Key Lime Pound Cake n Icing

 INGREDIENTS:

 POUND CAKE
4 sticks butter, room temperature (one pound)
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fresh key lime juice
1/4 cup evaporated milk, (I always keep a good number of those small, 5 ounce cans in my pantry.)
4 teaspoons key lime zest, minced
1 teaspoon vanilla
ICING
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 to 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed key lime juice
2 to 3 teaspoons key lime zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


PREPARATION
STEP 1
Preheat oven to 300°.


Cover inside of 10 inch tube pan with non-stick spray. My pan is 10 1/2″ and it’s just fine. Set aside.


Using a stand-up mixer or electric hand-held, beat the butter well until light in color and fluffy. Add the sugar and again beat well for at least 5 minutes. I use a stand up mixer and beat the mixture 10-15 minutes. I don’t like a “grainy” cake.


One at a time add the eggs and beat only until the yellow disappears.


Stir juice, milk, zest and vanilla together. Now mixing by hand, gradually flour to the butter-egg mixture alternating with the key lime juice and milk mixture. Begin and end with flour. Mix well but just enough to incorporate all ingredients. You don’t want a tough pound cake!


Pour evenly into the tube pan and tap pan on the counter to loosen any air bubbles. Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.


Cool on a cooling rack for 15-20 minutes in the pan then transfer from pan to cooling rack and allow to cool another hour or until completely cool. The cake is far better the following day or 2 days later.


Make the icing. Using a hand mixer beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until well mixed. Add confectioner’s sugar and beat well until completely smooth and fluffy. Add key lime juice, zest and vanilla and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Ice cake.


This makes quite a bit of icing. After icing the entire pound cake I fill the middle hole with the excess icing. When the cake is served icing can be taken from the middle and dolloped along the side the slice of cake.