Rich, bright, and fluffy, my Easy Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting has a tangy lime flavor with decadent cream cheese frosting. It’s great for spring and summer special occasions!
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This cake is the perfect balance of sweet and tart
The cake layers or tender and moist and absolutely a must-make recipe for your next celebration… or no special occasion at all. This is a refreshing cake that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser and guilty pleasure.
Easy Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
Citrus makes me think of Spring. This cake makes a great springtime dessert. St Patrick’s Day, Easter, and Mother’s Day would be the ideal time to enjoy this cake.
One of my favorite things to do is take an extensive recipe and make it easier to prepare. (You know how impatient I am!) I would love to spend hours in the kitchen baking and decorating cakes, prepping and preparing beautiful meals. But, the truth is, I just don’t have that kind of time. My boys have activities and need help with homework and such. I did implement a chore system for them to follow this summer, but they still need supervision. Therefore, for now, it’s simple, easy, and quick dishes!! (Mostly)
This recipe was inspired by Trisha Yearwood’s Key Lime Cake, but I made it easier! I started with a cake mix with additions that make it taste homemade. The Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting is completely from scratch.
See notes on baking for a stack cake and baking in a sheet pan.
Easy Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 package white cake mix
- 3 ounces lime gelatin
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- ½ cup butter at room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 3 and ½ cups confectioners sugar sifted before measuring
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 - 8 inch round cakes pans or 1 - 9x13 cake pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, add cake mix and gelatin. Add 1 cup oil and ¾ cup orange juice and beat on low.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add lime juice and vanilla. Beat 2 minutes on med hi, scraping sides.
- Pour into cake pans. Bake 8 inch layers 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Bake 9x13 inch cake 27- 30 minutes. Cool completely before icing with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting.
- *For the stacked layered cake, I used three 8 inch pans and cooked them for 27 minutes at 350 degrees.
For the Frosting
- Beat 1/2 cup butter and 8 ounces cream cheese until smooth, add confectioners sugar with a mixer on low. Add lime juice and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Frost cake.
Notes
Nutrition
You can also find great recipes here or at Meal Plan Monday or Weekend Potluck.
Lisa Tucker says
My cake did not rise very much. Is this normal?
Paula says
It should rise the same as any cake. How did it turn out and taste?
Beth says
I made this and it came out perfect first time. I read some comments and got some tips on how to adjust to a 16.5 oz. cake mix, as I couldn’t find an 18 oz one. This has such a strong lime tartness we love it. I doubled the frosting recipe the second time around so I didn’t have to skimp on it. This is so delicious, my family requests it now.
Norma says
My daughter and I made this cake for the fist time yesterday for Easter!!!! It was absolutely delicious!!!!! The cream cheese icing was the best too!!!! I was wondering instead of 1/13 oil could I do half oil and half butter???? Or just lest oil and more another liquid???? Mentally I have a thing with all that oil…
I used, oil, D Cake lemon or lime box flour, lime jello, orange juice. Can I substitute the oil??
If not again this cake is awesome!!!!!😄😃😀
Paula says
You can do half oil and half butter. Or, if you want to reduce the fat overall you can use half oil and half applesauce. The cooking time should be the same using applesauce, but watch it the first time. Fat makes it moist so with less you def don’t want to overcook it. I’m happy you enjoyed it!
Denny says
This cake was Excellent! We loved that it actually tasted like a lime cake. I made it as a Bundt cake and baked it for 36 minutes. I didn’t use the amount recommended of confectioners sugar as it would have been too sweet but the frosting was wonderful. This recipe is a keeper.
Bethany says
If you bake the cake the day before, do you need to refrigerate overnight because of the fresh lime juice?
Paula says
I would. I almost always make and refrigerate layer cakes the day before. Cold cakes are much easier to frost. (in my opinion)
Sw says
ABSOLUTELY delicious and moist my guess rave about it the entire evening😊
Donna says
I’m wondering if I can just use a butter cream icing in place of the cream cheese icing and add the lime juice for flavoring? Has anyone tried this?
