Perfectly moist lime cake, topped with a homemade lime buttercream frosting, and sprinkled with lime zest! Just the right balance of citrus and sweet in this yummy sheet cake. It’s easy, refreshing, and great for feeding a crowd!
Sheet cakes are the way to go when you need to feed a crowd! I have such a variety of flavors, there’s one for any occasion. Try my classic chocolate sheet cake, or switch it up with lemon, cherry, or strawberry flavored sheet cake!
another tasty sheet cake
Hi, it’s me Lily – again! Today, I want to share with you a new recipe for Lime Sheet Cake. Remember the Lemon Sheet Cake, Strawberry Sheet Cake and Cherry Sheet Cake we’ve shared over the last few months? My mom is on sheet cake fix, so we tried one with limes.
I really like limes, so I thought this lime cake was delicious!!
It’s super easy because you just use a box of white cake mix that you buy at the store, along with a package of lime jello mix, and some lime juice. But don’t worry, it’s not sour at all! It’s just enough lime juice to make it tasty, without being sour.
My most favorite part is the homemade lime buttercream frosting with lime zest. It’s super yummy and goes perfectly with the lime cake. If you like, you can also put some lime zest on top of the frosting to make it look pretty! Trust me, it tastes as good as it looks!
tips for making your lime cake
This recipe is really easy to make like I said, and I had a lot of fun making it. I bet your kids would like to make it with you too! Here are some tips to make sure your lime sheet cake turns out perfectly:
If you don’t have an 11×16 baking pan… You can use any of the following. Just make sure to keep a close eye on it while it’s in the oven and use a toothpick to check for doneness. (Note: 11×16 is a half-sized small metal sheet pan.)
- Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F fill the cupcake liners ⅔ of the way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes
- Bundt Pan: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour the pan. Pour in batter and bake for 40-45 minutes.
- 9×13 cake pan: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour the pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Full sized sheet pan: You will need to double the recipe for it to fill up a full-sized sheet pan (cookie pan with rimmed edges). Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
What is lime zest? The zest is an ingredient taken from the outermost part of a piece of citrus. To make your own zest, be sure to remove any wax and wash the fruit thoroughly. Next, grate the peel very finely.
You can use a citrus zester, the fine side of a box cheese grater, a microplane or even a sharp paring knife. Carefully remove the outermost layer of the peel (the colorful part). Stop before you get to the white layer.
A medium sized lime will create about 1 tablespoon of zest.
Other topping ideas: If lime zest isn’t your thing, you could add…
- Shredded or toasted coconut
- Crushed graham crackers
- Sliced strawberries, raspberries, banana, pineapples
- Chopped Macadamia nuts
Got leftovers?
If you’re making a sheet cake, you probably have quite a few people you were trying to feed, so send some home with them. 😉 Or, keep it all for yourself and store one of these ways:
- Room temperature: covered, for 1-2 days
- Fridge: cover tightly and store for 3-5 days
- Freezer: Flash freeze first. You do this by placing the entire cake in the freezer or place cut pieces on a baking sheet, be sure they are not touching. Freeze for 2-3 hours, or until the outside is frozen. Remove and wrap the cake with plastic wrap then again with foil. Label and return to the freezer. Freeze for 4-6 months. If the cake is unfrosted you do not need to flash freeze first.
This Lime Cake is perfect any time of the year, but we especially love it in the summer time since it’s so refreshing!
For more fruity cakes, check out:
- Cherry Sheet Cake
- Strawberry Sheet Cake
- Banana Pudding Poke Cake
- Berry Icebox Cake
- Strawberry Jello Poke Cake
- Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake
Lime Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box white cake mix plus ingredients on box
- 1 lime juiced
- 3 oz package lime JELLO gelatin mix
Frosting
- 1/4 c butter softened
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 c powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 TB lime juice you can use more if you want a stronger citrus taste
- a few tsp lime zest
- 1-2 TB milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Add white cake mix and gelatin mix to a medium bowl.
- Add the ingredients on the back of the cake mix box and lime juice. Beat until well combined.
- Pour into a greased 11x16 pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Let cool.
- While cake is cooling make frosting by creaming together butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, lime juice, lime zest and milk. Beat until smooth.
- Frost cake and ENJOY!
This cakes tastes amazing! So refreshing and delicious. Thanks!
Clever way to add lime flavoring to cake mix. The taste was bright and delicious.
My husband loves limes so why not in a cake version? If you like lime you’ll love this cake.
I’m going to attempt this for a Grinch themed cake! Fingers crossed!
Oh so fun!! Can’t wait to hear how it goes! You’ll have to let us know.
MY LIME TREE HAS SMALL LIMES AND HUGE LIMES. HOW MUCH JUICE IS TO MUCH?
Usually a lime will yield about 2-3 tablespoons of juice so I would stick with that amount in your recipe. Hope this helps!
MY LIME JELLO DOES NOT SAY INSTANT??
My apologies! The recipe says “instant” but there technically isn’t any “instant” lime Jello. Thank you so much for catching that! I will change the wording in the recipe card.
Tried this recipe a while back for fun not knowing it would become my son’s FAVORITE cake and his request for his birthday cake last year and again this year ❤️ Making it today for his 16th. Thanks for this great recipe!!!