Key Lime Bundt Cake
With plenty of lime flavor, a fabulous lime frosting, and a great texture, this Key Lime Bundt Cake is the perfect dessert. Moist, flavorful, and with plenty of tangy key lime flavor, this is an easy cake to make and it always impresses!
I love key limes. Smaller than regular limes, they have a well-balanced sweet and tangy flavor. Forget the key lime pie, this Key Lime Bundt Cake is the perfect recipe to celebrate these amazing little limes!
Key Lime Bundt Cake
I love bundt cakes. They’re so pretty, and this one, topped with an irresistible cream cheese-lime glaze, is moist, filled with lime flavor, and it’s delicious. It’s not too dense, which some bundt cakes suffer from, but it’s buttery and delicious and pretty nearly perfect./
Read more: Key Lime Bundt CakeBundt cakes do take a while to bake, so give yourself lots of time. You can’t rush a good thing!
Why I love this recipe
- It’s not too sweet and the key lime flavor really comes through.
- That glaze! The glaze puts this cake over the top! It’s so good, you’ll want seconds just to get more of that glaze!
- The cake is moist and not too dense and it looks so pretty on a cake plate!
- You’ll need about 4 key limes for this recipe. Look for them in the citrus section of your grocery store.
Gather these ingredients
- Unsalted butter – Softened.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs – Large eggs.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Sour cream – This is the secret ingredient to a moist bundt cake. Use full-fat sour cream for the best texture.
- Key lime juice – From fresh key limes.
- Key lime zest – Zest the limes, then juice them.
- Vanilla extract – Pure or artificial vanilla is fine.
For the key lime icing
- Cream cheese – Softened.
- Unsalted butter – Softened.
- Powdered sugar
- Key lime juice
- Vanilla extract
- Key lime zest – From 2 limes.
How to make the best Key Lime Bundt Cake
- Preheat your oven to 325-F and grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
- Cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with an electric mixer.
- Add in the eggs, mixing between additions, and the sour cream. Mix until just combined.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate large bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture, mixing on low until combined.
- Stir in the lime juice, key lime zest, and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake in a 325-F oven for 60-70 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the bundt cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn it over and slide the cake out and cool it on a rack before icing.
To make the icing:
- Beat the softened cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with electric beaters, until smooth.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, key lime juice, vanilla and zest of one lime. Mix until smooth.
- Place the cooled cake on a cake plate or platter and drizzle the icing over the top of the cake.
- Sprinkle with the remaining lime zest and serve!
Tips & substitutions
- Don’t overmix the batter. Always mix until just combined, and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- To keep your bundt cake from sticking to the pan, grease it well with butter, then dust the butter with flour.
- Bundt cakes are cooked when an inserted knife or toothpick comes out clean.
- Don’t frost this cake until it is completely cool or the icing will slide off. You can pop the cake into the fridge to speed things up.
Serving suggestions
This Key Lime Bundt Cake is perfect with a cup of coffee on a lazy afternoon, but it’s also a terrific dessert. I love serving it after meals that also feature citrus. Like grilled salmon with lime and dill, or honey-lemon pepper chicken thighs. This is also a great potluck dessert, and it’s a great addition to summer BBQs and gatherings of any kind.
Storage
Store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. There’s cream cheese in the frosting so it’s important to refrigerate the leftovers.
Check out these awesome lime recipes while you’re here
Get the Recipe:
Key Lime Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Ingredients for the cake:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ cup key lime juice
- Zest of 2 key limes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients for the icing:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ⅛ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoons key lime juice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 2 key lime, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and mix. Add in the sour cream and mix.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Stir in the key lime juice, key lime zest, and vanilla extract, and mix well.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, and then turn over and out onto a rack and cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting:
- In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. You can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, key lime juice, vanilla, and zest of one lime, and continue to mix until the icing is smooth.
- Place the cooled cake on a serving platter and drizzle the icing over the top of the cake.
- Sprinkle with zested lime.
- Serve and enjoy!
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
