Key Lime Cake

 I've always been tasked with ordering a birthday cake, never tasked with baking one. So when my sister asked me to bake one for my niece, I was so happy to do so! We brainstormed some ideas like  guava cake, red velvet or an ice cream cake, but ended up deciding on her all time favorite cupcake flavor from Sweet! in Orlando. 

As I was baking, it occurred to me that this cake was going to be given to more than just my niece. I was sharing it with my whole family. The pressure was ON! I needed to make sure it looked pretty and it tasted good. But like any new venture, there's always something to learn for the next time. It was my first time baking a birthday cake and it was also my first time baking with more than one layer. So, I ended up running into some hurdles with this. Mainly due to the frosting. Whenever I baked a cake, it stayed in the baking pan and I just threw frosting on the top. So I thought frosting around the cake would be just as simple: take the frosting and slather it over and around the cake. Done. 

Not done. The frosting ended up melting and sliding down the side. It left a huge mess. So now I learned... that you need to chill the frosting first for at least 15 minutes. I would've saved about an hour had I known. But overall, it was a great learning experience and my family loved it. But most importantly, my niece loved it. 

Recipe for Key Lime Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from Bakerella

Key Lime cake
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup key lime juice
3/4 cup sour cream
Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line 2 8-inch cake pans.
Sift all of the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, powder and soda)
Add eggs, oil and key lime juice until batter is smooth.
Fold in sour cream until mixed in with the batter.
Pour into the pans and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Turn cake upside down to cool. 

Key Lime filling
1 can condensed milk
1/3 cup keylime juice
zest of 1 lime

Beat the condensed milk with keylime juice until fully combined.
Add lime zest.

Cream cheese frosting
12 oz cream cheese
5 tablespoons butter
5 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
green food coloring (optional)

Beat the butter with cream cheese until smooth. 
Add vanilla and food coloring.
If you want the frosting to be thicker, add more sugar. 

* frost the cake with one layer first and chill. 
** make sure to refrigerate the frosting for at least 15 minutes too!