Try this Key Lime Cake recipe, or contribute your own.
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup water
- frosting:
- glaze:
- 1 cup oil
- (3.4 oz.) pkg. instant lemon pudding
- 2 tbsp. key lime juice (about 4-5 key limes squeezed)
- green food coloring (i used about 4 drops)
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 1/3 cup key lime juice (fresh squeezed is the best but you can use bottled)
- 1 cube butter
- 1 (8oz. pkg.) cream cheese softened
- 1 (16 oz.) box powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. key lime juice
- 1/2 cup finely crushed graham crackers
- Carbohydrate 470.239108709315 g
- Cholesterol 505.5 mg
- Fat 1052.07213165034 g
- Fiber 0.0201666669092105 g
- Protein 18.1611749999391 g
- Saturated Fat 230.737603654946 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (2270g)
- Sodium 1830.32083334484 mg
- Sugar 470.218942042406 g
- Trans Fat 54.5087430358282 g
- Calories 11198 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl combine cake mix, pudding, water, oil and eggs and mix together
- Add key lime juice and food coloring to desired color.
- Grease and flour a 9x13 pan.
- Pour cake batter into pan and bake in oven for 50 minutes, or until cake is set.
- Let cake cool for about 10 minutes.
- Using a fork, carefully poke several holes into the cake.
- Make glaze by combining powdered sugar and lime juice and stirring until smooth.
- Pour glaze on top of the cake slowly so that it will seep into the holes.
- Let cake completely cool.
- For frosting, blend together butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar until you have smooth consistency. Add the key lime juice and blend in.
- Frost cooled cake and sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top.
- ENJOY!
Cream cheese dictates the financial and structural core of this entire bake. Because dairy carries moisture and fat, buying standard blocks rather than whipped tubs prevents structural failure in the frosting. Standard 8-ounce blocks yield predictable density without excess air whipped into the dairy. Soften the cream cheese at room temperature for precisely 45 minutes before beating to avoid lumps in the final spread.
Scaling this recipe requires attention to the fat-to-liquid ratio in the batter. Doubling the ingredients to fit a half-sheet pan demands extending the bake time past 50 minutes until the center springs back from a light touch. Halving the batch works well in an 8-inch square pan, reducing bake time to roughly 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Keeping extra eggs on hand ensures proper emulsification regardless of batch size.
Key limes remain famously small and dry, yielding barely a teaspoon of juice per fruit. Squeezing four to five limes produces the two tablespoons needed for the glaze, but bottled juice serves as a chemically reliable backup during off-seasons. Fresh juice contains active enzymes that brighten the flavor profile, whereas pasteurized bottled juice offers consistent acidity without bitter pith notes.
Storing the frosted dessert safely means utilizing refrigeration due to the perishable dairy topping. Cover the 9x13 pan tightly with plastic wrap to prevent the exposed graham cracker crust from absorbing refrigerator odors. Consume chilled portions within four days before the moisture compromises the crisp crumb topping.
