A sweet, moist, dense key lime pound cake drizzled with a tart key lime glaze. A delicious Southern twist to a traditional pound cake.
This recipe I originally shared as part of a virtual progressive dinner – of course I brought the dessert. This cake has become one of my most popular cake recipes and if you missed it the first time around, you’ll definitely want to give it a try.
The recipe uses both butter and shortening in the batter. I thought about changing the recipe and using all butter, but decided not to because shortening creates higher, lighter-textured baked goods, while the butter adds great flavor. So I knew a combination would give me the best of both worlds.
When I’m baking with shortening I love using the Crisco Baking Sticks. It makes measuring shortening so much easier. My cakes stuck to the pan little bit, so I used my thin, flexible icing spatula to loosen the edges. They looked a little ragged when I took them out of the pan, but after adding the glaze, they were gorgeous – so don’t be discourage if your cakes are perfect.
I did however, make 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.
The cake has a mild key lime flavor, but the tart glaze gives it a great burst of lime flavor. It’s a sweet, moist pound cake, but not quite as dense as most pound cakes, which made it feel like you’re eating a little lighter.
I served the cake the way they served it on Southern Living with a dollop of whipped cream and a slice of lime.
Check out the video to see just how easy this popular Key Lime Pound Cake is to make.
Key Lime Pound Cake
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.
Video
Notes
Thanks to Barb from Creative Culinary for creating the Progressive Eats group. Now that you’ve had your dessert first, jump over to all the delicious recipes the group put together for our Southern progressive dinner:
Main Course
Never Enough Thyme – Creole Style Smothered Chicken
Appetizers
The Heritage Cook – Old Bay Shrimp Boil Skewers
Stetted – Fried Green Tomatoes with Smoked Tomato Basil Aioli
Bread
Savvy Eats – Jalapeno Cornbread + How to Store Cornbread
Salads
Miss in the Kitchen – Creamy Coleslaw
Life’s a Feast – Shrimp, Grilled Peach and Quinoa Salad
Soup
Spiceroots – Maque Choux Soup
Sides
Creative Culinary – Bacon and Caramelized Onion Creamed Corn
Pastry Chef Online – Spicy Succotash
Beverage
Healthy. Delicious. – Watermelon Lemonade
Desserts
Barbara Bakes – Key Lime Pound Cake
That Skinny Chick Can Bake – Banana Cream Cheesecake Pie
ruth Green
I have made this cake at least 10 times and it always falls about an inch while cooling. I bake pound cakes all the time and they never fall just this one. I follow the recipe exactly every time, and have checked the temp of my oven and everything checks out. What am I doing wrong?
Nancy Stewart
Excellent cake, used buttermilk instead of milk. Good texture. Loved the icing.
Barbara Schieving
THanks Nancy! Sounds like a great way to change it up.
Kelly
Credit & much respect given to you for acknowledging this recipe is from Southern Living and not your own creation.
It irritates me when somebody posts a recipe and claims it’s their own creation. I’ve just come across this same recipe, word for word, and she claims it’s her own recipe. 😠 Why do that? Give credit where it’s due.
I’m making this cake AND your coconut and lime cake this weekend for a fundraiser for our local animal rescues.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Kelly – how nice to make them for a wonderful cause.
Gloria
Can I use lime juice ?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Gloria – I prefer using half lemon juice and half lime juice if I don’t have key limes. Enjoy!
Beverly Villarreal
I just made your cake as written. No problems, except the glaze did not turn out white as I expected it to. What did I do wrong?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Beverly – did you add more vanilla? You can get clear vanilla for a whiter color. Was you glaze a little too thin and needed more powdered sugar?
Audrey
I was thinking of baking this cake with gluten free flour and in wedding cake pans, would this work?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Audrey – I’m sorry I don’t have any experience baking it with gluten free flour in round pans. I assume if you use a gluten free flour mix that is specifically made for baking it would work well. Let me know if you try it how it goes.
Kathy Ziegler Chalhoub
Should the cake cool before icing?
