• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Loving It Vegan

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Free Ebook
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Free Ebook
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About Me
    • Recipes
    • Free Ebook
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Cakes and Cupcakes

    Vegan Key Lime Cake

    Published: Sep 29, 2016 Updated: Aug 13, 2022 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Vegan Key Lime Cake

    This vegan key lime cake is light, fluffy and moist with so much delicious lime flavor. Ideal for a birthday or any special occasion.

    Sliced key lime cake on a white cake stand.

    This vegan key lime cake was heaps of fun to make. I made it for my sisters birthday. And everyone loved it.

    The thing with being a food blogger is if someone is having a birthday you don’t just go making something you’ve made before, it has to be a new thing!

    So when my sisters birthday was coming around I went looking for new cake ideas and landed on the idea of a key lime cake.

    It makes an ideal birthday cake or special occasion cake. It’s light, fluffy, moist, flavorful and all those lovely things.

    You’ll also love our vegan key lime cupcakes and vegan key lime pie.

    Ingredients You’ll Need For The Cake:

    Ingredients for vegan key lime cake.

    Ingredients You’ll Need For The Frosting:

    Ingredients for key lime frosting.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Lime juice and lime zest – both regular limes and key limes will work great here, so just use whatever is easiest.
    • Canola oil – can be replaced with vegetable oil.
    • White vinegar – distilled white vinegar reacts with the baking soda creating the rise for this cake. You can also use apple cider vinegar.
    • Soy milk – can be replaced with a different non-dairy milk.
    • Vegan butter – if your vegan butter comes in a tub then there is no need to soften it first. If it’s a very firm stick-style vegan butter then let it soften out the fridge first OR simply beat it in your stand mixer for a couple of minutes to soften before adding the other ingredients for the frosting.
    Sliced key lime cake on a white cake stand.

    How To Make Vegan Key Lime Cake

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    • Sift all purpose flour into a mixing bowl and add white granulated sugar, baking soda and salt and whisk together.
    Dry ingredients added to measuring bowl and mixed.
    • Add soy milk, canola oil, vinegar, lime juice and lime zest and mix into a batter. Don’t overmix.
    Wet ingredients added to measuring bowl and mixed.
    • Divide the batter evenly between two 8-inch round cake pans (sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with circles of parchment paper on the bottom).
    • Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
    Key lime cake in cake pans before and after baking.
    • Let the cakes cool for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
    Key lime cakes cooling on a wire cooling rack.
    • Add softened vegan butter, powdered sugar and lime juice to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat together until smooth and fluffy.
    Powdered sugar and lime juice added to stand mixer and beaten into frosting.
    • When your cake layers have cooled completely then spread on the frosting.
    Frosted key lime cake on a white cake stand.
    • Slice the cake and serve.
    Sliced key lime cake on a white cake stand.

    Baker’s Tips

    Spoon and level or weigh the flour. If you don’t have a food scale then spoon and level the flour. Spoon it into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife. Don’t scoop the flour and don’t pack it into the cup. If you do have a food scale then the easiest thing is just to weigh it out on your food scale.

    Don’t overmix the batter. Mix it until just mixed. If you over-mix it, it can affect the rise and texture.

    Make cupcakes. This recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes. Bake time will be around 20 minutes. Alternatively take a look at our vegan key lime cupcakes for a perfect 12 cupcakes.

    Baking pan sizes. You can also bake this cake in two 9-inch cake pans. The layers will just be a little thinner. Baking time can reduce by 5 minutes (to 25 minutes).

    Make it gluten free. If you’d like to make this cake gluten free then try a gluten free all purpose baking blend in the same quantity as the regular flour. We have not tested it with this recipe but that is usually what works.

    Slice of vegan key lime cake on a cake lifter.

    Storing and Freezing

    Keep it stored at room temperature for 2-3 days (covered) or in the fridge (covered) for up to a week. Let it come to room temperature before serving.

    It’s also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge and then come to room temperature on the counter before serving.

    Slice of vegan key lime cake on a white plate with a cake fork.

    More Delicious Vegan Cakes

    1. Vegan Lemon Cake
    2. Vegan Strawberry Cake
    3. Vegan Red Velvet Cake
    4. Vegan Chocolate Cake
    5. Vegan Biscoff Cake
    6. Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
    Slice of vegan key lime cake on a white plate.

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Sliced vegan key lime cake on a white cake stand.

