Key Lime Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

June is filled with friend's birthdays which means it's also filled with cake!

Last year for my friend Callie's birthday, we made a mess, I mean a sprinkle cake which was so much fun. This year, she sent me a few ideas of what her ideal birthday cake would be, and I think we nailed it! The party was a murder mystery where one guest was killed off, and like clue, we all had to figure out who the killer was! No one guessed correctly, but everyone had margaritas and cake so I guess we're all winners.

The cake is basically the same as the lemon cake from a few posts ago, but with key lime and coconut instead of vanilla and lavender. Another key to the success of this cake is the cream cheese frosting. The extra tang is perfect with lime & coconut.

I struggled with the drip on this cake. The frosting as drip was a last resort for me, because I had failed to use some weird candy melts correctly, and a white chocolate ganache went terribly wrong, so I took some extra frosting, added pink dye and lustre dust, warmed it up, and poured it over the top. Poured it over the cake and had a nice drip effect. The glitter cactus was a cut out of an extra layer of the cake that we frosted and covered in edible glitter. Surprisingly minimal mess with the dye and glitter this year.

Earlier in the week I was talking to a coworker about the cake and told him the flavor and he seemed pretty intrigued by it, so I made one for him too. Just not dyed pink and with glitter everywhere. I make a chocolate ganache by simmering 2 tbsp butter and 1 cup whole milk in a saucepan. When bubbles formed, I removed them from the heat and poured them over the dark chocolate I had in a glass bowl. Let cool and poured over frosted cake. Topped with a ring of coconut, frosting balls, and candied limes.

INGREDIENTS
Cake
12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cup sugar
¾ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut extract
2 tablespoons lemon zest
6 large egg whites
2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon water
⅓ cup key lime juice

Frosting
1.5 sticks salted butter, softened
12 oz cream cheese, softened
4 - 5 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon coconut extract

Other Optional Ingredients
Candied Lime Wheels (instructions follow)
Two limes, sliced thin
1 cup sugar

Shredded Coconut
Chocolate Ganache
Gel Food Coloring
Edible Glitter

Cake Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prep two 8” round cake pans with oil and parchment paper on the bottom.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium to high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
3. Add sour cream, vanilla, lime zest, and mix until combined.
4. Pour in egg whites and slowly mix until well incorporated, scraping the bowl down as needed.
5. In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
6. In a measuring cup, stir the remaining cake ingredients together.
7. Add the dry and wet ingredients to the batter, alternating dry and wet until everything is well combined.
8. Pour batter evenly into two cake rounds and bake for 28-30 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack until fully cooled.
10. Put cakes back in the pans, cover with foil, and chill overnight.

Frosting Instructions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or bowl with a hand mixer, whip butter, and cream cheese until light and smooth.
2. Add in half of the powdered sugar, coconut extract, and two tablespoons of milk.
3. Mix slowly until powdered sugar is mixed in and then turn the mixer on high until frosting turns lighter in color.
4. Add remaining powdered sugar and milk, mixing until combined.
5. Place into a piping bag or cover frosting until ready to use.

Optional Candied Lime Instructions:

1. In a large skillet or saute pan, cook limes and sugar on medium until the sugar melts.
2. Turn the temperature down to medium-low and flip lime wheels until candied.
3. Place on a wire rack to cool. Reserve lime syrup for future use.