This coconut lime snack cake is the holy grail of springtime sweet treats! The cake is made with sweet coconut and a bit of lime zest, and swirled on top are a tart lime curd and a silky, tangy cream cheese frosting.
Snack cakes are the perfect treat any time of year, but this coconut lime cake is the holy grail of springtime snacking! Sweet coconut, tangy cream cheese frosting, and tart lime curd blend together to make this delicious, shareable treat. No layers, no fillings, no piping, no frills - just bake, frost, and snack away! This cake is dense and won't crumble when handled, which makes it perfect for snacking – you can literally pick up a square and it won't fall apart due to a loose crumb. It's super easily sliceable to share with friends, but also small enough to keep in the fridge and cut yourself a piece whenever you're craving a bite of something sweet (aka what I've been doing all week long).
If you want to make your own lime curd instead of using store-bought, this recipe has a small batch you can make - just store any extra curd in a sealed container in the fridge for up to two weeks!
Here are some more sweet spring recipes you'll love: Lemon Meringue Cupcakes, Fruit Filled Thumbprint Cookies, and Strawberry Basil Scones.
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Ingredients & Equipment
You’ll need the following ingredients and equipment to make this coconut lime snack cake:
- 8in square pan
- Flour
- Granulated sugar
- Butter
- Coconut milk
- Flaked coconut
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Lime curd
- Lime zest
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Baking powder
Customize This Recipe!
There are a few different ways you can customize this recipe:
- Have fun with decorating. Snack cakes are a great way to bring out your creative side when it comes to decorating - use frosting, flowers, sprinkles, fruits, you name it!
- Switch up the citrus. Lime and coconut are an iconic pairing, but you could easily use lemon or orange instead!
Kitchen Tips:
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe - it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- Sweetened or unsweetened coconut? You can use either one! Unsweetened coconut will have a more subtle flavor while sweetened will be stronger and, of course, sweeter.
- Eat it at room temp. You'll want to store this cake in the fridge because it has cream cheese frosting, but before eating a slice, let it come to room temperature to soften up a bit - it's already a dense, sturdy cake, and it can stiffen up a bit too much if you eat it cold right out of the fridge!
More fruity recipes:
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Coconut Lime Snack Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temp
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups flour
- ½ cup shaved coconut
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- zest of 1 lime
- ⅔ cup coconut milk strained
For the frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temp
- 8 oz cream cheese room temp
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- lime curd to garnish
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and prepare an 8x8in square pan with parchment paper.
- Blend or whisk the coconut milk until smooth, heating if necessary to melt the milk solids down. Strain before adding to batter.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until fully combined.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, shaved coconut, salt, and lime zest.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the coconut milk to the wet ingredients, mixing together after each addition until just combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool fully before frosting.
For the frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together until completely smooth.
- Sift in the powdered sugar and add the vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
- Spread the frosting on top of the cooled cake, then add spoonfuls of lime curd evenly across the frosting and swirl together gently.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of shredded coconut and lime slices if desired before serving.
Notes
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe - it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- Sweetened or unsweetened coconut? You can use either one! Unsweetened coconut will have a more subtle flavor while sweetened will be stronger and, of course, sweeter.
- Eat it at room temp. You'll want to store this cake in the fridge because it has cream cheese frosting, but before eating a slice, let it come to room temperature to soften up a bit - it's already a dense, sturdy cake, and it can stiffen up a bit too much if you eat it cold right out of the fridge!
- Have fun with decorating. Snack cakes are a great way to bring out your creative side when it comes to decorating - use frosting, flowers, sprinkles, fruits, you name it!
- Switch up the citrus. Lime and coconut are an iconic pairing, but you could easily use lemon or orange instead!
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