Moist, made from scratch, Key Lime Sour Cream Pound Cake topped with a delicious Key Lime glaze, sprinkled with lime zest for garnish.
You're going to love this Key Lime Sour Cream Pound Cake! It's tangy with a hint of lime and super moist with a delicious mix of sour cream and lime flavors in every bite. I've seen this cake over and over again and after trying my hand at it, it definitely did not disappoint.
Some add food coloring to the cake to make it green. That's definitely an option, but I choose to keep it simple and omit the food coloring.
So let's get into it, so I can show you how its done!
More recipes ---> Louisiana Crunch Pound Cake, Italian Cream Pound Cake, Butter Pecan Pound Cake, Yellow Pound Cake, Million Dollar Pound Cake, Caramel Pound Cake, Southern Caramel Cake, Snickerdoodle Pound Cake, Brown Sugar Pound Cake, Five Flavor Pound Cake, Cookie Butter Pound Cake, Buttermilk Pound Cake, Sour Cream Pound Cake
Ingredients needed for the Key Lime Sour Cream Pound Cake:
- All Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Unsalted Butter - room temperature
- Eggs - room temperature
- Sour Cream - room temperature
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Vanilla Extract
- Key lime juice or Lime juice (if you are unable to locate Key limes or Key lime juice)
(Note: The full ingredient list is provided in the recipe card below.)
Ingredients needed for the glaze:
- Powdered Sugar
- Unsalted Butter
- Key lime juice or Lime juice
- Fresh Key limes or Limes (optional for zesting)
(Note: The full ingredient list is provided in the recipe card below.)
How to make the Pound Cake:
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and sit to the side.
Then, using a hand or stand mixer, beat the butter together then slowly add in the granulated sugar. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy (approximately 5 minutes).
Add the vanilla to the batter. Then add the eggs to the bowl one at a time, mixing well after each addition before adding the next egg.
In a bowl or similar, mix the sour cream and Key lime/Lime juice together. Mix in the flour 1 c at a time, alternating with the sour cream and lime mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with baking spray. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it evenly. Bake the pound cake for about an hour and 15 to an hour and 30 minutes.
The cake is done once a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before removing it from the pan.
To make the glaze:
In a bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, combine the powdered sugar, softened or melted unsalted butter, and Key lime/Lime juice.
Pour the glaze over the cake as you desire. As an optional garnish, top the cake with lime zest. Enjoy!
Helpful Guides for Beginners
If you're new to baking I got you covered! Here are some helpful guides to help you along the way!
- How to make a moist Pound Cake
- Pound Cake Essential Tools
- Mistakes to avoid when baking a pound cake
- How to prepare Pound Cake ingredients
- How to Make a Pound Cake for Beginners
Helpful Baking Tools
- Bundt Pan
- Stand Mixer
- Hand Mixer
- Basting Brush
- Sifter
- Silicone Spatula
- Oven Thermometer
- Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
- Baker's Joy
- Cake Keeper
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
Pound Cake Tips + Tricks
Whether you are a beginner or have been in the baking game for a while, I hope these tips are helpful in making sure that your pound cake comes out great!
⇢ Always use room temperature ingredients – Standard pound cake ingredients include butter and eggs which should always be at room temperature to ensure that they properly blend into the batter and do not cause any clumping. Other common ingredients such as milk, cream cheese, etc should also be at room temperature. Make sure to allow enough time before baking to remove the ingredients from the refrigerator and sit them on the counter to allow them to come to room temperature.
⇢ Properly measure your ingredients – Always measure each ingredient before adding it to the cake to make sure that you have the accurate amount of each ingredient for the recipe. Baking requires exact measurements for the cake to come out correctly.
⇢ Properly cream the butter and sugar together– Once blended the texture should be light and fluffy. Blend the ingredients together at a moderate speed for at least two to three minutes.
⇢ Add the eggs one at a time– Eggs must be added one at a time blending well after each addition. Once you’ve added an egg to the batter and no longer see any yellow, then you can add another egg to the batter.
⇢ Don’t overmix your batter– Aside from creaming the butter and sugar together, once done adding an ingredient, immediately start adding the next ingredient. If you are not quite ready, stop the mixer until you're ready to add the next ingredient. After you have added the last ingredient, just mix until blended. If the batter still requires mixing, for example, if there is any unmixed batter on the side of the bowl, finish the mixing process using a spoon.
⇢ Spray the hell out of your bundt pan - My favorite method is using a baking spray such as Baker’s Joy which includes the flour and oil all in one can. It's always a no-fail method for me and the cake comes right out of the pan. You can also grease the pan with oil (solid or liquid) then dust the pan evenly with flour if you prefer that method.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Yes. I recommend freezing the cake for no more than three months for the best flavor. Individually wrap each slice of cake in plastic wrap or foil. Place the wrapped slices in a ziplock bag to store in the freezer.
Once you remove the cake from the freezer, allow it to thaw at room temperature before unwrapping it.
Fresh is always better, but Key lime/Lime juice juice from a bottle is also a great option.
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- 3 All Purpose Flour
- 3 Granulated Sugar
- 1 ½ c Unsalted Butter - room temperature 3 sticks
- 5 Eggs - room temperature
- ½ c Sour Cream - room temperature
- ¼ c Key lime/Lime juice
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tsps Vanilla extract (optional)
- For the glaze:
- 2 c Powdered sugar
- 2 tbsps Unsalted Butter - room temperature
- 3-4 tbsps Key lime/Lime juice
- Fresh Key lime/limes (optional for zesting)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and sit to the side.
- Then, using a hand or stand mixer, beat the butter together then slowly add in the granulated sugar. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy (approximately 5 minutes).
- Add the vanilla to the batter.
- Then add the eggs to the bowl one at a time, mixing well after each addition before adding the next egg.
- In a bowl or similar, mix the sour cream and Key lime/Lime juice together. Mix in the flour 1 c at a time, alternating with the sour cream and Key lime/Lime juice mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
- Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with baking spray.
- Pour the batter into the pan and spread it evenly. Bake the pound cake for about an hour and 15 to an hour and 30 minutes.
- The cake is done once a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before removing it from the pan.
- To make the glaze:
- In a bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, combine the powdered sugar, softened or melted unsalted butter, and Key lime/Lime juice.
- Pour the glaze over the cake as you desire. As an optional garnish, top the cake with Key lime/Lime zest.
Michelle says
Just looking at some of your cakes and recipes to see if I want to try them. Looking for red velvet and a key lime. I just bake mostly during holidays and sometimes for birthdays. Nothing extravagant. I’m also a member of black peoples pound cakes and I love the site.
Ashley Frederick says
Thank you so much love! I have both of those recipes. I hope that you love them.
Brenda W says
Key lime pound cake came out great taste really good will make this again Thanks for the recipe and tips
Ashley Frederick says
I'm so happy to hear that Brenda! Thank you!
Jaimie says
If I wanted to make this in mini Bundt pans, would I still bake at 325 or should I bump it up to 350? Thanks.
Ashley Frederick says
I don't typically bake in many bundt pans, but would try it at 325 degrees and see if it works out for you.