Key Lime Pound Cake

In search of inspiration for a seasonal dessert to pair with late spring, I came across this key lime pound cake recipe.  Using both the zest and fresh squeezed juice from key limes, this cake combines the sinful delights of an American Southern dessert with a distinct and refreshing key lime flavor.

Key limes, as I learned, are a tiny hybrid from the Florida keys, containing higher acid content and tasting more bitter than regular limes.  After working with key limes, I like to think of them as the regular lime's evil younger cousin, containing the same amount of flavor in one quarter the size.  Because these limes are so small, it was much more difficult to juice them.  And the key lime scent is so concentrated, zesting them was a religious cleansing experience for my sinuses.

The end result was tasty for a first attempt at pound cake, although I thought the cake became too dry after cooling down.  In addition, the zest and lime juice that went into the cake made no impact at all, and only the lime glaze that I painted on the cake afterward brought any key lime kick to it.

I am not sure when I will make this cake again (seriously, equal portions butter, sugar, egg, and flour scare me), but I will definitely need to think of ways to improve the moisture and the key lime flavor impact.  Also, a more decorative key lime glaze, like the stuff you drizzle over cinnamon rolls, might be worth a try.