This key lime pound cake is a decadent, rich and buttery pound cake filled with key lime flavor. Top with this lime pound cake with a deliciously tart and sweet key lime glaze. Enjoy this easy to make, tropical twist on the classic southern pound cake for breakfast, brunch or dessert.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I absolutely adore a simple, but decadent cake. Pound cakes are endlessly versatile, incredibly delicious and so simple to make. My Pineapple Pound Cake, Chocolate Chip Pound Cake, Blueberry Pound Cake, Blackberry Pound Cake, Cast Iron Pound Cake and Funfetti Vanilla Pound Cake are just a few of my favorite pound cake recipes on the blog. This key lime pound cake is another from scratch cake I am so excited to share with you.
- It has the perfect rich, buttery and tender texture. This lime cake has the perfect signature pound cake crumb scented with fragrant vanilla and tart key lime.
- Easy to make with simple ingredients. This from scratch pound cake is made with simple ingredients that come together quickly and easily making it the perfect cake for any occasion. With it’s tropical twist, this recipe for key lime pound cake is especially perfect for summer entertaining.
Ingredients
This lime pound cake bundt cake requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make. Here’s what you’ll need:
Key Lime Pound Cake
Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
Wet Ingredients: Gather key limes, granulated sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract key lime juice and milk.
Key Lime Glaze
Gather powdered sugar, key lime juice and vanilla extract.
Substitutions
This key lime bundt cake bundt is as easy to make as it is delicious. Here are my recommended ingredient substitutions if you need them.
- All purpose flour: To make this pound cake gluten free, use a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill.
- Baking Powder: This acts as leavener in this key lime cake recipe. Substitute with ¼ teaspoon baking soda.
- Granulated Sugar: This lime pound cake recipe calls for granulated sugar, but maple sugar would also work well to make this refined sugar free.
- Key Limes: Feel free to use regular limes in place of the key limes. Use an equal amount of lemons and limes to make a liquid that closely tastes like key lime juice.
- Unsalted Butter: Feel free to use an equal amount of salted butter in place of the unsalted butter. Just make sure to omit the added salt.
- Eggs: This recipe has not been tested without eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: This is more for background flavor and nicely enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Milk: Any type of milk will work well in this moist key lime bundt cake. Alternatively, use an equal amount of sour cream in place of the milk.
Variation
Key Lime Pound Cake Loaf: This recipe for key lime pound cake can easily be made in a loaf pan. If you would like to follow the recipe as written, divide the pound cake batter into (2) 9 x 5 loaf pans. Bake at 350 F (177 C) for 50 - 65 minutes.
How To Make
Here’s how to make this key lime glazed pound cake in a few easy steps.
- Preheat the oven to 325 F (163 C). Grease a 10- inch (12 cup capacity bundt pan) with nonstick spray. Use a pastry brush to work the nonstick spray into all the grooves of the pan. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together until well combined.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the sugar and key lime zest together until a sand like consistency forms. Beat in the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This takes about 2 - 3 minutes at medium speed.
- On low beat in the eggs and vanilla extract one at a time, waiting until the previous ingredient is just combined before adding the next. Mix until well combined. By hand or on the lowest mixing speed, mix the dry ingredients into the wet alternating with the milk and key lime juice (in this order: dry, key lime juice, dry, milk, dry) until the batter is just combined.
- Evenly scoop the lime pound cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake the pound cake bundt for 55 - 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pound cake comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool the cake in the loaf pan for 10 minutes. Place a serving plate or even another cooling rack on top of the bundt pan. Invert the pan to the top of the bundt cake is now on the bottom and lift up the pan. Cool the cake completely before topping with the key lime glaze.
- Make the key lime glaze by whisking the powdered sugar with the key lime juice and vanilla extract until well combined. If needed add more juice for a thinner glaze or more sugar for a thicker glaze.
- Pour the glaze over the cooled pound cake. Zest a key lime on top of the wet glaze if you like. Allow 30-45 minutes for the glaze to set, slice and enjoy.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
Store leftover pound cake: Place the slices in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 - 4 days. Transfer to the fridge for another 1 - 2 days.
