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Γ—

Lemon and Lime Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

  • EspaΓ±ol
Portions: 8 slices

Calories: 458kcal

If you are looking for a lime cake recipe from scratch, with basic ingredients, search no more! This lemon and lime cake with cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar is not only amazing, easy to make. You'll love this simple recipe too.

Why I ❀️ it β€’ Recipe β€’ Ingredients β€’ Preparation

Lemon and lime cake.

Lemon and lime cake.

Why I ❀️ it

The combination of lime and lemon works very well in this cake. The chilled cream cheese frosting is so good that it makes all the difference, it is so good I can barely contain myself from eating it alone. The cake has the more kinder taste of lemons, and it was what took me so long to get right.

I experimented with butter-less cake batter, each time improving upon the previous one. I finally got one that works well, and since it does not have butter, it stays every bit as fluffy and airy after being chilled as it does at room temperature. The poppyseed is the perfect complement to the lemon and lime flavor and that delicious cream cheese frosting with lemon flavor is the best cream cheese frosting you'd ever try.

Lime cake with cream cheese frosting recipe

This free recipe contains Amazon affiliate links, and I receive a small commission when you purchase, at no cost to you. Thank you!

Learn how to make this easy recipe for a lemon and lime cake from scratch with simple ingredients that everyone will love: the perfect balance of a fluffy lime cake with a homemade cream cheese frosting recipe without powdered sugar that will delight your guests.

Course: Dessert
Inspiration: American
Category: carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, homemade cream cheese frosting, lemon cream cheese frosting
Author: Clara Gonzalez

Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time40 mins

Utensils and tools

  • Stand mixer or hand mixer
  • Mixing bowl
  • Spatula
  • Piping bag and ½” [1.5 cm] piping tip (optional)
  • 2 x 8-inch nonstick cake baking pan
Lime cake with cream cheese frosting.
Lime cake with cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

For the lime cake batter

  • Unsalted butter for greasing the pans
  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour
  • Β½ teaspoon of baking soda
  • ΒΌ teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1ΒΌ tablespoon of poppyseed, (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons of granulated white sugar
  • 3 eggs (medium), at room temperature
  • β…“ cup of vegetable oil, (avocado or peanut)
  • 2 tablespoons of lime juice, (or orange juice)
  • 1Β½ tablespoon of lime zest, (or orange zest)
  • 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract or ΒΌ teaspoon of vanilla paste
  • ΒΎ cup of condensed milk

For the Vanilla cream cheese frosting

  • 1 block of cream cheese (12 ounces [340 grams] full-fat cream cheese chilled)
  • 1 cup of granulated white sugar
  • ΒΌ cup of heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Preparation

Before starting, please make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready.

Step 1: Prepare

Grease with butter the two baking pans. Set aside.

Heat oven to 350ΒΊF [150 ΒΊC].

Step 2: Combine dry ingredients

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, poppyseed, and sugar and set aside.

Step 3: Mixing wet ingredients

Whisk the eggs over high speed with the electric mixer using the wire whisk, until the eggs become lighter and foamy (about 3 minutes). Slowly pour in the oil and beat until it becomes a much lighter color and becomes even foamier (another 3 minutes).

Slowly pour in lime juice and beat for another minute, followed by the lemon zest, and the condensed milk – which should also be poured in very slowly. Once it’s all mixed, turn off the mixer.

Step 4: Add dry ingredients

Slowly sift in the flour mix while carefully folding it into the batter using a spatula. It should be made slowly enough that there are no clumps of flour in the batter, and the mix does not lose the air.

Step 5: Bake

Carefully pour the batter into the prepared baking pans, making sure both contain the same amount of batter.

Bake in the preheated oven until the top turns golden brown, or a skewer comes out clean when you poke the cake (20-25 mins).

Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature prior to removing from the pan.

Step 6: Make frosting

To make the frosting, pour the cream cheese into the mixer bowl and add the sugar. Beat at low speed using the flat beater attachment until it turns into a smooth cream with no lumps.

Pour in the heavy cream and beat until it has incorporated uniformly into the cream cheese mix, and it turns into a fluffy frosting. Add the lemon zest, and slowly pour in the lemon juice by small amounts until it is well incorporated and has a creamy consistency.

Place the cream cheese spread in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for later use.

Step 7: Decorate

For best results, scoop the frosting into a decorating bag with the tip. Make concentric circles on top of one of the cakes to cover with frosting. Top with the other cake and repeat the same operation to cover with frosting. You can use a spatula to even out the frosting, but it should not be very thick.

The cream cheese frosting should be thoroughly chilled. You can also spread the frosting thinly around the cake using a decorating spatula; if you find the frosting too firm, let it warm just a bit outside the fridge, so the soft frosting is easier to spread.

Maintain the cake chilled till serving time.

Variations

If you want to cover the cake with a thicker layer of frosting, make a double batch by doubling the ingredients.

If you have any extra cream cheese frosting, you can pipe rosettes on the cake. The amounts in the recipe yields enough frosting to decorate as pictured.

Top tips

  • This easy cream cheese icing is also great to go with our carrot cake recipe, or red velvet cake, it's a versatile frosting recipe.

Serving suggestions

Serve slightly chilled, it's perfect for many occasions: as a birthday cake, to serve as dessert, or to go with your afternoon tea or coffee.

