Key Lime Pound Cake with cream cheese is a moist, tangy, and indulgent cake that captures the bright flavor of key lime pie in a classic pound cake. This cream cheese–based pound cake stays wonderfully tender and is finished with a zingy key lime syrup and a creamy key lime glaze for a perfect balance of sweet and tart.
Key lime desserts are some of the most refreshing treats—this cake transforms that familiar flavor into a beautiful bundt. The base is essentially a rich cream cheese pound cake boosted with key lime zest and juice, plus a simple syrup that soaks into the warm cake for extra moisture and flavor. The final cream cheese glaze adds a silky finish and a pop of citrus zest.
This cake is bright and summery, and the lime flavor comes through in every bite. It also keeps and often tastes even better the next day, making it a great make-ahead dessert.
Table of contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Substitutions
- How To Make Key Lime Pound Cake
- Pro Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- More Pound Cake Recipes
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Bright, bold flavor from simple ingredients — fresh key lime zest and juice, plus a citrus syrup and cream cheese glaze, deliver intense lime flavor without complicated steps.
- Ultra-tender crumb — the cream cheese and cake flour contribute to a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Great make-ahead dessert — flavors deepen after a day, and the cake stores well for serving later.
Key Ingredients
(See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts.)
- Fresh key limes — smaller than regular limes, they have a distinctive tart, floral flavor. Zest and juice them for the best results.
- Cream cheese — keeps the cake moist and adds a subtle tang that complements the lime.
- Salted butter — adds richness and helps create a velvety batter. Use unsalted if you prefer and adjust salt accordingly.
- Cake flour — gives a finer crumb and tender texture compared with all-purpose flour.
- Baking powder — provides lift so the cake stays soft rather than overly dense.
Substitutions
- No fresh key limes? Bottled key lime juice or regular lime juice can be used. Fresh juice is preferred for the brightest taste.
- Unsalted butter works fine if you prefer to control the salt level.
- Simpler glaze — if you want an easy glaze, whisk 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 2–4 tablespoons key lime or regular lime juice until smooth.
How To Make Key Lime Pound Cake
Prep: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 12- or 15-cup bundt pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
Start by combining sugar and key lime zest in the bowl of a stand mixer and rubbing them together until fragrant. If using bottled juice, skip the zest step or use regular lime zest.
Step 1: Add room-temperature butter, cream cheese, and oil to the mixer bowl fitted with the paddle. Beat on medium speed for 7–8 minutes until light and smooth. Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at a time, allowing each to incorporate fully before adding the next.
Step 2: Whisk together cake flour, kosher salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl. In another bowl combine whole milk, key lime juice, vanilla, and sour cream. Add half the dry ingredients to the batter, then the milk–lime mixture, then the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Bake, Then Frost
Step 3: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour 15–20 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
While the cake bakes, make the key lime simple syrup: heat water and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves, then remove from heat and stir in key lime juice. Set aside.
Step 4: Let the cake cool in the pan 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack. Brush the warm cake with the key lime syrup so it soaks in, then cool completely.
For the glaze, beat room-temperature cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth, then add melted butter, key lime juice and zest, and vanilla. Mix until just combined and pour over the cooled cake. Garnish with extra zest.
Pro Tips
- Zest before juicing: It’s easier to zest whole limes before you cut and squeeze them.
- Use regular limes if needed: Fresh regular limes will still give a bright citrus flavor when key limes aren’t available.
- Weigh ingredients: Measuring flour and other dry ingredients by weight improves consistency and prevents a dry or dense cake.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Regular fresh limes are a fine substitute and will still provide a bright citrus character. Fresh juice is preferable to bottled for best flavor.
Either works, but fresh juice yields the best, most vibrant flavor.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. After that, refrigerate to prevent spoilage. If refrigerated, bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Yes. Adjust baking times: cupcakes and layer cake rounds will bake faster at the same oven temperature, so watch closely and test for doneness.
Yes. Cool completely, omit the glaze, slice, wrap tightly in plastic, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. If freezing a frosted cake, expect the frosting texture to change slightly when thawed.
More Pound Cake Recipes
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Key Lime Pound Cake
Equipment
- 12 or 15-cup bundt pan
- Stand mixer
- Microplane/zester
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Key Lime Zest
- 2 3/4 cups Sugar
- 1 cup Salted Butter (room temperature)
- 8 oz Cream Cheese (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 6 Eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 1/4 cups Cake Flour
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 cup Whole Milk (room temperature)
- 1/4 cup Key Lime Juice
- 2 tbsp Sour Cream
Key Lime Simple Syrup
- 1/3 cup Water
- 1/3 cup Sugar
- 2 tbsp Key Lime Juice
Key Lime Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 oz Cream Cheese (room temperature)
- 2 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 tbsp Salted Butter (melted)
- 2 tbsp Key Lime Juice
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Prep: Juice the key limes into a measuring cup (skip if using bottled juice). Preheat oven to 325°F and grease a bundt pan.
- Rub sugar and key lime zest together in the mixer bowl until fragrant.
- Beat butter, cream cheese, and oil in the mixer on medium for 7–8 minutes. Lower speed and add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated.
- Whisk cake flour, salt, and baking powder together. In a separate bowl combine milk, key lime juice, vanilla, and sour cream.
- Add half the dry ingredients to the batter, then the milk mixture, then the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake 1 hour 15–20 minutes, until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Make the simple syrup by heating water and sugar until dissolved; remove from heat and stir in key lime juice.
- Cool the cake in the pan 10 minutes, invert onto a rack, and brush warm cake with syrup. Cool completely.
- For the glaze, beat cream cheese with powdered sugar until smooth, add melted butter, key lime juice, and vanilla, then pour over the cooled cake and garnish with zest.
Notes
- Zest before juicing. Zesting whole limes is easier than zesting after they’re cut.
- Regular limes are a fine substitute when key limes are unavailable.
- Measure ingredients by weight for the most consistent results and the best texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate.
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