Key Lime Coconut Cake
User Reviews
4.9
Key Lime Coconut Cake
Description
The Key Lime Coconut Cake features a homemade sponge cake sliced into layers, soaked with a syrup made from freshly squeezed lime juice, sugar, and warm water to infuse moisture and citrus brightness. The frosting blends whipped cream cheese, sugar, full-fat sour cream, lime juice, and zest, creating a creamy, tangy topping that complements the sponge’s light texture.
Toasted sweetened shredded coconut adds a sweet, nutty crunch as the final topping, enhancing the tropical profile of the cake. The syrup and frosting layers keep the cake moist and flavorful throughout.
This cake is suitable for serving chilled, making it refreshing for warm weather or special occasions. It can be covered and refrigerated for up to one week or frozen in portions, retaining its texture and flavor after thawing.
Ingredients
1 Recipe for Sponge Cake (makes two 9-inch cakes)
- 6 egg room temperature, large
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
Key Lime Syrup Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup lime juice from 3 medium limes, freshly squeezed
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup water warm
Key Lime Frosting Ingredients:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 16 oz sour cream full fat, cold
- 3 Tbsp lime juice freshly squeezed (from 2 medium limes)
- 1 Tbsp lime zest from 2 medium limes
Topping Ingredients:
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut 7 oz
Instructions
How to Make Key Lime Cake:
- Toast coconut at 350˚F in a small baking pan in oven, stirring a few times, especially towards the end, until golden and dry, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Make 4-Ingredient Sponge Cake and set aside to cool. Get the recipe on natashaskitchen.com and be sure to watch the video tutorial.
How to Make Key Lime Frosting:
- In the bowl of your mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat together cream cheese and 1 cup sugar on high speed 3 minutes until whipped, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Beat in 16 oz cold sour cream until smooth (1 min on high). Add lime zest and juice and beat to combine (1 minute on high). Refrigerate frosting if not using right away.
How to Make Key Lime Cake Syrup:
- In a measuring cup, combine 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 3/4 cup warm water and 3 Tbsp sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar and set aside.
How to Assemble Key Lime Cake:
- Slice cake layers in half with a serrated knife. Place the first layer, cut-side-up on a cake platter. Brush with 1/4 of the lime syrup. Top with a generous amount of cream. Repeat with remaining cake layers then cover the entire cake with remaining cream.
- Cover the entire cake generously with toasted and cooled coconut flakes, using your hands to scoop coconut onto the sides, pressing gently to adhere. The coconut flakes are crispiest if served right away but it is easier to slice the cake once it's had a chance to set in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
Notes
- Cover and refrigerate the cake for up to one week for best freshness.
- Portions freeze well and maintain flavor when thawed, even partially frozen.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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