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Key Lime Cake

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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!


Print
Key Lime Cake

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

  1. Step 1: Prepare three round 9" pans by lining the bottoms of each with 9" circles of wax paper.
  2. Step 2: Grease the wax paper with Pam and then sprinkle with flour.
  3. Step 3: Mix the cake mix, lime jello, oil, eggs, orange juice and water together for 2 to 3 minutes at medium speed.
  4. Step 4: Pour an equal amount of the batter into each of the three lined cake pans.
  5. Step 5: Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
  6. For the glaze-
  7. Step 6: While the cakes are baking, knead two key limes against a hard surface to loosen the juice inside of them.
  8. Step 7: Cut each of the limes in half.
  9. Step 8: Squeeze 1/4 cup of fresh key lime juice into a small bowl.
  10. Step 9: Pour 1/4 cup of bottled lime juice into the bowl of fresh lime juice.
  11. Step 10: Mix in 4 tbsp. of confectioners sugar.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. Step 11: Mix the margarine and cream cheese together.
  15. Step 12: Mix in the remainder of the box of confectioners sugar.
  16. Step 13: Add the vanilla, and mix until smooth.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. Place the cake in the refrigerator to keep the icing firm.
https://theletteredcottage.net/key-lime-cake/

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nancy Goodyear

    I made this cake for tennis today. It was delicious! I used a lighter icing made with cool whip, cream cheese and powdered sugar. Everyone loved it!

  2. Bridget

    I just wanted to thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. For my daughter’s wedding shower, my sister & I made 3 batches of this recipe into cupcakes but made them lemon (her favorite flavor) instead of Key Lime. They were so delicious that we made another 5 batches for an informal wedding luncheon. One batch of icing was enough for 2 batches of cupcakes & we found that dunking the slightly cooled cupcakes in the lemon juice & icing sugar mixture gave them more of a lemon burst–we had to mix up a bit more but they were so good. I will be making this recipe again & will certainly try it the Key Lime way. Thanks again for sharing,

  3. Courtney

    I made this Key Lime Cake for a dinner party yesterday and it was a HUGE hit! Thank you so much! It was also pretty easy to make–my three year old helped and had a blast. I’m always looking for some quick, easy, and delicious recipes!

  4. Linda

    I served this cake today . . . it was a big hit!!! I’d love to have more of Katie’s recipes 🙂

  6. Terri

    I made this for Easter. It was really delicious! Everyone commented on how moist it was. I will be making this again!

  7. jesse

    I made this cake yesterday and my brother-n-law says he now prefer this cake over the red velvet cake. This cake is awesome and i decorated it with limes

  8. Mandie McK

    I just found this recipe on Pinterest and would love to try it, but want to make it in two layers instead of three because I only have two 9-in. cake pans. Should I just increase the baking time? Thanks so much–it looks delicious!

  9. Amanda

    WOW!!! Just made this into CUPAKES and they are AMAZING!!!

    Got 24 and baked for 17 minutes at 350.

    I glazed each cupcake twice because that tart kick is the best! I found it best to use a BBQ brush to put the glaze on the cupcakes.

    Also, the recipe would make to much icing for 24 cupcakes, so I used half the margerine (1/4 cup) and only 2 cups of icing sugar.

    Next time, I might even put some left over glaze in the icing for more tartiness 🙂

    I had to squeeze 8 key limes to get 1/4 cup, they were really small (1 1/2 inch) not sure if that’s normal for a key lime or not, as I’ve never bought them before.

    Thanks for Sharing! YUMMY!

  10. Lauren

    Thank You for sharing this recipe Katie! I made it for our Father’s Day lunch and it was a huge hit! Really delicious with just the right amount of sweet and tart. 🙂 I was a little confused when i made the glaze though. I figured it would be a little thicker being a “glaze”. It’s more of a liquid to soak into the cake. Don’t know if I made it wrong or if that’s how it’s supposed to be. Either way It’s a keeper!

  11. Helene

    That is such an awsome looking cake. I live in Australia and can not get Key Limes. Can I use regular limes? Will in make much of a difference?
    Thanks so much.

