Key Lime Coconut Cake

My friend, Stephanie, was out of town for a few days at a wedding in Costa Rica... lucky girl!  So, her husband, Brian, decided to invite Ben and a few other guys over for dinner and Rock Band.

I thought that since Brian was making the guys dinner, the least I could do was send a dessert with Ben.  After seeing this cake on Smitten Kitchen, and hearing her story about her upcoming tropical vacation, I figured this dessert would be perfect!  It would give Brian a taste of the tropical experience his wife was enjoying in Costa Rica, while he's left behind in the bitter cold.

Yes, the piece you see that is cut in the photo was my piece that I ate before sending it away to the guys.  How could I post it on here if I was unsure on how it tasted?  That's my excuse.   🙂  And, glad I did steal a piece because the cake did not come home with Ben.

The cake was moist and had just the right amount of lime flavor.  The icing on top was a perfect finishing and easy to make. I can't wait to make this again for my mom, who loves key limes...but I'll probably leave the coconut out since she does not like it.

I made a few changes... they are reflected in the recipe below.

Funny story.  Brian told me at church today that they were all wondering how I got the limes so small?  HA!  I proceeded to tell him that they are key limes.  Key limes are smaller...so, no, I didn't go do a shrinky dink on regular limes.  <hee! hee!>

Key Lime Coconut Cake
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Printable Recipe

½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grated Key lime zest
2 large eggs
1 ¾ cups self-rising flour*
¾ cup milk
¼ cup fresh Key lime juice, divided
1 cup confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Generously butter a 9- by 2-inch round cake pan and line bottom with a round of parchment paper.

Toast coconut in a small baking pan in oven, stirring once or twice, until golden, 8 to 12 minutes. Cool. Leave oven on.

Beat together butter, granulated sugar, and zest with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir together flour and coconut. Stir together milk and 2 tablespoons lime juice. At low speed, mix flour and milk mixtures into egg mixture alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour.

Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool to warm, then turn out of pan and discard parchment.

Whisk together confectioners sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice. Pour over cake.

* Make your own: You can make your own self-rising flour...For every cup of flour, add a ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking powder, whisk together very well and sift the mixture. Measure your self-rising flour from there. (This is what I did.)