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This easy Key Lime Cake is bursting with lime flavor! A fluffy & moist bundt cake is flavored with fresh lime zest and juice, then glazed with a zippy lime glaze. A bundt pan practically decorates the cake for you – it looks like a showstopper but is truly low effort!
I originally published this recipe in May of 2022. I’ve just updated it with a few small tweaks to make the cake even more tender and moist, along with updating the photos and blog post.
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this Key Lime Cake:
- Ingredient Overview:
- Recipe Substitutions & Variations:
- How to Prevent Bundt Cakes from Sticking:
- How to Make this Key Lime Bundt Cake Step-by-Step:
- Serving + Storing:
- Expert Baking Tips:
- FAQs:
- Special Tools:
- More Citrus Recipes to Love:
- Key Lime Bundt Cake with Key Lime Glaze Recipe
Why you’ll love this Key Lime Cake:
- Fresh Lime Flavor – This cake is bursting with fresh lime flavor from fresh lime juice and zest (in the actual cake AND the glaze!).
- Tender Cake – This is not your typical bundt cake – it’s fluffy, moist, and ultra tender! It also stays moist for days.
- Showstopper Cake with Low Effort – The bundt pan does all the decorating for you! This cake looks stunning without much decoration at all (other than pouring on glaze and popping some lime slices on top, haha!).
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).
- Butter – I prefer salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter if that’s your preference.
- Vegetable Oil – Using just a bit of oil with the butter helps keep the cake super tender.
- Eggs – Use large eggs, at room temperature.
- Limes – Use fresh lime zest and juice. If you can’t find key limes, the bottled key lime juice is fine. And, if you can’t find either, regular lime juice (fresh!) is perfectly fine too. Need to use up that bottled key lime juice after making this? Try my Key Lime Cheesecake or Key Lime Pie Bars next.
- Milk – I used 2% milk.
- Sour Cream – Use full-fat sour cream at room temperature for best results.
- All-purpose flour – Spoon your flour into the measuring cup, then level it with a flat utensil for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly into your flour will lead to too much flour, and a potentially dry bake.
Recipe Substitutions & Variations:
- Gluten-free/ Dairy-Free – I have not tested a gluten-free or dairy-free version of this recipe.
- Key Lime Juice – If you can’t find key lime juice, regular lime juice is fine!
- Sour Cream – Sour cream is best, but you can use full fat plain yogurt in a pinch.
- Lemon – You can make this cake with lemon juice and lemon zest if you like.
How to Prevent Bundt Cakes from Sticking:
My never-fail trick to keep bundt cakes (or any cakes!) from sticking is to use shortening and flour. Use a paper towel to wipe shortening into your pan, being sure to get it in all the little nooks. Then, sprinkle four into the pan, tapping it around to completely coat things. Tap out the excess, then pour in your batter.
How to Make this Key Lime Bundt Cake Step-by-Step:
Step 1: Start the Batter. Rub the lime zest into the granulated sugar – this enhances the flavor by drawing out the oils in the citrus! Then, cream together the butter, oil, and sugars in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add Remaining Wet Ingredients. Mix in the eggs, vanilla, lime juice (it may look a bit split after this – below left image – but that’s normal!), and sour cream.
Step 3: Mix in the Dry Ingredients and Milk. Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt, until almost combined, then add the milk. The batter will be thick.
Step 4: Bake. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the batter evenly on the top.
Step 5: Bake. Bake the cake for about one hour. A knife or skewer inserted into the cake should pull out some moist crumbs, but not wet batter.
Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then use a butter knife to loosen the edges before inverting it onto a cooling rack.
Step 6: Make the Glaze. Whisk together lime zest and juice, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Pour over the warm cake.
Serving + Storing:
Let the cake cool for about 30 minutes or so before glazing it. Once the glaze is set, slice and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Love lime? Make my Key Lime Cookies or my Key Lime Cheesecake!
Expert Baking Tips:
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
- Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
FAQs:
You can bake this cake in two loaf pans instead of a bundt pan. Or, you can bake in a 9×13 pan. For both of these options, start with a little less than half the bake time, adding more as needed until done.
Special Tools:
- Bundt Pan – This bundt pan is the one I used!
More Citrus Recipes to Love:
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment & star rating!
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Key Lime Bundt Cake with Key Lime Glaze
Ingredients
For Greasing the Pan
- shortening
- all-purpose flour
For the Key Lime Bundt Cake
- 4 large limes, zested
- 2 cups granulated sugar, 420 grams
- 1 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature , 226 grams
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 26 grams
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed, 73 grams
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp key lime juice, Regular limes work, too!
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature, 240 grams
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out, 390 grams
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature, I used 2%, 120 grams
Key Lime Glaze:
- 1-2 large limes, zested
- 2-3 tbsp key lime juice
- 2 cups powdered sugar, 230 grams
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Use a paper towel to liberally grease a 10-cup bundt pan with shortening, making sure to coat all the nooks quite well. Add a handful of flour and tap it into all the nooks of the pan, coating the shortening. Tap out the excess. If you see any bare spots, be sure to go back and get them with shortening + flour. This is my no-fail method to prevent cakes sticking in the pan!shortening, all-purpose flour
- Start the Cake Batter: Rub the lime zest into the granulated sugar until it resembles wet sand. Set aside. Beat the softened butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed for about 30 seconds, until creamed. Beat in the oil, for about 30-60 seconds, until it's creamed into the butter. Add the lime zested granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat on high for 2 minutes. Add two eggs at a time, and beat on medium for about 30 seconds or so, until combined. Add the vanilla and lime juice and mix on medium until just combined. The batter may a look a bit split at this point – that's completely normal and it will be fine, don't fret! Mix in the sour cream on medium until just combined.4 large limes, zested, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature , 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed, 4 large eggs, at room temperature , 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp key lime juice, 1 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- Finish the Cake Batter: Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are about halfway mixed in. Then, add the milk and continue mixing on low speed until everything is almost combined. Gently fold any stray streaks of milk or flour in with a spatula.3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out, 3 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
- Bake: Bake for 55-60 minutes. (The batter may puff up a bit past the top of the pan while it bakes, but it has never overflowed so don't panic. It'll settle back down when it's cooling!) A skewer or knife inserted into the pan (be sure to use something longer than a toothpick, since bundt pans are quite deep) should pull out some moist crumbs, but not wet batter. Let the cake cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then, loosen the edges with a butter knife and invert onto the rack to cool completely. Tip: It shouldn't stick, but if it seems to be sticking, keep the pan inverted over your rack and tap all around the pan firmly with a metal spoon or something similar to help knock out the cake.
- Make the Glaze: While the cake cools, whisk all the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl or glass measuring cup, starting with 2 cups powdered sugar. Taste, and add up to 1/4 cup more if it's a bit too tart for your taste.2-3 tbsp key lime juice, 2 cups powdered sugar, 3/4 tsp vanilla extract, 1-2 large limes, zested
- Serve + Store: Pour the glaze over the cooled cake. Slice, and enjoy immediately! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temp for 2-3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It’s completely delicious this recipe, I’ll repeat it anytime. Thanks for sharing
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Alexandra!
I feel silly but are the “4 limes, zested” also where the juice comes from? Do they get juiced in addition to the bottled key lime juice? Or are they simply being used for the zest?
Hi Sydney! Not silly at all. 😄 Yes, you’ll zest the limes and then juice them to provide the juice. You can also use bottled key lime juice if desired! Let me know how you like the recipe!
Yummy
Thanks, Maria!