Carole
I made the Key Lime Pound cake it came out
Beautiful soft and fluffy inside.. I can’t wait to
Share it tomorrow with my friends
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Carole! It’s always a hit with my friends. I’m sure it will be with yours too.
Delilah
I have made this cake so many times and everyone loves it and asks for the recipe. The next time I make it which will be in a couple of days I would like to use lemon juice and lemon zest. Do you think the cake will be as good as it is when using lime juice?
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Delilah! So nice to hear you love the recipe and have made it many times. Yes, I think it would be delicious with lemon juice and lemon zest as well. Let me know after you make it which version you like better.
Karen
I am anxious to try your Key Lime Pound Cake recipe.
My question is, did you use butter flavored Crisco or plain?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Karen – I always use butter-flavored Crisco. Enjoy!
Donna
I like the finished cake but the taste of lime is too timid for me
Barbara Schieving
Glad you enjoyed the cake. You can add more lime zest for a stronger lime flavor.
Juanita Hurt
I made this cake tonight. Our substituted fresh orange juice and orange zest. Also I used the juice and zest in the icing. My cake turned out wonderful. Thank you for the recipe!
Barbara Schieving
What a delicious way to change it up. Thanks for sharing Juanita!
Sonia
1. I’m lactose intolerant, so I’m wondering will Lactaid milk or almond milk work.
2. Is there anyway to alleviate the shortening. I can’t imagine cooking with it, have in 20yrs
Sonia
Typo. I have not cooked with or bought shortening in over 20yrs
Tiffany
I use a parkay/blue bonnet-like stick in all my pound cakes in place of shortening.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Sonia – I haven’t tried it, but you should be able to sub all butter and either Lactaid or almond milk with no other changes. Enjoy!
Carolyn Miller
I would need to make it gluten free. Can you help me?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Carolyn – you should be able to substitute a gluten-free flour mix for the flour. Here’s a good article about which ones to choose https://www.thekitchn.com/best-gluten-free-flours-261891
Deborah
I made this today. Followed the instructions as written. It was delightful. My family loved it and even my daughter who said she isn’t a fan of Key Lime at two slices! I topped it with whipped cream and fresh raspberries. I will definitely make it again. Thanks for the recipe!
Barbara Schieving
What a delicious way to serve it. Glad it was a hit. Thanks Deborah!
Tamara Folsom
Hi. Can I use cake flour with same measurements? Also, will using a 1/3 c of lime juice make cake to wet and too tangy?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Tamara – you’ll need to use more cake flour – here’s conversion info https://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/essential-ingredients/all-purpose-flour-vs-cake-flour-whats-the-difference I don’t think using 1/3 cup lime juice will make a significant difference.
Khrisna Morgan
I made this for my boyfriend cause I don’t wanna make key lime pie and it did not disappoint. It was moist and delicious i always add a little more key lime shavings to the recipe to give it that extra taste and I like sprinkling the key lime shavings on top. I had two pieces of cake out for me and my Boyfriend and I looked over he ate both of them so i recently just made another one lol
Barbara Schieving
Hi Khrisna – I love that he ate both pieces lol. I guess that says it all. Thanks for sharing your tweaks and the fun story.
Delilah
I first made this cake about a year ago for a neighborhood party and won 1st place. Now it is requested anytime zi need to bring a dessert to a neighborhood get together. I need to make on in a couple of days. How long should I bake the cake in a 6 cup bundt cake pan? I want to make 2, 1 for a neighbor recovering from surgery and I for us.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Delilah – How fun that it’s become a neighborhood favorite. I love making 6 cup bundts and keeping one and sharing one. Bake half-size (6 cups) Bundts for 50–55 minutes.
Khrisna Morgan
I loved this recipe!! My cake came out amazing!! It tasted so good everyone loved it! It wasn’t to sweet the glaze was great! I added some grated lime peel to the glaze and it added a good flavor I loved it!!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Khrisna! So glad it was a hit. Sounds like a delicious addition.