This key lime pound cake recipe brings a delightful twist to the classic pound cake with its sweet, moist texture and a tangy key lime glaze. Perfectly balancing sweet and tart, it’s a delicious Southern treat you’ll love. Serve it as a dessert or a refreshing treat for any occasion!
This key lime pound cake is a delightful Southern-style dessert that brings a burst of citrusy brightness to the classic pound cake. What makes this cake special is the unique combination of butter and shortening in the batter. While you might be tempted to use all butter, the mix creates a lighter texture with incredible flavor.
The cake itself has a mild key lime flavor, but the real magic happens with the tart glaze that adds a bright, zesty punch. Don’t worry if your cake looks a bit rough when it first comes out of the pan. The glaze usually transforms it into a gorgeous dessert that you will all enjoy.
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Why You’ll Love This Key Lime Pound Cake Recipe
- Simple to Make: With easy-to-find ingredients and straightforward steps, this cake is simple enough for both beginner and experienced bakers. You won’t need any special tools or techniques to create this flavorful dessert.
- Perfectly Balanced Flavors: The combination of sweet, moist cake and tangy key lime glaze offers a delicious balance of flavors in every bite. The tartness of the key lime contrasts beautifully with the richness of the pound cake.
- Quick Prep Time: With just 10 minutes of prep time, you can have this cake ready to bake in no time. The ingredients come together quickly, making it a perfect recipe for busy home bakers who want a delicious homemade dessert without spending hours in the kitchen.
- Flexible Baking Options: Love to make choices? This recipe gives you the flexibility to bake in a traditional tube pan or split between two smaller bundt pans. This means you can adjust the size based on your needs or how many people you’re serving.
🎂 Oh, you have to try making strawberry pound cake next time. It’s the kind of treat that makes everyone gather around for a slice and leave with a smile!
Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Butter
- Shortening
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Lime zest
- Key lime juice
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Key Lime Pound Cake
What makes this cake special is the unique combination of butter and shortening in the batter. While you might be tempted to use all butter, the mix creates a lighter texture with incredible flavor.
Step 1: Begin by preheating your oven to 325°F and preparing your baking pan. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, and salt.
Pro Tip: Crisco Baking Sticks make measuring shortening a breeze!
Step 2: In a stand mixer, cream the butter and shortening until smooth, then gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated.
Step 3: Carefully alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, mixing at low speed just until blended. Finally, fold in the vanilla extract, lime zest, and fresh key lime juice, creating a beautifully fragrant batter.
Step 4: Pour the batter into a greased and floured pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once baked, allow the cake to cool on a wire rack.
Pro Tip: I made several changes to the recipe, including adjusting it for my high altitude, and baking it in two half-sized bundt pans instead of a 12-cup tube pan. Unless I’m serving a crowd, I prefer two small bundts so I can serve one now and put one in the freezer for later.
Recipe FAQS
Yes! While key limes have a more intense, slightly more tart flavor, you can substitute regular lime juice and zest. Just use the same measurement of fresh lime juice and zest. The cake will still have a delicious citrus flavor, though it might be slightly less pronounced than with key limes.
If you don’t have shortening, you can use all butter, but the texture might be slightly denser. The original recipe uses a combination of butter and shortening to create a lighter, more tender crumb. If substituting completely with butter, use 1½ cups of unsalted butter instead of 1 cup butter and ½ cup shortening.
This cake is perfect for making ahead! You can bake the cake 1-2 days before serving and store it at room temperature, covered. Wait to add the glaze until just before serving for the best presentation.
Expert Tips
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: Mix the ingredients just until combined to avoid a dense or tough cake. Overmixing can develop too much gluten in the flour.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter, eggs, and cream are at room temperature before starting. This helps the batter blend smoothly and creates a tender texture.
- Let the Cake Cool Before Glazing: Allow the cake to cool completely before pouring on the glaze. A warm cake can cause the glaze to run off instead of setting nicely.
- Enhance the Glaze: Add a pinch of lime zest to the glaze for an extra burst of citrus flavor and a decorative touch.
Storing Key Lime Pound Cake
Keep your pound cake covered at room temperature for optimal freshness.Store at room temperature in an airtight container for 4-5 days. For longer storage, freeze the cake whole or in individual slices.
When freezing, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and it will keep for 2-3 months. Avoid refrigeration if possible, as it can dry out the cake. Add the key lime glaze just before serving for the best taste and texture. Always let the cake come to room temperature before serving to restore its soft, moist consistency.
My Favorite Pound Cake Recipes
- Cinnamon Coffee Cake-A moist, buttery cake with a delicious cinnamon-sugar swirl and crumbly streusel topping. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or as a sweet treat with coffee.
- Strawberry Pound Cake-A fruity twist on the classic pound cake, made with fresh strawberries for a burst of flavor and a pretty pink hue. It’s light, moist, and ideal for spring or summer.
- Healthier Chocolate Pound Cake From A Mix-A quick and easy chocolate pound cake recipe made lighter by using substitutions like yogurt or applesauce, yet still rich, moist, and chocolaty.
- The Best Ever Coconut Bundt Cake-A fluffy, tender bundt cake infused with coconut flavor and topped with a creamy coconut glaze. It’s a tropical delight that’s perfect for coconut lovers!
More Coffee Cake Recipes to Consider
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Key Lime Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder*
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup shortening
- 3 cups sugar*
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- ¼ cup fresh Key lime juice
Glaze
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and shortening at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.
- Mix in vanilla, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12-cup) tube pan. (I used two 6-cup bundt pans.)
- Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. (Bake half size Bundts for 50–55 minutes.) Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.
- Prepare Key Lime Glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice, and ½ teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Immediately brush or drizzle over top and sides of cake. Cool completely before serving.
Debbie Nethery
Everyone loved it
karenf
Followed recipe exactly, except I don’t feed anyone shortening, so I used all butter. As far as being a pound cake, it got 5 stars. It was everything a pound cake should be. As for the key lime flavor …. everyone loved the icing, but thought the cake was too mild. I’m not sure how to give it a more limy taste without ruining the ingredient balance.