Easy Key Lime Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting!!!

   

 

This pretty "Key Lime Cake" just looks like Spring to me!  I love the taste of key lime and there aren't many good recipes that you use it in.  This cake is a good change of pace from Key Lime Pie!

This is a really moist cake and it great for special occasions, because even though it's really fairly easy to make, it looks like you fussed.   It's prettiest made as a three layer cake, but you can also make it in a 9"x13" pan.  

Here is what you will need:

1 box lemon cake mix (make sure you get a full size cake mix and not those they have reduced to 10.5 oz.)

1 pkg. (3oz.) lime gelatin (Jello)

3/4 cup orange juice

2 tsp. vanilla

5 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

Glaze

1/2 cup key lime juice (fresh squeezed or bottled)

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

Cream Cheese Frosting

12 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

6 cups powdered sugar

*This is basically a recipe and a half of cream cheese frosting, but you need this much for the three layers.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix cake mix with lime gelatin and orange juice.  Add vanilla, eggs. and oil.  Mix until well blended, but do not over mix.  

Prepare three 9" cake pans by placing parchment or wax paper circles cut to fit in the bottoms.  Spray with nonstick spray or butter and flour them.  Divide the batter evenly.  Place in oven for 17 to 20 minutes. Remove to cool.  If you use a 9"x13" pan, bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Combine the 1/2 cup lime juice with the powdered sugar.  While the cake layers are still warm, poke a few holes in them while still in the pans with a fork or toothpick and pour the lime juice glaze over each one.   Allow them to cool in the pans. 

Prepare the cream cheese frosting by creaming the cream cheese and butter until fluffy.  Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until it is light and fluffy.

Place a layer of the cake on a cake plate and frost the top, repeating with the other two layers. 

Frost the entire cake and if you want to garnish use some lime slices!  Place in the refrigerator and keep chilled until ready to serve.  This is a very moist cake and it gets even moister the next day!

Pistachio Cake!

What better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than with this beautiful "Pistachio Cake"!  Not only is it pretty, it's a moist, delicious tasting cake also.   This version is really dressed up with a butter cream frosting, which is more suitable for decorating.  

If you don't want to go all out or are not that big on cake decorating, I also give an optional version, baked in a regular Bundt pan and topped with a simple glaze.  Either way, it will delight your family and friends! 

Here is what you will need for this:

1 (18.25 oz.) white cake mix 
1 pkg. instant pistachio pudding mix
1 cup Sprite or 7 UP
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. almond flavoring
1 cup walnuts, chopped or pistachio nuts, chopped and slightly toasted (optional)
few drops of green food coloring (optional)

Butter Cream Frosting

8 cups confectioners sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup shortening ( used Crisco)
1/3 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond flavoring (optional)


If you don't want to use the butter cream frosting and would rather do a Bundt type cake with just a simple glaze, skip the butter cream and make this:

Glaze

2 Tbs. butter, melted

2 cups confectioners sugar

2 - 3 Tbs. half and half or milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. almond flavoring (optional)

Optional garnishes:  chopped pistachio nuts or holiday sprinkles for the top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine the first five ingredients.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add almond flavoring and mix. Do not over mix.  It makes your cake dry.  If you are using the walnuts, stir them in.

If you are using the butter cream frosting, bake this in a tube pan or 2  9" cake pans that have been sprayed well with nonstick baking spray or greased and floured. 

In the tube pan, the cakes need to bake about 50-55 minutes.   If you are using  the 9" cake pans, bake for 30-35 minutes.  Test with a toothpick inserted in the center.  When it comes out clean they are done.  

If you are using the simple glaze, bake in a 10 inch Bundt pan for 50 - 55 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting or glazing.

Prepare the butter cream frosting.  Beat powdered sugar, butter and shortening in a large bowl.   Beat milk and vanilla flavoring. Add almond flavoring if you are using it.   If it's too stiff beat in more milk a few drops at a time.

To make the simple glaze, just stir all of the ingredients together and blend until smooth.  Make sure it's thick enough so that it doesn't all run off of the cake.

 Frost the cake with the butter cream.  We piped around the top and bottom edges, but it's not required.  Then garnish the top with sprinkles or you could use the chopped pistachio nuts. 

Pistachio Cake!



Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I love St. Patrick's Day.  I am not really sure why, because people in southern Kentucky do not really celebrate the day all that much.  At least not like New York or Savannah, GA who I hear has the second biggest celebration in the country.   Do they really dye the river green?  Anyway, I think I love St. Patrick's Day because I know spring is only  a few days away and the weather is usually starting to get nice right about now.  Maybe it's my Irish roots that make me like it.  I always decorate for St. Patrick's Day also.  I have been making deco mesh wreaths since Christmas and I decided to do one for the St. Patrick's Day holiday.  I am going to do a tutorial  on how to make these next week when I start making the Easter wreaths, so if you want to know how to make them, keep checking back.  Here is the finished creation:

Next we are making Irish Beef Stew and Cornbread Hoe Cakes!