christi, thanks for your comments. My, it has been a long time! I am doing well and enjoying my two grandkids, the children of our older son, Kerry. It was real neat of Kevin and Layla to do this post about the Key Lime Cake and I really did enjoy making it. Hope you are also doing well!
Cindy
Hi Layla, Kevin, and Katie: Stunning…..the photographs, the cake, Kevin’s Mom, the children. The entire post is worthy of being in a magazine. This cake will be on my Memorial Day party menu. (with the weather in MA/NH this cake may be the only sign of sun and warm weather! Thank you for sharing.
Katie
Cindy, thanks for your kind remarks. I think a lot of Kevin and Layla’s work deserves to be in a magazine. Good luck on your Memorial Day party and I hope the cake will be a big hit. You can call it a ray of sunshine from Alabama.
Monique
Katie, thanks for sharing your recipe. It looks yummy!
Katie
Monique, it was my pleasure to share the recipe.
Diana
Okay, YUM! Seriously, I have been searching for a key lime cake recipe, forever! I am making this for sure! Thanks for posting the recipe! What a lovely post. 🙂
Katie
Diana, I hope this recipe will measure up to what you were searching for. I enjoyed sharing and hope you enjoy the cake.
Diana
I’m sure it tastes fantastic!! I can’t wait to make it! You are so kind to share your recipe, Katie.
Kathy
I read every one of your posts and hardly comment *shame on me* but today I just had to say what a lovely & beautiful mil you have and how lucky you are…I am taking the time to write this recipe down as key lime pie is one of my favorites and I’ve never known of a key lime cake and this looks so darn good! Thank you for such a cool post.
Katie
Kathy, thanks for the comment. I hope you will enjoy the cake as much as I enjoyed making it for this post!
Hayley
Mmmm, I’ve done Key Lime Pie before, but oh my gosh does this look awesome!!! It’s definately a must make for the summer. Kevin’s mom is such a cutie, thanks for sharing!
Katie
Hayley, thanks for your kind remaks. I enjoyed sharing the recipe- hope you enjoy the cake!
Wende
Yummy! I can’t wait to try this…maybe for my girls last day of school celebration dinner! I also had a smile when I noticed the mixing cup in the picture. My mom has the same one….she has had it since we were small girls (and that has been at least 30 years….). My sister and I love that mixing cup and we fight over who is going to inherit it…lol….
Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
Katie
Wende, thanks for the comment. I really enjoyed making the cake. Regarding the mixing cup, I have had mine closer to 40 years. 🙂
Jude
Katie is so photogenic!!! Did she look this beautiful (and clean) when she was baking, too?? Can”t wait to try the cake soon 🙂
Katie
Jude, thanks for the comment. I will have to admit I did put on a different top and lipstick before the pictures of me were made!
Leslie
I can’t wait to try this cake. It looks and sounds fabulous. As I am a new reader to your site, when you post recipes, do you make them easier to print out instead of having to write everything down by hand? (The ingredient list..)
Cottage By The Sea
Sweet mama and scrumptious cake. We used to have a key lime tree, how fun is that? I’m saving this recipe for a special occasion, like dinner tonight. I’m not much for waiting for a good thing. I love that it is green inside. Maybe a new tradition for St Paddy’s day! I’m off to find that cake stand on your sidebar. It has my name on it.
Katie
Thanks for your sweet comment. For St. Paddy’s day you could even make the frosting green with a few drops of green food coloring. 🙂
Jennifer
Wow! This looks amazing! I wonder, is there anything that could be substituted for the orange juice? I have a child who is horribly allergic to oranges, and although I definately want to try this recipe, it isn’t worth a trip to the E.R. Any suggestions?
Katie
Jennifer, thanks for your comment. Regarding the orange juice, you may leave it out. Instead of the amount of water listed in the above ingredients, use the amount of water listed on the box of the lemon cake mix. I think most mixes use 1-1/3 cups of water. That is what Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme mix uses. No one will ever know the recipe called for orange juice. I hope you enjoy the cake!
wendy
Yum, Katie you can stop by my home anytime. Awesome addition to your wonderful blog. So wish I could join in your fairytale life:)
Katie
Wendy, thanks for your comment. This was a new experience for me, being staged and photographed, but I enjoyed every minute of it!
Chrissy
Yummy! I’ll have to try out this recipe soon. =)
Rachel
This cake looks amazing! I am planning a baby shower and this cake would be PERFECT!
Heather @ DIYduJour
I am making this recipe ASAP!! We had white cake with key lime filling at our wedding last spring–our colors were black and white with lime green. Thank you for sharing, and I love these beautiful photographs.
