Key Lime Bundt Cake with Graham Streusel

This key lime bundt cake is a sumptuous dessert game changer. Seriously. You must bake it and give it a taste. If you share it, be prepared for rave reviews.

It has all the flavours we love of key lime pie in a bundt cake. The interesting elements are the varied textures of crunchy graham streusel with a touch of cinnamon, soft buttery cake, the two tangy lime flavour of the syrup and the icing on the cake. Pun intended.

Gave it to my son's family and they just went nuts. I of course put some in the freezer for when the craving strikes. If you like key lime pie, you'll love this indulgence too.

Key Lime Bundt Cake 

Serves 16 to 20

Graham Streusel

1 sleeve graham crackers from a 14.4-ounce box

2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 stick or 4 oz unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine (you should have 1 heaping cup)

3. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in flour, salt, and cinnamon.

4. Add brown sugar; whisk to combine.

5. Using your fingers, work in butter until mixture is evenly moistened (you should have 3 1/4 cups). Grease a 10-to-15-cup Bundt pan with a neutral oil like avocado; dust with flour, tapping out excess.

6. Sprinkle 1 cup streusel evenly into bottom of pan.

Cake

1 stick plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup fresh lime juice, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons grated zest from about 4 limes

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup milk, any kind

1. Beat butter with granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and lime zest on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Beat in eggs, one at a time, to combine.

3. Beat in flour in three additions, alternating with milk and then lime juice, beginning and ending with flour.

4. Dollop half of batter over streusel in prepared pan.

5. Sprinkle with 1 cup streusel; top with remaining batter.

6. Spread with a spatula to cover streusel.

7. Gather remaining streusel in your hands and press into large clumps before sprinkling over top to cover.

8. Bake until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

9. Remove cake from oven (leaving oven on) and let cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes.

10. Turn out of pan onto a small baking sheet or pan large enough to hold cake; let cool 10 minutes.

Simple Syrup

¼ to ½ cup fresh lime juice, around 4 to 5 limes (you can a tad bit of water if not enough juice)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1. Combine lime juice and granulated sugar in a small saucepan.

2. Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved, then continue cooking until thickened slightly, 1 minute.

3. Brush cake all over with syrup, continuing to brush until all of syrup is used and absorbed.

4. Return cake to oven and bake just until syrup is set, 5 minutes.

Glaze

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime or Key-lime juice

1. Whisk together confectioners' sugar and lime juice.

2. Immediately after removing cake from oven, use a large spatula to transfer it to rack.

3. Let stand 5 minutes, then brush all over with glaze, dabbing top so as not to displace streusel.

4. Let cool completely before serving.

This cake freezes very well.