Lime Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
A couple of days ago I shared these cake pictures on my Instagram stories. I had no intention of sharing the recipe but I received many requests to do so, and here it is.
I made the cake in honour of what would have been my father’s 70th birthday. He was the most talented baker so I wanted to bake something that I wouldn’t screw up and not be embarrassed to share with him. (haha)
Baking is not my forte, so I searched for an easy recipe I didn’t think I would mess up. I found a cake recipe from DessertsForTwo.com that not only sounded amazing, but one that seemed manageable for my (lack of) baking skills. Her cake recipe is called “Mini Lemon Cakes” and it was the perfect fit in portions and taste for this blazing heat we’re already having.
The cake itself is vegan but the frosting uses cream cheese and butter, but if you have dairy-free versions available I think you could make the cake 100% vegan.
I had to make a main change to recipe, lemons are difficult and expensive to find where I live so I swapped them for local limes. Also I didn’t have white vinegar so I used apple cider vinegar and for the oil I used coconut oil. The recipe also calls for lemon extract but I’ve never seen it locally so instead I just added a little more lime juice and zest. Lastly, because it’s so hot here my butter melted a bit so the frosting became for of a glaze — but not to worry because it worked perfectly.
Table of Contents
Mexican Lime Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Dry Cake Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups + 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda*
- zest from 2.5 Mexican limes
- half teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
Wet Cake Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon zest from Mexican lime
- 3 teaspoons of freshly squeezed Mexican limes juice
- 5 Tbsp of liquid/melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon good quality Mexican vanilla extract
- 1 cup of filtered water
Lime & Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp salted butter room temperature
- 3 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- half teaspoon lime zest optional
- 2.5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed Mexican lime juice more will be needed if desired
Instructions
Instructions:
- Heat the oven to 350℉ and grease a round 8″ springform pan and set it aside.
- In a large bowl combine all of the “Dry Ingredients” and mix until well incorporated. Set bowl aside. In a separate bowl, whisk all of the “Wet Ingredients” until well incorporated. Whisking and slowly begin to pour the wet ingredients mix into the dry ingredients, keep whisking until you have a smooth bater with no lumps.
- Pour the batter into the greased pan, place in center of oven and bake for 30 minutes. Text doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center to make sure it’s baked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before releasing the spring and cake.
Make The Frosting:
- Place all of the “Frosting Ingredients” into a large bowl and use a hand mixer to whip the frosting until it’s light and fluffy. I wanted my “frosting” to be more “lemony” so I added another tablespoon of the freshly squeezed lime juice — notice that this will thin down the frosting and turn it into more of a glaze, it’s up to you and both taste amazing. Place the frosting in the fridge until ready to use.
Decorate The Cake:
- Once the cake has completely cooled through, spread as much frosting/glaze as you’d like. You may have a good amount left if you go light on the decorating. Decorate the top with a couple of thin lime slices and some fresh lime zest. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
The cake has such a fantastic flavour and texture — if you love citrus-based desserts this is a must-try for you. The cream cheese frosting is the perfect topping as it helps balance both the sweetness and tartness.
My husband and I both loved the cake, the neighbours we shared with did too, so needless to say this will go on my desserts lists for future occasions.
Nancy Lopez is a food blogger and author of the cookbook Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Born in Mexico, raised in the US, and currently living in Southern Mexico, she has followed a meatless diet for almost 10 years. It is her passion and mission to share all she has learned about vegan Mexican cooking and vegetarian Mexican recipes. Mexican Made Meatless is a blog dedicated to preserving the authentic flavors of Mexican cuisine just without the meat. It’s a place to celebrate Mexican culture and all it’s delightfully delicious traditional foods. Read more…
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