Key Lime Cake

[pipoman]

It's been a while since I have contributed anything here, but I swing through pretty regularly and take ideas..For those not aware, I manage a restaurant where we make almost everything from scratch. We hosted a wedding reception last weekend as we often do, this one though was our first tiered wedding cake..200 guests. In addition the request was for key lime cake. I tried a couple internet recipes and wasn't happy with the results, the rest of the internet recipes I found had things like lime jello in them..I like more natural ingredients. So I adapted a buttermilk cake recipe I like..I thought a key lime cake should be moist, dense, and rich..it turned out great with a lot of complements..I'll post a pic when I get one..this recipe is scaled back for a common jellyroll pan. This cake goes together easiest if made the day before, cake frozen and curd chilled.

Key Lime Cake

Preheat oven to 350, line a lightly greased jellyroll pan with parchment for easy removal

2 sticks of butter (I use a European margarine/butter blend for this step, real butter for the curd and icing)
1 cup key lime juice

melt butter in the lime juice over med/low heat until around 180 degrees

Beat 2 eggs until fluffy
add 1 tsp baking soda (next time I may add 1 1/2 or 2 because the lime juice easily adds enough acid to activate it)
add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 cup of buttermilk
slowly add the butter/lime juice mixture
add 2 cups of flour (cake flour will make it a bit lighter) and 2 cups sugar mixed together (you could add green food coloring now)
pour mixture into pan and directly into the oven
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The time for this recipe is a guess because I bake in commercial convection ovens and expanded recipes for commercial sheet pans. If using commercial sheet pans, the volume is 1.5 times this recipe for a 1/2 sheet and takes around 18 minutes at 325 in a convection oven.

I would start after 7 minutes turning the cake to help level it and even browning..do not remove from the oven..
check doneness with a toothpick after an additional 5 minutes (12 total)..bake until pick comes out clean or the edge begins shrinking away from the side of the pan.

Let cool 10 minutes and dump cake out of pan onto parchment..let fully cool (or better yet, loosely wrap and put in the freezer ..

Lime Curd Filling

Zest and juice 5 or 6 key limes or 3 regular limes if keys aren't available..a little less than 1/2 cup of juice is perfect..keep the zest separate

choose a mixing bowl that will fit a sauce pan for a double boiler..put a little water in the pan and bring it to a simmer, not boiling

mix 4 egg yolks. 3/4 cup sugar, a pinch of salt and the lime juice in the mixing bowl....put over the sauce pan and cook until it thickens to a light pudding consistency remove from heat and stir in 3 T cold butter a little at a time stir until melted add more..add the zest. place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate or ice bath if you are making this same day.

Buttercream Frosting

1/2 lb butter room temperature in a mixer bowl, add 3 cups confectioners sugar, and a little heavy cream (or milk),,like a tablespoon or 2. whip with mixer until creamy add enough cream/milk or sugar to a stiffness that a spatula will barely stand up in the frosting. Add a little vanilla at the end..clear vanilla will keep the frosting whiter, I like Mexican vanilla.

Now remove your cake from the freezer and carefully cut just the edges off the cake...try to keep the cake square. Then cut the cake into 2 or 3 equal size/shape pieces.

Put some of the buttercream into a piping bag or ziplock. Cut the end of the bag or corner if the ziplock to make about a 1/2 inch opening. Pipe an even bead (used for a dam for the curd) about 1/4 inch from the edge of the first layer, all the way around. fill the area inside the dam with some of the curd. place the next layer on (if you cut 3 pieces) and repeat. when fully assembled, use your sheet pan to evenly apply enough pressure to push the buttercream just to the edge of the cake. Now pipe or frost just the top of the cake with the buttercream.

This could be done without the buttercream, but it is a nice addition to this rich, dense cake. Whipped topping or whipped icing would work too but not well for a dam between layers.

If you have leftover lime curd it freezes well or will keep refrigerated for a few days.

If you try this let me know how it turns out. I have never made it at home in a non-convection oven.

[northoftheborder]

1. Could you give an estimate on the time to bake for regular oven? This sounds delicious.

[pipoman]

2. I think if you start by turning

at 7 minutes, then check for doneness after another 5 minutes (12 min total), it should be close..thx

[Kali]

3. yum

sounds good. I just bought some knock off lime cooler cookies that I remembered from my younger days. these were not anything like I remembered (more like a nilla wafer with barely any lime tang)
so I still have a lime bakery craving!

[pipoman]

4. I think people either like citrus flavor or not..not much in between..

We serve homemade ice cream. I made lemon ice cream one day for a lady who loves lemon desserts, now it our best selling flavor after vanilla. Some people won't even try it because they don't like lemon.

The curd is good for many things..it can be served by itself, in a cream puff, in a pie shell, cheesecake topping, etc..and it is very citrus..

[Kali]

5. love citrus

I squeeze lime juice on store bought lime sherbet