Key Lime Pound Cake
This Key Lime Poke cake is moist, delicious, and bursting with bright citrus flavor in every bite!

Key Lime Pound Cake
Made with real key lime juice, this Key Lime Pound Cake is a taste of summer that you can bake up any time of year! It’s a unique treat to serve with coffee or it would be perfect for St. Patrick’s Day with its bright green color.
This moist, buttery cake soaks up all those citrus notes, creating a luscious, melt-in-your-mouth experience in every bite. The finished cake is topped with a zesty key lime glaze, creating the most flavorful pound cake you might ever taste!
If you love pound cake, this is a must try! It has that dense crumb that traditional pound cake is known for, with an infusion of tropical flavors! This vibrantly colorful cake is sure to stand out on your dessert table. It’s easy to whip up in about an hour!
Ingredients
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- 1 (16.5 oz) box of vanilla pound cake mix
- 3/4 cup cold water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 3 TB key lime juice
- 2 TB key lime zest
- 3 drops lime gel food coloring (optional)
For the Key Lime Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 6 TB key lime zest
- 4 TB key lime juice
Kitchen Tools Used
Instructions
To Prep: Preheat oven to 350 ยฐF and coat two small loaf pans with non-stick baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, water, melted butter, egg, key lime juice, key lime zest, and gel food coloring (if using).
- Divide the batter between the two pans. Gently tap the pans on the countertop to help release any air bubbles in the batter.
- Place the loaf pans onto a large baking sheet and into the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before flipping the bread out of the pans.
To Make the Glaze
- Place the cooled pound cake loaves on a wire rack, with a baking sheet underneath to catch any drips.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lime juice and lime zest until combined and smooth.
- Slowly pour the glaze over the two cakes.
- Allow to set before cutting and serving.
Prep Tips
- Yield – Makes 2 small mini loafs.
- Pan Size – We used two half loaf pans for this recipe. Either 6 in x 3.5 in or 5.75 in x 3 in size would work. If you want to bake this in one large loaf pan, you’ll likely need to increase the baking time slightly. Use a toothpick to check for doneness.
- Storage – Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. This cake can also be frozen in a freezer bag or container, for up to 2 months.
More Key Lime Dessert Recipes To Try:
Key Lime Pound Cake Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Key Lime Pound Cake
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- 2 Small Loaf Pans
Ingredients
- 1 box vanilla pound cake mix 16.5 oz
- 3/4 cup cold water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 large egg
- 3 TB fresh key lime juice
- 2 TB key lime zest
- 3 drops lime gel food coloring optional
For the Key Lime Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 6 TB key lime zest
- 4 TB key lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ยฐF and coat two small loaf pans with non-stick baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, water, melted butter, egg, key limeย juice, key lime zest and gel food coloring (if using).
- Divide the batter between the two pans. Gently tap the pans on the countertop to help release any air bubbles in the batter.
- Place the loaf pans onto a large baking sheet and into the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before flipping the bread out of the pans.
To Make the Glaze
- Place the cooled pound cake loaves on a wire rack, with a baking sheet underneath to catch any drips.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lime juice and lime zest until combined andย smooth.
- Slowly pour the glaze over the two cakes.
- Allow to set before cutting and serving.
Notes
- Yield – Makes 2 small mini loafs.
- Pan Size – We used two half loaf pans for this recipe. Either 6 in x 3.5 in or 5.75 in x 3 in size would work. If you want to bake this in one large loaf pan, you’ll likely need to increase the baking time slightly. Use a toothpick to check for doneness.
- Storage – Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. This cake can also be frozen in a freezer bag or container, for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
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Awesome
This looks delicious. I am an experienced home cook but I have never seen boxed vanilla poundcake mix. What brand is it that you use? Thank you.
Betty Crocker makes a box pound cake mix – it doesn’t need to specifically say “vanilla” – a regular pound cake mix should already have vanilla flavor. Hope this helps!