It’s summer, so it’s as good a time as any to help yourself to a slice of refreshing lime cake. This recipe was inspired by a “Key Lime Poke Cake” recipe I found on the Betty Crocker website. It sounded like key lime pie, which I LOVE. The layer of topping that soaks into the cake, just under the frosting reminded me of the method used when making tres leeches cake. It sounded delicious, but I had two concerns – the fussiness and the calorie content. Don’t get me wrong, I love a fussy, fatty cake, but sometimes you need some balance. So I cut some corners on the Betty Crocker recipe and made it my own. It was so easy, I didn’t even prepare a mise en place. You’ll see why.
The first step was to prepare the white cake. This seemed like a great opportunity to cut corners and calories, so I dumped a box of white cake mix and a can of diet lemon lime soda into the mix.
I mixed it up and poured it into a greased 9×13 inch pan.
Once it was finished baking, I let it cool for a few minutes while I prepared the lime topping, which was a can of sweetened condensed milk, 3/4 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup fresh lime juice, and a teaspoon of lime zest. I mixed it up until it was smooth.
Then I poked the cake with the handle of a wooden knife, about every inch. This is so that when the topping is poured on, it can seep into the cake.
I poured it all on and smoothed it out.
In full disclosure, this is when I got tired, covered the pan and left it in the fridge overnight. But if I was in a hurry, I’d have only refrigerated the cake for an hour.
The next step was to add the frosting. The original recipe called for a can of vanilla frosting, but I have something against store-bought icing. But fat free frozen whipped topping – no problem! And, as I mentioned, I was cutting calories, so I opted for the lightest frosting possible – a thawed container of light Cool Whip.
Once I smoothed out the Cool Whip, it was in need of some decorating.
So I created a pattern with my striping tool and topped it off with sliced limes and lime zest.
I shared (something I RARELY do) some slices with some work friends who inquired about snagging a taste and here are some emails I received that day:
OMG that is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good! It took all of my willpower not to eat everything you just gave me. Haha. But I obvs had to try a couple of bites. So so delicious. Can’t wait to eat the rest later (and by later, I mean in like, 10 minutes).
Thanks for sharing!!
And
I can’t breathe. Too. Much. Cake.
Little did they know, this cake was relatively guilt-free besides the lime topping. It was my little secret and no one seemed to notice, making this a great, light(ish) cake that tastes like a heavy indulgence.
Cheers!