Katie
Thanks Heather! I was happy to share the recipe. Layla and Kevin always do a wonderful job with the staging and photographs.
Simply Complex
I’m pretty sure that the wax on wax paper melts (and gets into the food) in the oven but I don’t think parchment paper does that.
Simply Complex
I just looked it up on wikipedia- wax paper can be used and if fine IF batter completely covers the paper. i.e. don’t use it for cookies. However, parchment paper can always be used in the oven. FYI
Laura
Wow, this looks great, and wonderful pictures too! I could practically taste it which means now I have to make it! Thanks for sharing… 🙂
Katie
Laura, I enjoyed sharing the recipe. I hope you will enjoy making the cake!
Cheryl
Hi Katie!
thank you for sharing your recipe with us. I have to say that even though I don’t have smellivision or taste vision on my laptop, that cakes sure does look like it tastes sinfully DELICIOUS!!
Katie
Cheryl, it was a joy to share the recipe and my family thinks the cake is very delicious!
Debbie
First of all, I want to say “Hi” to Katie because she looks like an absolutely wonderful lady. Secondly, I will be making this…gluten free though for my daughter…it looks divine!
Thank you for sharing Katie and her cake! :o)
Katie
Thanks Debbie for your sweet comment. It was a pleasure to share the cake with Layla’s blog friends. I have had a ball all day!
Audra Mahoney
Thank you Katie for sharing your recipe! I am excited to make this for some summer bbq’s coming up!
Katie
Audra, I really enjoyed sharing the cake recipe. I hope it will be a big hit at your summer bbq’s.
carolinaheartstrings
Wow is all I can say. That looks just fantastic. Great post.
Eeva
Oooh, I adore Mrs Katie!! I wish my kids would have granny just like Katie, but no, poor kids have no Granny at all…
I also eish we could get those cake mixes here in Finland, so I could try that out. It looks so delicious, but I guess, I just need to dream of it…!
Katie
Eeva, thanks so much for your sweet, kind and gracious comment. So sorry you can’t get the cake mix in Finland.
Katherine
Hi Katie, What a beautiful cake!! I do have a question. Is there any particular reason to use half fresh lime juice and half bottled juice rather than all fresh juice? All of the women and some of the men in our family have been making my Grandmother’s Key Lime Pie forever. The thought of using anything but fresh lime juice just gives us a case of the vapors. Any thoughts?
We also LOVE the way a cake comes out of a wax papered pan!
Katie
Katherine, I am sure fresh lime juice would probably make the cake even better. I am not sure why the recipe calls for half fresh juice and half bottled. It is easier for me to use it that way rather than squeezing all the limes. Don’t break your family tradition. Use all fresh juice. We don’t want anyone getting a case of the vapors!
ROXANNE
Has anyone tried this recipe using all bottled Key Lime Juice? I’ll have to see how much juice is in a key lime & then try the recipe using bottled Key Lime Juice. I think this sounds soooo good. Can’t wait to have an occasion to make it.
Lynn
My addiction to all things key lime began on Marco Island, FL back in the early 70’s. When there were only a handful of 3 story condos on the beach. The grandest day my brother and I could conjure would a full day of shelling and sunburns followed up by beach side crab legs and key lime pie. Saweet! NOW, If only I could get that adorable Katie to hop up to Chicago to bake this amazing cake for my birthday! I’m sure it’s a keeper!
Katie
Lynn, sorry I can’t hop up to Chicago to bake the cake, but I can assure you it is a keeper!
Jen
oh.my.word.that.looks.amazing.
yum.
definitely making this.
🙂
Kim Larson
Hi Katie..and Kevin and Layla too!
This looks AMAZING! I am looking forward to baking this for our annual Memorial Day potluck! How refreshing and sweet! Thanks so much for the recipe! oh, and I think I “need” that galvanized cake stand too! 🙂
Kim
Angela
I will definitely make this one! I made the orange cake from your e-zine & the whole family loved it!
Thanks so much for sharing, not only your fabulous decorating tips, but also delicious recipes…decorating & baking – my two favorite things!!! 🙂
Layla
Hey Angela!
So glad you tried the orange cake recipe, and hope you enjoy the lime one!
😀
Angie Meyer
It looks wonderful!! I’m definitely making that this coming holiday weekend. Where did you get that awesome cake stand? I want one!
Layla
Hey Angie- check the PS part of the post…you’ll find the info there!
