If you’ve been around these parts, you know my daddy loves a mean key lime pie. He also loves my pound cakes, so making a mean key lime cake recipe was bound to happen sooner or later. The texture is soft and moist thanks to a cream cheese base, and I don’t hold back on the key lime zest and juice because that’s where the flavor comes from. I grew up with fresh limes, so using real juice just makes sense! Finally, I finish it off with a delish cream cheese glaze that’s straight up amazing y’all. Slice it up and get into it.
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Video Tutorial
How to Make Key Lime Cake
These step-by-step photos show how to make key lime cake, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Easy Key Lime Cake Recipe
1. Cream together the butter, oil or shortening, and cream cheese, then add the sugar
Mix until smooth, then slowly add the sugar and beat until very pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping the bowl as needed.
2. Mix the remaining ingredients for the key lime cake batter
Lower the mixer speed and add the flour in two additions, followed by the salt, key lime zest, and key lime juice. Mix just until combined, then add the vanilla and give it one final mix.
3. Pour the batter into a prepared Bundt pan
Smooth the top evenly.
4. Bake until the cake is golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
Cool briefly in the pan, then invert onto a serving plate and let cool completely.
5. Make the key lime glaze
Mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and key lime juice until smooth and pourable.
6. Pour the glaze over your cooled key lime pound cake
Slice and serve!
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PRO TIP: If you can’t find actual key limes, most grocery stores have bottled key lime juice. Grab Nellie & Joe’s, boos. It’s the best.
Full Key Lime Cake Recipe
Key Lime Cake Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tbsp shortening or oil
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 3 cups plus 1 tablespoon of sifted cake flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tsp key lime zest
- 2 1/2 tbsp key lime juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Glaze
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp key lime juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake
- Start by preheating your oven to 325°F then liberally spray a 12-cup bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.
- In your mixer bowl, add butter, oil or shortening, and cream cheese and beat for 2 minutes on high speed. Slowly add in sugar beat on high speed for an additional seven minutes until very pale yellow and fluffy.
- Next, add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed.
- Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour into batter in two increments then add salt, zest and juice. Be careful not to over beat.
- Lastly, add in vanilla extract, scrape down sides and mix until well combined and turn off mixer.
- Pour cake batter into prepared bundt pan, and bake for 1 hour and 15 -25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert cake on serving plate for at least an hour or until the cake is cool to the touch.
For the Glaze
- Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract and key lime juice until smooth then pour over top of cooled cake and serve. Note: this icing must be refrigerated so keep that in mind.
Notes
How to Store
- Room Temp: If you leave the cake unglazed, you can keep it tightly wrapped on the counter for up to 2 days. Serve the cream cheese glaze on the side and keep that in the fridge until you’re ready.
- Fridge: Because this cake has a cream cheese glaze, it needs to be refrigerated once glazed. Wrap it well or store it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week. This pound cake holds up really nicely chilled!
- Freezer: Wrap slices or the whole cake tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. If freezing unglazed, wait and add the glaze after thawing.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Start with room temp ingredients. Let your butter, cream cheese, and eggs sit out before you get going. That’s how you get a smooth batter and glaze.
- Grease that bundt pan real good. We’re using a bundt here, so hit every nook and cranny with nonstick spray to make sure the cake comes out clean.
- Mix gentle once the flour goes in. Turn the mixer down low and don’t overdo it, or you’ll end up with a dense key lime bundt cake.
- Keep an eye on the oven, boos. I believe in checking a cake earlier than even the guideline I suggest. Ovens all bake differently so just check early to prevent it overbaking and getting dry.
- Let it cool all the way before glazing. If the cake is still warm, that cream cheese glaze will slide right off.
Recipe Help
Fo sho, boos. Just know the flavor won’t be as intense, but the cake will still be good.
Add powdered sugar about 1/4 cup at a time until it thickens up the way you like. If it’s still loose, pop the glaze in the fridge for a bit and let it firm up.
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Key Lime pound cake is one of my favorites. I’ve been baking it for years. I get my key lime juice from Florida. I plan to try your recipe with the cream cheese. Adding cream cheese is new to me. Where can I buy your Everyday Brand Cakes? I live in Texas. Thanks Boo!
Carolyn
THank you so so much Carolyn. We will be announcing the stores super soon.
I’m baking this cake on New years Day do o still need to refrigerate it?
Hi! What would be a good oil to use in replacement of the shortening?
You can use any neutral oil in place of the shortening, vegetable, canola, or even light olive oil, all work great. They’ll keep the cake just as moist without changing the flavor. I’d stay away from coconut oil unless you want that coconut note to come through.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I’ve been trying to slowly work my way through your amazing pound cake recipes! If I wanted to convert this to loaf pans, what do you recommend changing for bake time and oven temp?
I have not tested this recipe in a loaf pan, so honestly I am not sure what the bake time would be.
The cake was denser than I thought it would be, but it was very tasty. The cake release recipe (equal parts oil, shortening, flour) was needed for it not to stick to the pan.
Hi Katherine, I’m so glad you like the flavor, and thank you for the feedback. This is a pound cake recipe, so it is supposed to be dense compared to a layer cake, which is lighter and airier.
The cake came out of the pan perfectly! Haven’t tried it yet but I’ll report back when I do!
I sprayed my pan heavily with non stick cooking spray and it still stuck. The pieces taste good but I’m disappointed it’s a disaster.
I’m sorry that happened Colleen. It definitely is a problem with the pan and not the recipe itself. Make sure you aren’t using an older pan, and also maybe try my homemade cake release, which I tend to use because it helps my cakes slide out easier as well. You can find that here: https://grandbaby-cakes.com/homemade-cake-release/. However to save your cake now, maybe think about turning it into a trifle. Add pieces to a nice trifle dish with whipped cream and berries to serve.
Colleen…try spraying the pan and then putting it in the freezer. When the batter is ready, pour it into the pan and then straight into the oven. I’ve never had this cake stuck using this method.
Be sure it’s a cooking spray with flour