Key Lime Cake

By Laken

Whipped Cream Cheese Cake
White on White Buttermilk Cake

Ingredients

• Filling:
• 1/2 pt. heavy cream
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 c. confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1 (9 inch) graham cracker crust, store bought or homemade
• Icing:
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Key lime zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons Key lime juice
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. milk
• Cake:
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/3 cups sugar
• 3 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups cake flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preparation

Step 1

Filling:
Whip heavy cream. In separate bowl, whip cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Blend all together VERY GENTLY to retain consistency. DO NOT OVER BLEND!

Icing:
Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with Key lime juice, 1 Tbsp. at a time, and 1 Tbsp. milk, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition. Beat in up to 1 Tbsp. additional milk for desired consistency.

Cake:
Place baking rack one-third from the bottom of the oven, and the second two-thirds from the bottom. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper, and lightly grease.
Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla, about 1 minute.
Combine cake flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the batter and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Add about half of the buttermilk and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Continue adding dry and wet ingredients alternately, scraping the bowl down and beating until incorporated after each addition. End with the dry ingredients.
Pour the batter evenly into the cake pans. Stagger the pans on the oven racks so that no layer is directly over another. Set two layers on one rack and the third on the other. Bake 25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Monitor the cakes for doneness; each one may be done at a different time.

Cool the cake pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks and cool completely before frosting. At this point, the cakes can be wrapped in plastic, and a layer of aluminum foil and frozen up to 3 weeks.