Key Lime Cake!

*Recipe adapted from cuisinart.com 

Key Limes are in season and we have them at Pete's! One of my favorite recipes is for this three-layer key lime cake with cream cheese frosting.  It takes a TON of little tiny key limes to get enough juice, but it's worth the work. Make sure you have an electric juicer and a good-quality microplane, or you will have carpal tunnel before the oven is even pre-heated. The frosting alone is to die for! I made a batch and a half, which left a LOT left over, which keeps well in the fridge and is perfect for binging on with graham crackers!

Shopping list for cake:

21/2 c. flour
2 c. white sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3 eggs
1 c. canola oil
1 cup key lime juice (freshly squeezed)
¾ cup sour cream
2 T. key lime zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 3 nine inch round cake pans with non stick baking spray.  In a stand mixer bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. To the dry mixture add eggs, oil and lime juice. Mix on medium until creamy, about one minute and remember to scrape the sides. Lastly add sour cream and zest just mix until combined and smooth, also about a minute. 

Pour cake batter evenly into cake pans and bake for about 25 to 35 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

When done allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes and then turn cakes out onto cooling racks let stand to cool completely about 1 hour .

Shopping list for frosting:

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese softened
¾ c. butter, softened
2 T. milk
1 T. key lime zest
¼ c. key lime juice
1 T. vanilla extract
2 ½ lbs confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

In a mixer cream together cream cheese and butter. Then add milk mix on high for about 30 seconds then put mixer on low. Then add vanilla and key lime juice while mixing and slowly add confectioners’ sugar mix until creamy and spreadable, fold in zest and ice cake. 

This would also make darling cupcakes if a layer cake seems too putzy!

Enjoy!

Megan