KEY LIME CAKE

I found this recipe for Key Lime Cake in a cookbook I got at an estate sale called Yankee Church Supper Cookbook. It contains over 375 recipes of all kinds to feed a family or a crowd - tried, true, tested, and delicious published by the Yankee Publishing Co. 

You have the option to cook this as a 9 x 13 - inch sheet cake or as a tube cake. I decided to make the sheet cake to take to Hillcrest Thrift Shop for the volunteers, but combined the two "toppings". The recipe poured the lime juice/powdered sugar mixture only on the sheet cake and frosted the tube cake with the green whipped topping. Often you will see recipes where they have you prick the sheet cake with a fork and then pour a thin glaze over it. I never like the looks of the cake because of all the holes. So I decided to just do both topping and cover the holes with the green whipped topping. I can't understand why they would omit the juice/sugar mixture over the tube cake. Anyway, my husband and I liked my way and so did the volunteers.

The cake is so light and pretty with the green frosting. Just what the summer calls for (or go on and make it any time of the year).

KEY LIME CAKE

1          cup sugar
2         cups flour, sifted*
1/2      teaspoon salt, heaping
1          teaspoon baking powder
1/2      teaspoon baking soda
1          3-oz pkg (4 servings) lime gelatin (I used a sugar-free lime gelatin.)
5         eggs
1-1/3   cups oil
3/4     cups orange juice
1/2      teaspoon vanilla
1          teaspoon lemon extract

1/3     cup lime juice
1/2     cup sifted powdered sugar**
1         8 - ounce carton whipped topping (I used a sugar-free one.)
green food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or spray a 9 x 13 - inch pan or a 10 - inch tube pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine the dry ingredients - sugar flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and gelatin - in a mixing bowl.

Add eggs, oil, orange juice, vanilla, and lemon extract.

Beat until well blended. (I mixed the ingredients on low until all moistened. Then increased speed and beat it 2 minutes.)

Pour batter into pan.

Bake until done - about 40 to 45 minutes for the 9 x 13 - inch cake and 50 to 60 minutes for the tube pan.

Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. 

Prick cake all over with fork.

Combine the lime juice and powdered sugar.

Stir til powdered sugar is dissolved.

Drizzle well over cake so that the mixture seeps into the cake.

When cake is totally cool, add a few drops of green food coloring to whipped topping and stir. 

Frost the cake with the green whipped topping. 

Cover and refrigerate til ready to serve.

Store in refrigerator.

* 2 cups flour, sifted means to measure the flour and then sift it.

** 1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar means to sift some powdered sugar and then measure out 1/3 cup.