Paula says
I think that would be great!
Gwen says
Does the cake it’s self have a key lime flavor?
Paula says
It has a faint lime flavor.
Vicki says
I am making this Key Lime cake for the 3rd time since Christmas. So delicious and so easy!!!
Jackie says
Hey do you follow the recipe to a T? I need to make a key lime cake..First time I will ever be doing so. Thank you.
Meika0005 says
Yes follow to the T and it will be delicious
Darlene Peacock says
yeah54right@yahoo.com could you please send me the recipe for the key lime cake
Debbie says
I made this beautiful cake for my daughter in laws birthday. It was such a hit. Everyone was asking for the recipe. Its a real keeper!
Kellie Courtney says
HI! This turned out really well for me. I just wanted to let you know that the print version of your recipe doesn’t have the cream cheese in the instructions for the frosting.
Paula says
Thank you to alerting me to that!
Margaretsantiago says
Can make cupcakes instead of the cake
Paula says
Yes
Ingrid says
I want to bake this key lime cake in a half sheet sheet pan for my son’s birthday. I’m going to double the recepie. How long do I bake it?
Sharon says
I was wondering if I should adjust the liquid amounts since cake mixes aren’t 18.25 ounces anymore, they are around 15. I’ve made it before with great results, but it seems to sink now. Thoughts?
Paula says
My local Walmart has had the larger size cake mixes again, but def lower liquid amounts if the box is 15.25 oz.
Val says
You can add 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of sugar to the mix and that with make it hold the liquids called for.
Linda says
I put 1 and 1/3 cup of oil. I use Lemon cake mix and I don’t put the lime juice in the cake because you use the lime jello. I also put pecans in my icing.
ERIC says
Just wondering the orange juice in the recipe, is it talking bout freshly squeezed orange juice or bottled orange juice? thanks
Paula says
I used bottled orange juice, like Simply Orange brand.
Dianna Reid says
Hi Paula. Just wondering why orange juice rather than lime, or even lemon? Do you taste the orange flavour? Can’t wait to try this as I love all things lime! Thank you fir sharing your recipe. It looks amazing!
Paula says
You can’t taste the orange juice it just brightens it. Lemon and lime were too tart, I tested with all 3 diff flavors.
Vicki Georgieanna says
Love this cake! I had watched a cooking program on the Food Channel that had 2 guys on it, that were, of all things….Pizza makers with several Pizza restaurants that they own in New York and California! They were in Florida just for a Key Lime Cake recipe! Well, I’m horrible at “scratch” cakes, so when I saw the recipe these guys had on their show…it was way to complicated for me, but it just looked so delicious to say the least!!!
I thought there has to be a simpler way to make this cake and I searched the good ‘old Internet and found this one! OMG!!! I made this heavenly cake and wonder of wonders, my husband “actually” loved it! In fact, he said it was not only the best cake I had ever made, he loved the taste and here’s the biggie….he’s asked me to make it again and again! You could have knocked me over with a feather! He’s never commented me on my cakes let alone asked for a repeat performance!!!! Especially since he really doesn’t care for Lime flavor!!!
I’ve made this 4 times since I found this recipe since 2016. But out if necessity I had to change it a tiny little bit…. I ran out of Orange Juice and used 1/2 cup of the OJ with 1/4 cup of Key Lime Juice! It was great! I found this great Key Lime Juice….right next to the Real Lime & Lemon Juice in the grocery! It’s called, ” Nellie and Joes Famous Key Lime Juice”! It’s a little pricey but so well worth it! I also use thus Juice in any recipe that calls for Lime or Lemon Juice! It’s not to tart and not to sweet! (It’s also great in a Corona beer too) So! To make me long story short….this is my families most favorite cake recipe and my friends love it too, any ime of the year!!!!
