This Key Lime Pound Cake is easy to make and bursting with fresh citrus flavor from the key lime juice and key lime zest. Top it off with a sweet key lime glaze to make it extra irresistible this spring and summer. It is an easy way to enjoy a taste of the Keys without leaving your home.
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I love how certain smells and flavors can trigger memories. Key lime is one of those flavors. It all started years ago with a trip to Key West for our honeymoon.
Now any time I have key lime cheesecake or key lime coconut patties, it instantly transports me to the beach. Since I was craving that citrus taste again, I decided to turn our vanilla pound cake into a key lime version for spring.
Prefer lemon? Try out this Starbucks copycat lemon loaf!
Why You Will Love This Key Lime Cake
This key lime pound cake is easy to make from scratch with just a few different ingredients than a normal pound cake.
- Bright Citrus Flavor. Using fresh key lime juice and key lime zest adds a tangy flavor the loaf cake.
- Moist and Delicious. This cake bakes up dense and moist with a tight and tender crumb texture that will melt in your mouth.
- Easy to Make. You can make the batter in one bowl, and the cake can be made ahead of time.
- Perfect for Spring and Summer. This is a delicious pound cake recipe to share for Easter, spring parties, or summer potlucks.
If you love the flavor of key lime, make sure you check out our key lime donuts and our key lime pies.
What is Pound Cake?
Pound cake got its name because the original cake used 1 pound of sugar, 1 pound of butter, 1 pound of flour, and 1 pound of eggs. You can imagine how heavy and dense this cake was.
Over time the pound cake has been slightly modified and they come in all different shapes, sizes, and flavors.
Key Ingredients
Make this homemade pound cake recipe with just a few simple pantry ingredients and some fresh key limes.
- Butter - You must use real butter for the necessary fat and flavor in this cake batter. Do not use margarine because you will not get the same results.
- Granulated Sugar - Sweetens the batter.
- Eggs - Adds stability and structure to the cake. Make sure to mix them in one at a time.
- Heavy Cream - Provides moisture and richness to the loaf cake.
- Key Limes - I highly recommend fresh key limes for this recipe. If you cannot find them in your stores, you can use Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice and the zest of regular limes.
BruCrew Tip: Use the extra key limes to make a pitcher of key lime fruit punch!
How to Make Key Lime Pound Cake
Follow our simple steps in this key lime pound cake recipe and you will be enjoying a delicious citrus flavored pound cake in no time at all.
Step 1. Cream butter and sugar. Add the softened butter and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat for 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix in slowly.
Step 2. Add in dry ingredients. Dump in the flour, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch and beat just until mixed in.
Step 3. Pour in liquids. Add the key lime zest, heavy cream, and key lime juice and slowly mix in until a soft batter forms.
Step 4. Bake and cool. Spoon into a greased and sugared 9x5 loaf pan and bake in a pre-heated oven until done.
BruCrew Tip: Stir together powdered sugar and key lime juice to make a sweet tropical glaze to pour on top of the cooled cake.
Storage Recommendations
This key lime cake can be made 4-5 days ahead of time, but it is best within the first 2-3 days.
On the Counter - Store the glazed loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-6 days.
In the Freezer - Skip the powdered sugar glaze and freeze the whole loaf or slices of cake in plastic wrap and then place in freezer safe ziplock bags for 2-3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator on the counter before serving.
Tips and Tricks
- Use a zester to remove the outer green zest of the key limes. Make sure you do not go too deep and scrape off the white bitter pith. Then cut each one in half and use a citrus juicer to squeeze out the juice.
- For an even stronger key lime flavor, mix the key lime zest into the granulated sugar first. This helps to infuse the zest oils into the sugar, so that it gets mixed into the entire loaf of cake.
- Allow the butter and eggs to come to room temperature before making the cake.
- Fresh key lime juice and zest is best, but bottled key lime juice and regular lime zest can be used with great results.
- Cover the top of the loaf cake with tin foil after 50 minutes to keep the top from getting too brown.
- The glaze is optional, but I love the extra citrus flavor it adds to each slice.
- Serve slices of key lime pound cake with whipped cream and fresh raspberries for a delicious dessert.
FAQ
Key limes are much smaller than limes. They are also yellow in color, have a floral smell, and a much tarter juice. They also have more seeds and less juice meaning you will need quite a few to get a good amount of juice.
Yes, you can use any citrus juice you like in this pound cake. Try lemon, orange, or grapefruit for a delicious and unique version.
If you cannot find fresh key limes, feel free to use bottled key lime juice and the zest from regular limes.
Yes, this cake recipe can be made 1-2 days ahead of time. The flavor actually gets better after sitting for a day.
More Key Lime Desserts
- Key Lime Cheesecake Bars
- Key Lime Cake
- Classic Key Lime Pie
- Key Lime Macaroons
- Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle (with key lime cheesecake)
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Recipe
Key Lime Pound Cake
Key Lime Pound Cake is dense and buttery, with a tight crumbly texture. The finishing touch is a key lime glaze that adds a sweet and tart flavor to each bite.
Ingredients
For the Key Lime Pound Cake
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour*
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup key lime juice (from 8 key limes)
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons key lime zest (from 8 key limes)
For the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon key lime juice (from 1 key lime)
- Key lime zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9 X 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick baking spray and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Set aside.
- Beat butter and sugar for 4 minutes until it is light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one.
- Stir together flour, salt, baking soda, and cornstarch. Slowly add dry ingredients to butter mixture.
- Add key lime juice, heavy cream, and key lime zest. Mix just until incorporated.
- Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes, then tent with foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Insert a skewer into center and check for moist crumbs.
- Remove and cool in pan 10-15 minutes, then flip onto a plate. Turn over and let cool completely.
- For key lime glaze, stir powdered sugar and key lime juice together until smooth. Spoon over the top of pound cake. Sprinkle with key lime zest and let set before slicing.
Notes
- *Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.
- If you cannot find fresh key limes, use bottled key lime juice and lime zest.
- For more key lime flavor, stir key lime zest into granulated sugar before creaming with the butter instead of adding to batter.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 339Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 142mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 1gSugar: 34gProtein: 4g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
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Jean
I am making this cake today and it is still very raw at the 50 minutes + 15 minutes timing. I am wondering if it should have baked at a higher temperature than 325 as the recipe states?
Jocelyn
The 325° is correct. What type of pan are you using? Metal or glass? A glass loaf pan may take 5 extra minutes to cook. Did you beat the butter and sugar for the 4 minutes? This helps to add air to the batter which also helps in baking. For this recipe I tested it multiple times in a metal loaf pan and it was done every time at 65 minutes.
Rehoboth
Excellent post.
Thanks