Originating from Key West, Florida back in the early 20th century, this green colored pie has remained the favorite of many for almost a century, and for good reason. The tangy yet creamy dessert is widely considered to be a true American classic, but over the years, it has been thoroughly enjoyed by hundreds of thousands around the world, satisfying sweet tooths all across the globe.
When a dessert looks and tastes this good, it seems almost impossible to be able to improve it. After all, why would you try to fix something if it isn’t broken?
Well, today, we are going to change your mind.
While pies are absolutely delicious, there is not much better than a moist yet crumbly slice of cake, whether it be dripping with icing or slathered in buttercream. Today, we are going to be looking at a handful of recipes that combine these two outstanding desserts, creating the ultimate sweet treats that you, your friends, and your family are going to love.
There is no more time to waste! Continue scrolling to discover our top 15 picks of key lime cake recipes that are so easy to make, you could make them right now. And, if you ask us, you definitely should.
We are kicking off the list with a simple yet sweet key lime recipe: a delicious sponge cake with a citrusy twist.
This is an easy one! All you need to recreate this Key Lime Sponge Cake is the usual ingredients needed for a sponge cake – flour, butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla extract – along with some lime juice and milk. The finished product is drizzled with a tangy glaze, made from icing sugar, lime juice, and lime zest. This is a recipe you should definitely give a go!
Just make sure to allow time for the cake to cool completely before adding the lime juice glaze.
Next up, we have another traditional recipe combined with that delicious key lime flavor. This pound cake not only tastes great, but looks awesome.
The reason a pound cake was given its name is due to the fact that, usually, a pound of each ingredient is used to create the dessert (e.g. one pound of flour, one pound of sugar, […]). This recipe is pretty much the same as your usual pound cake, with some differences made to make it a key lime variant.
Fresh lime juice is required for the cake batter and the icing glaze, plus it is optional to add green food coloring to the batter, making the cake a lovely pale green color.
Key lime and coconut: truly a match made in heaven. If you have never tried this combination before, you will need to give this recipe a try.
The spongy dessert itself is fantastic straight out of the oven, but the rich, zesty lime topping elevates it to new heights. The two-ingredient key lime icing is drizzled over the top while it is still warm, soaking directly into the very moist cake, while the remainder produces a delicate, crunchy, sweet coating on the outside.
Is there anything better than a cold, crisp slice of ice cream cake on a hot day?
Well, yes, there is: a cold, crisp slice of key lime flavored ice cream cake.
This Key Lime Ice Cream Loaf is refreshing and light, perfect for those summer days spent outside. The combination of creamy, tangy key lime ice cream and crumbled layers of cookies is just exquisite, both in taste and appearance.
On a hot day, this key lime flavoured ice cream cake is the ultimate dessert to share with friends.
These delicious cupcakes take your classic key lime pie recipe to the next level. Better yet, they only take 30 minutes to bake!
These delectable, tangy key lime cupcakes are not only easy to make, but they also taste incredible. These bitesize sweets are absolutely to die for, with a delicate, citrus-infused moist sponge and a light, creamy meringue cream cheese icing. Make these for your friends and family – they will forever be in your debt!
Remember how we said that coconut and key limes are a match made in heaven? Well, add some fresh strawberries, and you triple the tastiness.
This Key Lime Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream Cake mixes three great flavours into one vibrant ice cream cake that requires no baking, no churning, and is packed with delicious fresh fruit. The cake’s rich, creamy layers of green, white, and pink are visually gorgeous, making it almost too good to eat.
If you love key lime pies and pineapple upside down cakes, you will adore this delicacy, which combines the two classic desserts.
The subtle dose of key lime juice and zest, along with the sweet, juicy pineapple, creates a burst of wonderful fruity flavors. While this may appear to be an unusual combination at first, trust us when we guarantee that you will not be disappointed if you try this recipe.
The only thing better than a delicious, visually stunning dessert is one that takes such little time to create. Less time cooking, more time eating!
This dessert is mainly made from ready made ingredients, designed to provide you with a gorgeous and delicious dessert in a pinch of time.
However, you could always switch up the recipe so that you are making it completely homemade if so desired. This trifle looks so good, due to its pale green tint, that you won’t want to eat it!
This Key Lime Creme Poke Cake is a delicious treat to share with your friends and family… although, you may not want to share.
This tasty dessert is so quick and easy to create, filled with delicious zesty, lime flavoring. The moist sponge tastes great enough on its own, but combined with its deep-dug holes filled with citrusy gelatin and creamy Cool Whip, you are surely onto a winner.
Look no further than this incredible Key Lime Icebox Cake for the ultimate summery treat to savor by the seaside.
The only drawback to this dish is that it can take up to eight hours to make due to the requirement to completely freeze it before eating. However, the wait is well worth it, and you will be even more grateful when you eventually get to taste this scrumptious treat.
This one is for the chocolate enthusiasts out there. These Chocolate Key Lime Fudge Cake bars are truly extraordinary.
Who would have ever guessed that chocolate and lime would go so well together? These bars look amazing, taste wonderful, and the recipe is really simple to follow, with only four steps to complete. If you love chocolate, fudge, and key lime pies, this is definitely the dessert for you.
These cakes are truly a key lime lover’s dream: a key lime cake with key lime icing and a key lime coating.
Why not try this similar recipe if you loved the Key Lime Sponge Cake? The difference is that these cakes are rolled into balls that are wonderful to eat! They are absolutely adorable, and look like a lot of fun to eat on the fly. We can’t say enough good things about these Key Lime Cake Pops.
This white chocolate and key lime bundt cake recipe is simple to make, stores well, and we are certain that you are going to love it!
The zesty citrus and velvety chocolate flavours complement each other beautifully, creating a flavour explosion in your mouth. The White Chocolate and Key Lime Bundt Cake is moist, tart, sugary, and silky, making it the ideal summertime treat. You will not regret giving this recipe a try.
Next, we are returning to the beautiful flavorful combination of key lime and coconut, but this time, we are making more cupcakes!
These bite sized treats are absolutely to die for, and look almost as good as they taste. With its creamy white chocolate butter icing, and a tiny sprinkle of key lime zest, these cupcakes taste both tangy and sweet with a beautiful texture. What is stopping you from creating a huge batch of these delicious treats at this very second? Go for it!
To finish this list, we have a bundt cake filled with the sweet, fresh flavors of both key lime and mint. What a combination!
While this combo of flavors may seem strange at first, it makes sense when you consider that this cake is, essentially, the non-alcoholic dessert form of a Mojito. If you wanted to go all the way, and you are feeling a little adventurous you could even add some white rum to the recipe!
Final Thoughts
If you are a true key lime pie enthusiast, there is no doubt that this list has filled you with inspiration, along with pangs of hunger. Luckily for you, these recipes are all incredibly easy to make for yourself, and the majority of them take little-to-no time to whip up, ready for consumption.
So, what’s stopping you? It is time to run to the kitchen, grab some key limes, and get baking some zesty, green desserts.
Hi! I'm Kate and I have been baking and cooking for as long as I can remember. I like to share the most interesting tips and recipes I try here on What Kate Baked for you to enjoy. If you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share send it over on social.