Freeze the buttery key lime cake: Individually wrap each slice of cake in plastic wrap. Place each wrapped slice in a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw the pound cake: Remove your desired number of pieces to sit out at room temperature or in the fridge until fully thawed and enjoy!
M’s Expert Tips
- Use a non-stick spray to prevent the cake from sticking to the bundt pan. If needed, take a pastry brush or even a clean paper towel and work the spray into all the grooves of the pan.
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature: This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in moist and perfectly mixed pound cake.
- Don’t overmix the cake batter: Always use the lowest speed on your electric mixer or mix in the dry ingredients by hand. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Cool the cake in the pan for no longer than 10 -15 minutes. If you try to remove the cake before 10 minutes, the cake may still be too hot to remove without falling apart. Removing the cake after 15 minutes may cause the cake to stick to the pan more easily.
- Fully cool the cake before applying the icing. This usually takes about 30 - 45 minutes after the cake has been removed from the pan or about an hour after the cake has been removed from the oven.
FAQs
The original pound cake, dating back to the 1700’s, contained a pound each of flour, butter, sugar and eggs. More modern versions have incorporated other ingredients, but still retain that classic pound cake texture and taste.
This can happen as a result of too much flour in relation to the butter and sugar. An easy way to prevent this is to use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients versus using measuring cups. Another possibility is the oven temperature being too high (use an internal oven thermometer) or baking the pound cake for too long (check for doneness at the beginning of the baking tine range).
An easy way to make an approximate taste of key limes by using regular limes is to mix in an equal amount of lemon juice. This key lime bars recipe uses ½ cup (118 ml) key lime juice, so make an approximate substitute use ¼ cup (59 ml) lime juice mixed with ¼ cup (59 ml) lemon juice.
Other Key Lime Recipes to Try
If you try this Key Lime Pound Cake recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! -M
Key Lime Pound Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 10 inch (12 cup) capacity bundt pan
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
Ingredients
Key Lime Pound Cake
- 3 cups (360 g) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 4 key limes, zested 2 regular limes
- 1½ cups (339 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 5 large eggs (US), room temperature
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (59 ml) key lime juice, room temperature
- 1 cup (237 ml) milk, room temperature
Key Lime Glaze
- 1½ - 2 cups (180 - 240 g) powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 - 4 tbsp (45 - 60 ml) key lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F (163 C). Grease a 10- inch (12 cup capacity bundt pan) with nonstick spray. Use a pastry brush to work the nonstick spray into all the grooves of the pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together until well combined.3 cups (360 g) all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the sugar and key lime zest together until a sand like consistency forms.2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar, 4 key limes, zested
- Beat in the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This takes about 2 - 3 minutes at medium speed.1½ cups (339 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- On low beat in the eggs and vanilla extract one at a time, waiting until the previous ingredient is just combined before adding the next. Mix until well combined.5 large eggs (US), room temperature, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- By hand or on the lowest mixing speed, mix the dry ingredients into the wet alternating with the milk and key lime juice (in this order: dry, key lime juice, dry, milk, dry) until the batter is just combined.¼ cup (59 ml) key lime juice, room temperature, 1 cup (237 ml) milk, room temperature
- Evenly scoop the lime pound cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake the pound cake bundt for 55 - 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pound cake comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the cake in the loaf pan for 10 minutes. Place a serving plate or even another cooling rack on top of the bundt pan. Invert the pan to the top of the bundt cake is now on the bottom and lift up the pan. Cool the cake completely before topping with the key lime glaze.
- Make the key lime glaze by whisking the powdered sugar with the key lime juice and vanilla extract until well combined. If needed add more juice for a thinner glaze or more sugar for a thicker glaze.1½ - 2 cups (180 - 240 g) powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 - 4 tablespoon (45 - 60 ml) key lime juice
- Pour the glaze over the cooled pound cake. Zest a key lime on top of the wet glaze if you like. Allow 30-45 minutes for the glaze to set, slice and enjoy.
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