  12. Patricia mistretta

    I just made this recipe as cupcakes and pinned a pic to my pinterest profile. Taking them to work tomorrow. Of course I tried one and it was delish, even without the frosting

  13. Juli

    I can’t wait to make this cake but I am a little confused. The recipe calls for key limes, which are really tiny. The picture looks like a regular kaffir lime. Does it make a difference?

  14. Ricky Locklear

    Sorry to let you know — Key limes are yellow! Being the Florida gal that I am is the reason I know this. They are very small compaired to a regular lime. Will try this cake real soon. PS if you are served “Key Lime” pie and it is green – its fake!

    • Layla

      We just used regular limes, Ricky- but thanks for the interesting info! 😀

  15. lisa ford

    Made this cake several months ago and i am constantly being asked to make it again. Nicely done Katie.

  16. lisa ford

    I forgot to mention that i dusted the cake with salted, toasted pecans. It was incredible!!!!

  18. Rachael

    Super yummy! We made these as cupcakes and they were the HIT of the party. Thanks so much.

  19. Rachael

    Oh, and we just used the lime juice and skipped the real limes and they still turned out awesome. I’m sure they may have been better with limes, but if you’re in a pinch you can just use the juice for both parts.

  20. Emily Boyle

    My sister-in-law used your mother’s recipe for the top tier of our wedding cake on October 8, 2011. My husband and I just had the opportunity to devour it this week and it was so good! The glaze on top of the cakes really helped it stay moist an entire year later! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. It was so delicious…I feel a traditional cake coming on. 😉

    Emily

    PS I posted about it on my blog, too!
    http://www.accordingtoboyle.com/on-traditions/

  22. Michelle MacNeil

    Made this last night for today’s St. Patrick’s Day dessert…..very tasty and moist….everyone loved it…….put green food dye in the icing so the green cake was a big hit….Went great with an Irish Coffee!!

  23. Kerry

    I hope someone else hasn’t asked this – didn’t have time to read through all the comments to find out. I dislike margarine, can I use butter instead?

  25. Sandy D

    This is my 2nd time making this and both times it has been a hit. Everyone comments on how delicious it is. and it was super easy. Thanks for sharing!!!

  27. Bonnie

    Just saw this on Pinterest and followed it to your site. What an absolutely beautiful step-by-step recipe. LOVE the “sugar heart” picture..don’t you love “accidental” heart foods!…We love key lime anything so I’ll be making this soon. I’m a VERY visual person, meaning I HAVE to see pictures of what I’m cooking. Your step-by-step is one of the best I’ve seen. Thank you.

  29. Sandy

    Have made this a couple of times and its always a hit. I also made this at my jobs yearly bake off contests and it won 1st prize. Everyone was raving about it and of course had to share recipe. Thanks!

  30. Mary Katt

    This cake came out perfect and everyone loved it! I had tried three different recipes for Key Lime cake before finding this one. Thank you so much!

  31. Rebecca

    My grandfather requested a key lime cake for his 84th birthday dinner. I used this recipe and it was a HUGE hit! Thanks for sharing.

  32. Amber Smith

    Hi! I don’t think I came back to the site when I made this last year for my grandmother’s birthday. She always makes us homemade birthday cakes and I finally realized that not one of us had made her one (shame on us!) Well, I took a chance on this recipe and it turned out wonderfully! There was barely any cake leftover! Since it’s debut into our family, both my mother and grandmother have made it for themselves! 🙂 I plan on making this cake again for her! It is soooo delicious! Thanks for this recipe!

  33. Stacie V

    This has become my husbands favorite cake I make, as well as the rest of his family. I made it for the first time last Easter, and now I’m asked to make it for every family gathering. They think I’m amazing 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing this cake! It is so yummy and really quite fun to make!

  34. Kim B.

    I am going to make this cake today, but when you print out the recipe from this page, it is missing steps 11-13! Can you update the printed recipe for future cooks? Thanks!

  36. patty

    Katie,
    I haven’t made the cake yet, but I love lime. I just wanted to say you are adorable!

  37. Paula W.

    It may have been said (too many comments to read them all ; ) but you strongly resemble Kevin’s Mom! I had to re-read to make sure you said Kevin’s Mom! Love anything lime. I hope to try this cake soon.

  39. Kay

    I just made Katie’s Key Lime Cake…mmmmmmmm delicious….husband loved it too..this one is a keeper! thanx for sharing. K