Lime Cake (zesty, moist and deliciously tangy)

Name: Lime Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 125 g Baking margarine (or butter); 125 g Caster sugar; 2 Eggs (large, free-range); 125 g Plain flour ((all-purpose)); 1 teaspoon Baking powder; ¼ teaspoon Salt; 4 Limes; 60 g Granulated sugar; 60 g Icing sugar

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This lime cake is an easy bake to knock together and it tastes amazing. I've made the cake with lime zest & juice and topped it with lime drizzle and a lime-flavoured glace icing. This lime drizzle cake is loaded with lively, zesty flavour.

Don't miss my lemon drizzle bundt cake or my orange drizzle loaf cake. They are far from ordinary too.

Overhead view of a lime loaf cake with a slice on a plate.

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Why you'll love this lime cake

It uses basic, relatively cheap ingredients, so it's a purse-friendly bake.
And it's a straightforward recipe.
There's plenty of zesty fruit flavour as this lime cake is made using the juice and zest from 4 limes.
It's a great size - expect to cut around 9 slices from your lime loaf cake.

Jump to:

Why you'll love this lime cake
What is a drizzle cake?
Ingredients notes
Equipment notes
How to make this drizzle cake with lime
Expert tips
Frequently asked questions
Variations
More drizzle cakes to try
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

Lime cake is a lovely bake to make regardless of the season. The fresh and lively flavour means it will perk up jaded winter palates and serve up refreshment in cake form on hotter days.

The beauty of this recipe for lime drizzle cake is its simplicity. The cake batter is quick & easy to knock together then, once baked, the drizzle and (optional) icing can be made in no time at all and no fancy decorating skills are required.

If you enjoy cake with lime in it, don't miss my courgette and lime cake. It sounds unusual but I promise you that this cake, loaded up with pistachio nuts and poppy seeds, tastes sensational. Take a look at my other loaf cakes too - there's coffee loaf cake and apple loaf cake.

What is a drizzle cake?

Drizzle cake is a classic British bake, usually flavoured with lemon. However, any citrus fruit can be used. Here I've made this cake with lime.

Drizzle cake typically comprises:

Sponge cake infused with finely grated citrus zest (and sometimes juice).
Drizzle syrup, made from a mixture of white sugar, citrus juice and sometimes more zest. This syrup is poured over the top of the cake whilst it is still hot so that it soaks into the sponge cake.
Optional water icing (often flavoured with citrus juice too).

Drizzle cake is usually presented as a loaf cake but it can also take the form of a round cake, a tray bake or even cupcakes, such as these Persian Love cupcakes.

Ingredients notes

Labelled ingredients for a lime loaf cake.

Butter/ baking margarine - use butter for a richer-tasting cake or baking margarine for a lightly, fluffier texture to the cake. For this lime cake recipe, I prefer to use baking margarine.
Flour & baking powder - I've used plain flour (all-purpose flour) and added baking powder to it. If you prefer to use self-raising flour, please omit the baking powder as self-raising flour already contains raising agent.
Sugar - you'll need white caster sugar for the cake batter, white granulated sugar for the lime drizzle and icing sugar for the lime icing.
Fresh limes - there are three things to look for when picking limes:
- vibrantly coloured skin.
- they feel heavy for their size.
- soft to the touch rather than rock-hard.

Equipment notes

This lime cake recipe requires a (paid link) 1lb loaf tin. If you only have a 2lb tin you will need to double the recipe and cook the cake for longer.

Electric beaters make easy work of creaming the butter and sugar together.

How to make this drizzle cake with lime

Full instructions and measurements are given in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Butter and sugar being creamed together with electric beater.

Step 1. Cream the butter and sugar together until light & fluffy.

Egg ready to be mixed into creamed buuter and sugar.

Step 2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.

Step 3. Finely grate the zest of 1 large lime (or 2 smaller limes) and squeeze 30ml juice from the lime(s)

Lime zest and juice tipped into cake batter.

Step 4. Mix the lime juice and zest into the cake batter.

Step 5. Sieve the flour, salt and baking powder over the flour and fold it in using a large metal spoon.

Cake batter in a loaf tin with limes next to the tin.

Step 6. Spoon the batter into a prepared tin and bake for around 30 minutes until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean.

Sugar with lime zest mixed in and a jug of lime juice.

Step 7. A minute before the cake comes out of the oven make the drizzle topping by mixing the granulated sugar with 60ml lime juice and the zest of a lime zest.

Lime syrup being spooned over a lime loaf cake.

Step 8. As soon as the cake is baked poke holes all over the top using a cocktail pick and spoon the drizzle topping over the hot cake. Leave it in the tin to cool completely.

Step 9. (Optional). Mix the icing sugar with enough lime juice to create an icing soft enough to drizzle over the top of the cake. a spoon or blunt knife to flick the icing over the top of the cake. Scatter lime zest over the top.

Expert tips

Top Tip: use a light-coloured metal baking tin rather than a dark-coloured tin. Dark baking tins turn the cake crust darker more quickly than a lighter pan, which might make it drier in texture by the time the middle of the cake is cooked.

Use the correct tin size. In this instance, use a 1lb (500g) loaf tin.
Regardless of whether your baking tin is non-stick always grease and line it or use a loaf tin liner. Your cake will be easier to remove from it as a result.
The best technique to weigh ingredients accurately is with a set of digital kitchen scales and the gram system of measurement.
Using room temperature ingredients helps the cake to bake evenly.
Grate the lime zest finely so that it infuses the cake without affecting the texture.
Do not mix the sugar and lime juice for the drizzle topping ahead of time as the sugar will dissolve.
It is imperative to add the drizzle topping whilst the cake is hot to encourage it to soak into the cake.
However, it is also vital not to add the glace icing until the cake is completely cold, otherwise this will run off the cake.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a bigger pan for my lime drizzle cake?

You can use a larger pan, but you will need to adjust the ingredients accordingly. For a 2lb loaf tin, this is simple: just double the ingredients and bake the cake for longer until it is cooked throughout.

How do I store lime cake?

This lime loaf cake is best stored at room temperature and eaten within 3 days. It can also be frozen whole (preferably before the glace icing has been added) or in slices. Wrap well, label and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost fully at room temperature when it is required.

Can I use different citrus fruit for drizzle cake?

Yes, you can. Try lemon or orange.

Variations

Bundt - pour the batter into a small Bundt tin for a different presentation of this easy lime cake.
Mint - add 10g finely chopped fresh mint to the cake batter and a further 5g to the drizzle topping for a mint and lime loaf cake
Pistachios - these nuts go so well with lime, so fold 60g finely chopped pistachio nuts into the cake batter before baking.
Poppy seeds - often paired with lemon or orange, poppy seeds also work well in this lime loaf cake. Fold 1.5 tablespoons of poppy seeds into the cake batter.
Coconut - regular readers will know all about my soft spot for desiccated coconut (have you baked my cornflake slices with jam and coconut yet?) Fold 30g of desiccated coconut into the batter to turn this into a delightfully tropical coconut and lime cake recipe.