Paula says
Vicki, you have just made my day!! Thank you so much for telling me your story. I am so happy you like the cake. I enjoy baking but sometimes I just want an simple recipe too.
Keeta says
I accidentally picked up yellow cake mix instead of white cake mix. Does it matter?
Paula says
It will taste the same, the color may be a little different but it’ll still be good
Burna says
I made this cake ,it was so good,I couldn’t stop eating and the frosting is so good,it makes me think I can really bake,it,s addictive.Thanks for that great “made easy” recipe.I,ll try the strawberry cake next ,but for now I’m hooked on keylime.
Lauren Ebner says
Just made this for a St. Patrick’s Day get together. It was a huge hit! It is a delicious cake. I used fresh lime juice in the icing it’s amazing. Thanks!
Mel says
I made this for my sisters birthday and it turned out so goooood! But I made it all from scratch since I didn’t have a cake mix on hand. I combined a white cake with this one and luckily it turned out so yummy and moist 🙂 Thank you for the recipe!
Noel says
My husband and I love key Lime pie. When I saw this for cake. I told him. We both agreed to make and try for Thanksgiving. Very very yummie! Can’t wait to make it for family when we return home.
Julie S says
I have this cake in the oven now. Smells wonderful, however two 8 inch round pans are taking much longer than the 25 minutes it says. Make sure you allow more baking time.
Paula says
Definitely if u just used 2 – 8 inch pans it will take longer. I used 3 -8 inch pans.
Janice says
DELICIOUS!!!!! What I also did in effort to lighten it up, I used 2 small sugar free lime gelatin boxes and instead of cream cheese frosting I put on a dollop of SF Cool Whip!!!! Light and refreshing !!!! Thanks for the recipie!
ASH says
Very good! May add a touch more of lime to the icing but it is very yum just like it is!!! Thanks 🙂
Ashanti says
Hello Paula,
Me and the kids tried baking this cake. The icing came out great but the cake not so great.. I greased my 9 by 13 baking aluminum cake pan, but I ended up burning the cake, I don’t know what happened 🙁
Paula says
Awe, I’m so sorry. Have you calibrated your oven. A lot of time the oven temp can be way off from what it’s set at, this sounds like what may have happened. You can get an oven thermometer from Walmart and test it. set the oven to 350 and when the oven says it’s at that temp check to see what the thermometer says, the themometer will be correct.
Ashanti says
Thanks I will defiantly purchase one and retry.
Emily says
Hi Paula,
I cant get the lime gelatine here, in my country.
Is there any subtitute for this?
thank you..:)
Paula says
I don’t know of a substitute, it’s the made ingredient that gives it the lime flavor
Rebecca - FoodFlav says
Yummo! Thanks for the recipe.
Jeanette Whitfield says
This cake is so deliciously moist! I have added 7-Up instead of orange juice. When I make the icing, I squeeze the limes to get extra pulp in there. It gives it an added tangy-ness! One of our favorite cakes!
Robyn says
Just finished making this, whipped up super fast, tastes heavenly! Used juice of one orange mixed with fresh lime juice to make up the 3/4 cup of orange juice called for. Also added lime zest to the frosting. Thanks for sharing, going in the ‘keeper’ file!
Paula says
Awesome! I’m so glad you like it and I love your changes!
Emily Walsh says
This cake tastes amazing!
I made this cake for my dad’s birthday and everyone in my family loved it.
I would suggest making this.
Paula says
Thank you so much for letting me know Emily!!! I’m so glad your family loved it!
Tessa says
I’d like to make key lime cake pops. The only coating I can find is vanilla to dip the cake in. Any ideas to enhance the cake lime flavor without using the frosting? Thank you!
Paula says
You could add lime extract to white melting chocolate> https://amzn.to/2VBGfFn and/or sprinkle lemon ‘powder’ on top of the coating https://amzn.to/2UInBva
This is a good article on adding flavoring to chocolate https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-flavor-chocolate-521578