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Key Lime Recipe

Author Cheri

Ingredients

  • 1 white cake mix
  • 5 egg whites
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 limes zested and juiced
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 2 – 8 oz packages cream cheese softened
  • 2 – 16 oz boxes confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup key lime juice optional - can substitute limes
  • green food coloring optional for color
  • Lime Curd
  • 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
  • Pinch of salt
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix together cake ingredients until blended. Pour into two 9' cake pans that have been sprayed with oil and lined with parchment paper. Bake for 28-33 minutes.
  • Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in vanilla. For really creamy frosting, mix in 1/4 cup of key lime juice. You can also leave it out or add more confectioners sugar to make it thicker. Add a small amount of green food color if you’d like the frosting tinted.
  • Place the sugar, butter, lime juice, lime zest in the top of a double boiler or a glass bowl over pan with boiling water; stir over medium-high heat until butter melts. Mix 2 tablespoons hot lime mixture into the eggs and stir to blend.
  • Reduce heat to medium until water simmers. Slowly whisk egg mixture into the lime mixture. Cook over the double boiler until lime mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly and spoon into a clean, glass container. Cover and refrigerate.
  • To make the cake
  • Place one round on a plate and top with lime curd. Place on top layer and make a crumb coat with frosting. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and then frost. Carefully press graham cracker crumbs around the bottom half of the cake.
  • Fill a piping bag with 1 cup of frosting and add swirls on the top. Finish with sprinkles.