Key Lime Pie Cake

5 from 9 votes

This key lime pie cake is a one layer key lime cake (it has lime zest and key lime juice in the batter!). It is topped with key lime cream cheese frosting and a graham cracker crumble. It tastes just like key lime pie in a cake!

Prep Time1

Cook Time24

Decorating Time1

Total Time2 24

Servings: slices

Calories: 336kcal

Ingredients

Key Lime Cake

2 ¼ cups All-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
¼ teaspoon Baking soda
½ teaspoon Salt
½ cup Unsalted butter room temperature
3 tablespoon Oil canola or vegetable
1 cup White granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
Zest of 3 limes
⅛ cup Key lime juice Use key lime juice in the bottle
⅛ cup Sour cream room temperature
3 Large eggs room temperature
¾ cup Buttermilk room temperature

Graham Cracker Crumble

½ cup Graham cracker crumbs medium and small crumbs
⅛ cup Brown sugar packed light or dark
½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
3 tablespoon Unsalted butter melted

Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

½ cup Unsalted butter room temperature
8 oz Cream cheese room temperature
2 cups Powdered sugar sifted
Zest of 2 limes
1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Key lime juice
¼ teaspoon Salt
Green gel food coloring

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Key Lime Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9X9-inch square pan with baking nonstick spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Spray again.
In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2 ¼ cups All-purpose flour, 2 ½ teaspoon Baking powder, ¼ teaspoon Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Salt
Using a mixer, beat the butter, oil, and sugar on high speed for 3 minutes.
½ cup Unsalted butter, 3 tablespoon Oil, 1 cup White granulated sugar
Then, add the zest of the key limes, key lime juice, vanilla extract, sour cream, and eggs. Mix on medium until combined.
1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, Zest of 3 limes, ⅛ cup Key lime juice, ⅛ cup Sour cream, 3 Large eggs
Add ⅓rd of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk and mix on low speed. Add another ⅓rd of the dry ingredients and the rest of the buttermilk. Then, finish with the rest of the dry ingredients.
¾ cup Buttermilk
Pour into the pan. Bake for 30-33 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let the cake sit in the hot pan for 10 minutes. Then, transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before decorating.

Graham Cracker Crumble

Start making the crumble while the cake layers are in the oven.
Mix the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter together. Place in the fridge while cake is baking.
½ cup Graham cracker crumbs, ⅛ cup Brown sugar, ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon, 3 tablespoon Unsalted butter
Spray a cookie sheet with baking spray. Spread the crumble over the cookie sheet.
Bake for 5 minutes at 350°F. Immediately after baking, use a rubber spatula to mix the crumble up. Let it cool completely.

Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl, sift the powdered sugar. Set aside.
2 cups Powdered sugar
Using a mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on high speed for 2 minutes.
½ cup Unsalted butter, 8 oz Cream cheese
Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Repeat with the rest of the powdered sugar. Add in the vanilla, lime zest, key lime juice, and salt. Mix on medium speed until combined.
Zest of 2 limes, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon Key lime juice, ¼ teaspoon Salt
Add a very very small amount green gel food dye. You want a small amount so it becomes a pastel green color vs a very saturated green.
Green gel food coloring
Spread the frosting over the cake. Top with the crumbles and extra slices of lime for decoration.

Notes

Flour- Make sure flour is spooned and leveled or use a kitchen scale. Compacted flour can dry out the cake.

High altitude baking- Add an extra 3 tablespoon of flour.

Pull out dairy ingredients 2 hours before baking.

Nutrition