    Vegan Key Lime Cake

    This vegan key lime cake is light, fluffy and moist with so much delicious lime flavor. Ideal for a birthday or any special occasion.
    4.86 from 21 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cakes, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 507kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    Key Lime Cake:

    • 2 ⅔ cups All Purpose Flour (330g)
    • 1 ½ cups White Granulated Sugar (300g)
    • 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
    • ¾ teaspoon Salt
    • 1 ½ cups Soy Milk (360ml) or other non-dairy milk
    • ½ cup Canola Oil (120ml) or Vegetable Oil
    • 1 Tablespoon Distilled White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice Freshly Squeezed
    • 2 Tablespoons Lime Zest

    Key Lime Frosting:

    • ½ cup Vegan Butter (112g)
    • 4 cups Powdered Sugar (480g)
    • 3 ½ Tablespoons Lime Juice Freshly Squeezed
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray.
    • Sift all purpose flour into a mixing bowl and add white granulated sugar, baking soda and salt and whisk together.
    • Add soy milk canola oil, vinegar, lime juice and lime zest and mix into a batter. Don't overmix.
    • Divide the batter evenly between two 8-inch round cake pans (sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with circles of parchment paper on the bottom).
    • Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
    • Let the cakes cool for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
    • Add softened vegan butter, powdered sugar and lime juice to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat together until smooth and fluffy.
    • When your cake layers have cooled completely then spread on the frosting.
    • Slice and serve.

    Notes

    1. Spoon and level or weigh the flour. If you don’t have a food scale then spoon and level the flour. Spoon it into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife. Don’t scoop the flour and don’t pack it into the cup. If you do have a food scale then the easiest thing is just to weigh it out on your food scale.
    2. Lime juice and lime zest – both regular limes and key limes will work great here, so just use whatever is easiest.
    3. Vegan butter – if your vegan butter comes in a tub then there is no need to soften it first. If it’s a very firm stick-style vegan butter then let it soften out the fridge first OR simply beat it in your stand mixer for a couple of minutes to soften before adding the other ingredients for the frosting.
    4. Make cupcakes. This recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes. Bake time will be around 20 minutes. Alternatively take a look at our vegan key lime cupcakes for a perfect 12 cupcakes.
    5. Baking pan sizes. You can also bake this cake in two 9-inch round cake pans. The layers will just be a little thinner. Baking time can reduce by 5 minutes (to 25 minutes).
    6. Make it gluten free. If you’d like to make this cake gluten free then try a gluten free all purpose baking blend in the same quantity as the regular flour. We have not tested it with this recipe but that is usually what works.
    7. Storing: Keep it stored at room temperature for 2-3 days (covered) or in the fridge (covered) for up to a week. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
    8. Freezing: It’s also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge and then come to room temperature on the counter before serving.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 507kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 360mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 65g | Vitamin A: 479IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
    Get Your Copy! It's FREE!
    « Chocolate Chia Pudding
    Roasted Eggplant (Aubergine) »
    22.2K shares

    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Christine says

      March 22, 2022 at 5:07 pm

      Hi, I live in the UK .. could I use just lime juice for key lime juice, or does this give a slightly different flavour?
      Can you help with this query
      😊 Christine

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        March 23, 2022 at 9:00 am

        Lime juice is fine.

        Reply
        • Christine says

          March 23, 2022 at 5:30 pm

          Thank you

          Reply
    2. Ram says

      July 17, 2021 at 5:21 pm

      I made this today for my birthday! Not sure if my food colouring is different to what you use, but I added the recommended amount, the batter was super green, but the baked cake wasn’t green at all, just a normal plain sponge colour!

      Every cake I bake ends up sinking a bit in the middle, any idea what I’m doing wrong? This tasted super nice, just the inverse to a normal cake shape lol.

      I really liked the lime flavour, would deffo recommend this cake!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 19, 2021 at 12:03 pm

        So glad the flavor was good! Usually the main reasons for the cake sinking is if the oven door is opened before the cake has properly set up, OR if the batter sits too long before baking. Once it’s mixed it should bake right away. When it comes to the color, some brands of food coloring just work better than others, some work well for frostings but don’t bake well.