Lime cake with cream cheese frosting.
Lime cake with cream cheese frosting.

Nutritional information

Calories: 458kcal - Carbohydrates: 50g - Protein: 10g - Fat: 25g - Saturated Fat: 9g - Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g - Monounsaturated Fat: 10g - Trans Fat: 1g - Cholesterol: 105mg - Sodium: 389mg - Potassium: 323mg - Fiber: 1g - Sugar: 36g - Vitamin A: 534IU - Vitamin C: 4mg - Calcium: 201mg - Iron: 1mg

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FAQs

How to make cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar?

For this recipe, we use regular white granulated sugar, which will dissolved during the preparation, and help turn the frosting creamy and smooth.

How to make cream cheese frosting?

Traditional cream cheese frosting is made by whipping cream cheese with sugar and flavoring agents until it has a similar consistency and texture of buttercream frosting.

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Lime Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

For the lime cake batter

  • Unsalted butter for greasing the pans
  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour
  • Β½ teaspoon of baking soda
  • ΒΌ teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1ΒΌ tablespoon of poppyseed (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons of granulated white sugar
  • 3 egg medium, at room temperature
  • β…“ cup of vegetable oil (avocado or peanut)
  • 2 tablespoons of lime juice (or orange juice)
  • 1Β½ tablespoon of lime zest (or orange zest)
  • 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract or ΒΌ teaspoon of vanilla paste
  • ΒΎ cup of condensed milk

For the Vanilla cream cheese frosting

  • 1 block of cream cheese 12 ounces [340 grams] full-fat cream cheese chilled
  • 1 cup of granulated white sugar
  • ΒΌ cup of heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare

  • Grease withΒ butterΒ two 8” [20 cm] non-stick baking pans. Set aside.
    Heat oven to 350ΒΊF [150 ΒΊC].

Step 2: Combine dry ingredients

  • In a large bowl, combineΒ flour,Β baking soda,Β salt,Β baking powder,Β poppyseedsΒ andΒ sugarΒ and set aside.

Step 3: Mixing wet ingredients

  • Whisk theΒ eggsΒ over high speed with the electric mixer using the wire, until the eggs become lighter and foamy (about 3 minutes). Slowly pour in theΒ oilΒ and beat until it becomes a much lighter color and becomes even foamier (another 3 minutes).
    Slowly pour inΒ lime juiceΒ and beat for another minute, followed by theΒ lemon zest, and theΒ condensed milk – which should also be poured in very slowly. Once it’s all mixed, turn off the mixer.

Step 4: Add dry ingredients

  • Slowly sift in theΒ flourΒ mix while carefully folding it into the batter using a spatula. It should be made slowly enough that there are no clumps of flour in the batter, and the mix does not lose the air.

Step 5: Bake

  • Carefully pour the batter into the prepared baking pans, making sure both contain the same amount of batter.
    Bake in the preheated oven until the top turns golden brown, or a skewer comes out clean when you poke the cake (20-25 mins).
    Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature prior to removing from the pan.

Step 6: Make frosting

  • To make the frosting, pour theΒ cream cheeseΒ into the mixer bowl and add theΒ sugar. Beat at low speed using the flat beater attachment until it turns into a smooth cream with no lumps.
    Pour in theΒ heavy creamΒ and beat until it has incorporated uniformly into the cream cheese mix and it turns into a fluffy frosting. Add theΒ lemon zest, and slowly pour in theΒ lemon juiceΒ by small amounts until it is well incorporated and has a creamy consistency.
    Place the cream cheese spread in an airtight container, and store in the fridge for later use.

Step 7: Decorate

  • For best results, scoop the frosting into a decorating bag with the tip. Make concentric circles on top of one of the cakes to cover with frosting. Top with the other cake and repeat the same operation to cover with frosting. You can use a spatula to even out the frosting, but it should not be very thick.
    The cream cheese frosting should be thoroughly chilled. You can also spread the frosting thinly around the cake using a decorating spatula; if you find the frosting too firm, let it warm just a bit outside the fridge, so the soft frosting is easier to spread.
    Maintain the cake chilled till serving time.

Nutrition

Calories: 458kcal

Published by Tia Clara - Feb 13, 2015

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  1. S Lovett

    December 31, 2022 at 7:38 pm

    I noticed in the photo the cake appears to be 3 layers, not 2. Am I just not seeing it right? Also, just FYI, you directed us to "pour" the cream cheese into the mixing bowl. I am assuming the cream cheese is not supposed to be that warm?

    Anyway, the recipe sounds awesome, and I am a big fan of anything lemon or lime. Both flavors together will be heavenly, I'm sure!

    Reply
    • Tia Clara

      January 04, 2023 at 8:14 pm

      Hi S Lovett. There are two layers of cake, with cream cheese frosting in between and covering it. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. Lemonlover101

    May 11, 2017 at 1:54 pm

    5 stars
    Lemon yum

    Reply
  3. Wesley Tyler

    February 16, 2015 at 2:10 am

    5 stars
    This cake sounds too good to be true! i love lemon.

    Reply

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Hi, I'm TΓ­a Clara! I have been a recipe developer, and recipe writer for 20+ years, and here I share my easy recipes you'll love.

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