Make Shanika Graham-White’s Vegan Key Lime Loaf Cake Recipe Before Summer Ends

What’s the difference between a key lime and a lime? It may not seem like much, but the petite, delicate key lime is smaller and lighter in color than the more common Persian lime, with a sweeter flavor that’s all its own. It’s this distinctive taste that helps to create its namesake dessert, the beloved key lime pie. 

For her vegan key lime loaf cake recipe, recipe developer and blogger Shanika Graham-White of Orchids and Sweet Tea took the quintessential summer dessert and gave it a few tasty, modern updates. This recipe uses no dairy or animal ingredients, making it friendly for those who follow a plant-based diet, and instead of the classic pie format, she turned it into a bright, zesty loaf cake that could even serve as a deliciously decadent breakfast.

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Want more recipes from Shanika?  Try her Sticky Sesame Cauliflower Wings or Gluten-Free Blueberry Toaster Pastries. 

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Shanika Graham-White’s Vegan Key Lime Loaf Cake Recipe 

Yield: 8 servings
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

For the cake: 

2 cups Thrive Market Organic Almond Beverage 
1 tablespoon key lime juice
3 cups Thrive Market Organic All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup organic Thrive Market Organic Cane Sugar
2 teaspoons key lime zest
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup Thrive Market Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (may also use coconut oil, canola oil, or melted vegan butter)

For the lime glaze:

2 cups Thrive Market Organic Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon key lime zest
2 to 3 tablespoons Thrive Market Organic Almond Beverage

Instructions:

To make the cake: 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it using vegan butter or olive oil.

In a bowl, add the milk and lime juice. Stir them together and let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it slightly thickens.

In a separate, larger bowl, add the flour, baking powder, sugar, key lime zest, and sea salt and whisk until combined.

Stir in the milk-lime mixture and olive oil, mixing until combined and the batter becomes thick and smooth. Be cautious not to over-mix. 

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, evenly spreading it out.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife that is inserted in the middle comes out clean. (Note from Shanika: “Midway, I like to poke very small holes all over the cake to allow heat to penetrate and to ensure it cooks through.”)

To make the glaze: 

In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, key lime zest, and milk until smooth and the glaze is thick enough, but slowly slides off whisk when lifted. (Note from Shanika: “If it’s too thick, I add 1 tablespoon of milk; if it’s too thin, I add 1-2 tablespoons  more powdered sugar.”)

Once the cake cools, drizzle the glaze on top  and garnish with additional freshly grated key lime zest, if desired.

Slice and serve.