Key Lime Cream Cake
Ingredients:
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter, melted
2 TBSP key lime or regular lime juice
1 package yellow cake mix
½ cup butter, softened
2 tsp grated lime peel
3 eggs
Creamy Key Lime Filling:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup lime juice
2 tsp grated lime peel
1½ cups heavy whipping cream
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 2 round pans. (dark or nonstick pans are NOT recommended). Line pans with waxed paper. Grease tops of waxed paper and sides of pan; lightly flour. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in medium bowl. Divide between pans and press evenly to cover bottom of pans.
Add enough water to lime juice to make 1 1/3 cups. Beat cake mix, softened butter, lime juice mixture, lime peel and eggs in large bowl with electric mixture on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans.
Bake 8 inch pans 42 to 52 minutes, 9 inch pans for 36 to 46 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run sharp knife around sides of pan to loosen cakes. Cool in pans 15 minutes. Remove from pans to wire rack, placing cakes crumb mixture side up and removing waxed paper from top of cakes. Cool completely.
Stir together milk, lime peel, and lime juice in small bowl, set aside. Beat whipping cream in chilled bowl with chilled beaters on high speed until soft peaks form. Fold milk mixture into whipped cream just until blended. Frost cake between layers, then on top and sides. Keep refrigerated.
(I find that using about 1 TBSP less than ½ cup of lime juice makes for a stiffer icing. No matter what, the icing is a little soft, but stiffens when refrigerated)
