Key Lime Cream Cake

As much as I love chocolate (and peanut butter), key lime manages to be one of my favorite flavors after a trip to Key West. For my Grandpa's 90th birthday party, I decided to bake this key lime concoction from Bakerella. It was a huge hit with my family, but my husband kept me in check. He said that it was good but not necessarily as awesome as my family said ... he doesn't want me to get American Idol Syndrome, where everyone tells me I rock and I end up thinking I'm way more talented than I really am. Nice of him, huh?

 This is a dense cake with all the cream cheese frosting, but it's oh so delicious. Best part is that I have another key lime cake flagged that I think will be even better. Maybe then my husband will think I'm it's awesome.

Update: This recipe makes much more frosting than you'll need ... and even more whipped cream. Adjust accordingly or have fun using the extras!

Key Lime Cream Cake
Cake
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup key lime juice
3/4 cup sour cream
Frosting
1 cup butter, softened
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
32 oz. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup key lime juice
Green food coloring (optional for color)
Whipped Cream
16 oz. heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Graham Cracker Crumbles
6 graham crackers
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper. Sift flour, sugar, powder, soda and salt into mixer. Add eggs, oil and lime juice. Beat until smooth. Add sour cream and beat until smooth. Pour in prepared pans, and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes, and then remove cakes from pans to cool completely.

While cakes are baking, make the graham cracker crumbles. Preheat over to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Break graham crackers into quarters, and pulse in a food processor until reduced to fine crumbs. Add brown sugar. With processor running, pour in melted butter. Pulse until mixture resembles wet sand.

Dump mixture onto prepared pan, and press mixture firmly to form a flat crust. Bake 6 minutes. Remove from oven, and crumble into pieces with a fork. Return to oven, and bake 2 more minutes. Cool completely. These can be made ahead and stored in an air-tight zip top bag until needed.

To make frosting, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Mix in key lime juice. You can add more confectioners sugar to make it thicker. Add a small amount of green food color if you’d like the frosting tinted.

To make whipped cream, chill metal bowl and beaters in freezer for about 20 minutes. When ready to whip, add ingredients to the bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.

To prepare cake, divide cake into four layers, and frost. Pipe top with whipped cream and add graham cracker crumbles to the side of the cake if desired. Refrigerate. Makes 16 servings ... give or take.