        Reply
    3. Deb says

      January 25, 2021 at 7:40 pm

      Hi Alison,
      I made this cake sans frosting and baked it in the Nordic Ware heart pan so it’s not super tall. 35 minutes did it. Cooled and then hit with powdered sugar as per your suggestion. WOW! It was terrific. My husband went crazy on the limey flavor and texture was perfect. This is a keeper recipe. Easy, flavorful…only negative point….it didn’t last more than 3 days with the two of us…ha! Actually, in my college days I could have eaten the whole thing throughout the day. I know you don’t think it’s a good idea, but I may double it and try a different bundt pan. Will keep you posted.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        January 26, 2021 at 10:55 am

        Wonderful to hear it was such a success! Thanks so much for sharing Deb!

        Reply
    4. Deb says

      January 15, 2021 at 10:25 pm

      One more question. Sorry to bother. Can I also bake this cake in a bundt pan and if so, how long should it take at the same oven temp you said to bake it. Thanks again. Love your blog already!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        January 16, 2021 at 4:31 pm

        Hi Deb, I haven’t made this in a bundt pan but I think you could, it would need a longer bake time though, probably in the region of 50 minutes or longer.

        Reply
    5. Deb says

      January 14, 2021 at 6:08 pm

      Hi Alison!
      Is this cake good without the frosting? And what size pan should I use if I want this to be a sheet cake?
      Just snagged a bunch of limes from a neighbor. Want to use them! Your cake looks terrific.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        January 15, 2021 at 8:46 am

        Hi Deb, yes you can leave off the frosting! Maybe just add a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top for looks purposes. For a 9×13 cake, bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. For a 9×9 square cake, bake for 20 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.

        Reply
    6. Eden says

      January 08, 2021 at 6:34 pm

      Can I use this as a cupcakes recipe?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        January 09, 2021 at 1:21 pm

        Hi Eden, check out our key lime cupcakes! 🙂

        Reply
      • Denise says

        October 07, 2021 at 9:57 pm

        Hi there! I was wondering what 7″ pans you were using because when I search there’s 7x 3 or 7 x 4..so I’m not sure which ones to get. Also do you think these will hold up nicely under fondant??

        Reply
        • Alison Andrews says

          October 08, 2021 at 10:09 am

          Even a 7 x 2 would work fine. You can also use three 6-inch cake pans if that will work better for you.

          Reply
    7. sandra says

      January 03, 2021 at 11:20 pm

      Hi Alison, thanks so much for sharing the recipe. I’ve made this couple of time for friends an family. Some time I did not use the food coloring but I did play around with the frosting decor and it turned out to be a white beautiful cake. All my friends and family love this cake very much.

      Questions ; can I use Gluten Free Flour for this cake?5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        January 04, 2021 at 10:13 am

        So glad you like the cake! I think gluten free would work, but it has to be a gluten-free all purpose blend.

        Reply
    8. Emily says

      October 31, 2020 at 1:41 pm

      I followed the recipe but my cake didn’t rise… I haven’t tried it yet but it smells yummy.3 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        November 02, 2020 at 12:31 pm

        Hi Emily, sorry to hear that! Hope it still tasted good. There are a few reasons cakes don’t rise, sometimes the leavening agent (baking powder/baking soda) may be expired, but other reasons can be overmixing the batter or leaving the batter too long before baking. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Comment Policy: Your feedback is really appreciated! Please do us a favor and rate the recipe as well as this really helps us! The most helpful comments are the ones that give useful feedback for others who might make the recipe, tell about substitutions you made or adjustments you made and how it turned out, or assisting other commenters. Rude or insulting comments will not be accepted.

    Leave A Comment & Review Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi I’m Alison Andrews! I love making delicious vegan food and creating delicious vegan versions of all your old favorite dishes, so you can have your vegan cake and eat it too!

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest

    Popular Posts

    • Vegan Tuna
    • The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese (Classic, Baked)
    • Vegan Burrito
    • Super Eggy Vegan Tofu Scramble
    • Sliceable Cashew Cheese
    • Homemade Vegan Butter

    Veganuary

    • Vegan Halloumi
    • Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
    • Vegan Stuffed Peppers
    • Vegan Granola
    • The Best Vegan Waffles
    • Vegan Salmon

    See all Veganuary Recipes →


    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    As Seen In

    Press logos black and white

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Follow Us

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest

    Contact

    • About
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Loving It Vegan

    Get 10 fabulous dinner recipes!
    Absolutely free! Sign up below!
    Get Your Copy! It's FREE!