🙂
Angie Meyer
I got so excited, I skipped that part! 🙂 Thanks! 🙂
Belinda Del Pesco
Oh My Goodness, I *LOVE* this post! The subject, the photos and the chef! How wonderful. You’ve documented a little treasure here: a family recipe – with lovely photos, and the shot of the kids with big eyes and hearts popping for Gram’s Lime Cake is a perfect memory in pictures for them when they are the ones cooking for grand kids. How many of us wish we had images like this of cooking with our Moms and Grammas? Awesome idea. And I can’t wait to bake that cake! Thanks to you both.
Katie
Belinda, thanks for your kind and gracious comments. This cake is a favorite of my grandkids.
Estela @ Weekly Bite
Gorgeous photos and incredible looking cake!! I just bookmarked the recipe 🙂
Karen
Key Lime Pie is my favorite dessert….I have a feeling that Key Lime Cake may now be one of my favorites too!! Can’t wait to make it? What if I can’t find Key Limes…do regular limes make that much difference in the recipe? I know that the key limes are much sweeter….
Katie
Karen, thanks for your comment. I use regular limes in the cake. Have not been able to find Key Limes here.
Fairfield House
This cake looks delish; almost as sweet as the lady that baked it! I will tuck the recipe away until our first summer BBQ! Thanks for sharing the love.
Your Friend,
Deborah
Katie
Thanks for your kind and gracious comment. I hope the cake will be a hit at your summer BBQ!
Susan B.
Where is the link to copy the recipe. Looks delicious!!
Jodie
Layla and Katie,
I have been following your blog for quite some time now in beautiful Clovedale, B.C. Canada. You both are beautiful ladies and I love the inspiration on your blog. Just a quick question about your fabulous key lime recipe. How much is in a box of confectioners sugar…..we have 2 sizes of bags here in Canada. Thank you and look forward to reading many more posts!
Katie
Jodie, thanks for your kind and gracious comment. Regarding the confectioners sugar, the box is a 1 lb box.
Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality
What a beautiful cake! And gorgeous pics you took, looks just like a magazine shoot (of course it does!). Katie looks like a sweet Southern Lady (like my mom too!). So photogenic and a great feature for the recipe party. I’ll have to show this one to my mom and we should make it this summer. I love key lime anything!
Katie
Rhoda, thanks for your kind and gracious comment. If you love key lime anything, I believe you will love this cake!
Simple Daisy
That cakes looks just divine!!!!! I love all of your photographs too!!!!
Liz@HoosierHomemade
What a sweet post!! I so wish my Mom was alive so I could blog about her!
I’m sure you will cherish this forever 🙂
~Liz
Sarah Teske
Yummy! Great photos too!
Steph.
How cute is Katie?!!!! And that cream cheese frosting…oh my…I could just take a big bite of that through the computer screen! 😀
Katie
Thanks, Steph, for the “How cute is Katie?” comment. That is so kind of you. That cream cheese frosting is a winner.
Donna
That cake sounds amazing, I have never had a key lime cake, would love it! I love the photo’s of Katie, reminds me of my mother, she made me an orange cake for my birthday in May, my fave, but sounds like the key lime might replace it. thanks for sharing!
Katie
Donna, thanks for your kind comment. I hope you will enjoy the Key Lime Cake.
Ruth
Thanks so much for sharing the cake recipe. I plan to make it this weekend.
LOVE your blog site- I go to every day to see what you guys are up to.
You have inspired me in many ways…including staying at Screened Inn.
We vacationed in Tybee last summer and staying at Screened Inn. LOVED it!!
Keep up the great job!
Brooke
I can’t cook but I can say “Hi from Wisconsin”!!
Jessica
Wow, that cake looks so good. I will definitely try to make this cake this summer. Thanks for sharing!
Jessica
Katie
Jessica, It was my pleasure to share.
Sunday Baker
Kevin’s mom is the cutest lady ever! That pie looks amazing and your photos are sooo good. LOOOVE it all 🙂
Katie
Thanks for that gracious comment.
kelliinkc
Wow, Katie you are one gorgeous Mom! Your happiness and love shine through those photos. The cake looks yummy. Sounds so perfect for this time of year. Love your site, Layla oh, and Kevin!
Katie
Kelliinkc, you are so very kind. Thanks for that gracious comment.
Mary
Ooooh! That look divine! Moms are just the best, aren’t they!? I think I’ll have to try this for our next potluck at church coming up real soon! Thanks for sharing!
Blessings to you all!
Mary
Katie
Mary, it was a joy to share the recipe. This would be great for a church potluck. Remember, you could make it in a 9 X 13 pan, cook at 350 for 32 to 35 minutes.
Kristen @ High Heels and a Hammer
This looks so delicious! Key lime is one of my favorite flavors. Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
Katie
Kristen, I was happy to share the recipe. Hope you enjoy the cake.