Key Lime Cake with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Moist and tangy Key Lime Cake is filled with sweet lemon curd then topped with a rich raspberry cream cheese frosting. An Easter, spring and summer dessert.
Garnishes: toasted coconut, small colorful Easter egg candies, lime slices
Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
⅜cupbutterroom temperature
8oz.cream cheese,softened
4cupsconfectioner’s sugar
3Tablespoonscrushed raspberries
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease & flour two 9-inch cake pans.
Toast coconut by spreading out on cookie sheet and baking in oven for 4-5 minutes. Watch carefully as it toasts very quickly. Remove from oven and let cool.
Turn oven up to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar and butter until smooth and creamy.
Add eggs, one at a time, and continue mixing until well incorporated. Add vanilla and blend.
Mix together lime juice & buttermilk.
Alternately add flour and lime-buttermilk mixture to batter. Mix until well blended.
Color with a few drops of green food coloring to reach a pastel green color.
Divide batter between cake pans. Tap cake pans lightly on table to remove air bubbles and level top.
Bake for 35-40 minutes. Check after 30 minutes to see if top is browning too quickly. If necessary, tent with aluminum foil for the remaining time. Cake is done when it springs back at a light touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Place cake pans on wire racks and let cool for 10 minutes. Run knife lightly around the edge then carefully turn cakes out onto wire racks to finish cooling.
While cake is cooling prepare frosting.
Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
In small mixing bowl, whip butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
Lower mixer speed and continue to mix while slowly adding confectioner’s sugar.
Stir in crushed raspberries. Store the frosting in the refrigerator until ready to use. Take out 30 minutes prior to frosting the cake and stir until smooth.
To Assemble
For a 4-layer cake, cut each cake round horizontally to make 2 layers. To make cutting easier, place the cake in the refrigerator for several hours. Then, using a pairing knife, make slices in a dotted line pattern around the center of the layer where you will want to cut. Take a serrated knife (like a bread knife) and cut through the center of the layer using the knife slices as a guide.
Place 1 layer on the bottom of a cake plate. Spread with lemon curd.
Top with another layer and spread with a portion of the raspberry frosting.
Top with another layer and spread with lemon curd then place the final layer on top, cut side down. This will leave you a smooth top to frost.
Frost cake on top and sides. Sprinkle top with toasted coconut. Place small candy eggs around the base. Then top with several more candy eggs on top.
Store in refrigerator. Take out about 30 minutes prior to serving.