Key Lime Pound Cake with Key Lime Glaze

The first American cookbook, American Cookery, included a recipe for pound cake. Published in 1785, author Amelia Simmons called for “one pound sugar, one pound butter, one pound flour, one pound or ten eggs, rose water one gill, spices to your taste; watch it well, it will bake in a slow oven in 15 minutes.”

Other than the absurdly short recommended bake time, the recipe hasn’t changed much over the past 200 or so years. Today, not all recipes use exactly a pound of each ingredient, but the 1:1 ratio is often called for. Many recipes also call for more than the traditional six ingredients (if you consider “spices” the equivalent to “salt”), but with the exception of the added key lime ingredients I followed Simmons’ recipe closely. I used 5 egg yolks and 5 whole eggs instead of 10 whole eggs to compensate for the added liquid from the key lime juice.

Key limes might not be the most abundantly available fruit at your local supermarket, but it’s nonetheless worth finding some to try out this recipe. Regular (Persian) limes won’t work as a substitute. The reason for that being, and which is also the primary difference between the two varieties of limes, that Persian limes are significantly more acidic – not ideal for a dessert. Depending on where you’re at, key limes may also be called Mexican limes, what they’re known as in – surprise – Mexico.

As referred to as in the United States, key limes got their name from the Florida Keys and Key West, but the fruit is actually native to Southeast Asia. It would be hundreds of years before they’d make their way west and across the Atlantic Ocean by European explorers. From there the fruit would spread across the Caribbean and North America. In the early 1800’s, the key lime was discovered in Mexico by a US consul under the direction of the government and brought back to the Florida Keys. It grew naturally in the Keys, and by the early 1900’s commercial groves began to pop up along the Florida Keys. Those were eventually wiped out by a hurricane in the 1920’s and there hasn’t really been any commercial cultivation of the crop in the United States since then. It’s mostly all imported today.

Nevertheless, the key lime holds a special connection to a special part of the country – the Florida Keys and Key West – and it deserves to be celebrated. Key lime pie can get redundant, so I gave key lime pound cake a try, and it turned out to be fantastic. The flavor of the low acidity, tangy fruit pairs perfectly with the subtle and sweet flavors of a traditional pound cake. The simple addition of the key lime glaze puts this over the top.

Enjoy!

Key Lime Pound Cake with Key Lime Glaze

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

20

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

35

minutes

A refreshing twist on a classic dessert. Drizzled with key lime glaze and key lime zest.

Ingredients

• Key Lime Pound Cake

• 2 cups butter, softened

• 10 large eggs (5 whole + 5 yolks), room temperature

• 3 1/2 cups flour

• 3 1/2 cups sugar

• 1/4 cup key lime juice

• 1/4 cup key lime zest

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Key Lime Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 2 tablespoons key lime juice

• 2 tablespoons key lime zest

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°. Generously grease a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with butter and flour.
• In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, beat room temperature butter well until it is smooth and creamy. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Add sugar and beat well (1-2 minutes) until the butter and sugar mixture is light and fluffy. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, eggs yolks, key lime juice and vanilla. Slowly pour this mixture into the butter and sugar mixture while mixing on a low speed. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Once fully incorporated, turn the speed on the mixer up to high and beat well for 1-2 minutes.
• Turn the speed down to the low. Slowly incorporate the flour while mixing on a low speed. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. (You may need to mix by hand at this point if the batter becomes too thick. This recipe makes a lot of batter, so make sure you are using a large mixing bowl). Mix in the salt and key lime zest. Continue mixing for another minute or so until everything is well combined.
• Pour batter and spread evenly into a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan. This makes enough batter that you could use a 13″ x 5″ loaf pan or bundt cake if you prefer.
• Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. You’ll know it’s finished cooking when a knife comes out mostly clean after piercing the center of the cake. Let cool for 20-30 minutes before removing from the pan. If greased properly with butter and flour, the cake should slide smoothly out of the pan.
• In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, key lime juice, and key lime zest until sugar dissolves and thick glaze forms. Pour over the top of the cooled pound cake. Slice and serve.