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Key Lime Pound Cake

Key lime pound cake with a dense golden Bundt crumb and a tangy key lime glaze that pools into every crack. Baked at 325°F for a clean toothpick finish, then glazed only after the cake cools for a bright, citrus-forward slice.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 1.5 cup butter Softened to room temperature.
  • 2.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 0.333 cup fresh key lime juice
  • 2 tbsp key lime zest
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Key lime glaze
  • 1.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp fresh key lime juice
  • 1 tbsp key lime zest

Equipment

  • 1 Bundt pan

Method
 

Bake the pound cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F, then grease and flour a Bundt pan so the dense cake releases cleanly.
  2. Beat butter and granulated sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed for even creaming.
  3. Add large eggs one at a time, beating after each until the batter looks smooth and cohesive.
  4. In alternating additions, stir in all-purpose flour mixture (all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt) and sour cream in 3 additions, starting and ending with flour.
  5. Stir in fresh key lime juice, key lime zest, and vanilla extract until the batter is fragrant and evenly streaked.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert to remove and cool completely on a rack.
Glaze and serve
  1. Whisk powdered sugar, fresh key lime juice, and key lime zest until smooth and pourable, then drizzle over the completely cooled cake.
  2. Let the key lime glaze set before slicing, so it firms into a bright drizzle that still clings to the cracks and crevices.

Notes

Pro tip: scrape the bowl during creaming and again after adding eggs so the crumb stays tight and golden. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze the baked (un-sliced) cake up to 2 months and glaze after thawing for best texture. For a lower-fat swap, use light sour cream and reduce butter to 1 1/4 cups while keeping the bake time the same.