I love the fresh taste of lemon and lime! It’s just something about the sweet and tangy explosion of flavor. This vegan lime cake recipe keeps me coming back for more.

We love this cake because it’s…
- Incredibly hearty
- Perfectly sweet
- Moist
- Packed with flavor
- Vegan
- Oil-free
- Delicious!
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Who says key lime has to be a pie? We all know key lime pie. I love pie too, but sometimes you just want a cake.
This lime cake is moist and super flavorful with the perfect tartness of lime paired with the sweetness of a cake.
Both regular limes and key limes work just as well for this cake. What’s the difference anyway?
How to make a lime cake
A full list of ingredients, measurements, instructions, and a print button can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients–flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sweetener. Whisk together well.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix all of the wet ingredients for the cake batter–apple sauce, vanilla, vinegar, apple cider, lime zest, lime juice, and plant milk. Combine thoroughly.

Pour the well-blended wet mixture into the large bowl with dry ingredients and whisk together.
Line a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with parchment paper or use a silicone baking dish.

Pour cake batter into baking dish. Place in preheated oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Since ovens vary, check near the end of baking time. Insert a toothpick into the middle. When it comes out clean, the cake is done. While this is baking, go ahead and make the glaze.

Allow cake to cool, then spoon glaze over the top and serve.

from Tasting Table
How to make 3-ingredient vegan lime cake sauce
While the cake is cooking for 30 minutes, the glaze can be whipped up in about 5-minutes flat!
Believe it or not, the glaze for this lime cake requires only three ingredients–lime juice and zest, tofu, and maple syrup. That’s it!

- tofu
- maple syrup
- lime juice with zest
Simply blend these up in a blender while the cake is baking, and set the glaze to the side or refrigerate it until the cake finished and cooled down.
Differences between key limes and regular limes
Key limes, also known as Mexican or West Indian limes, are more aromatic, with tarter and more floral juice.
They are slightly yellow in color and contain more seeds.
Though less common in the U.S., they’re more prevalent throughout the rest of the world.
Key limes are smaller, have more seeds, and possess a stronger aroma than other types of limes. They have a thinner rind and are more acidic, but have a sweeter taste than any other lime type.
The zest is a key ingredient in this cake, so make sure to include it as well as the juice.
For zesting, key limes definitely are a challenge due to their smallness in size and a thinner rind, so it might be easier to choose another type of lime for this recipe.
Since the recipe calls for both the juice and zest of the lime, this can be accomplished with a citrus zester. I have linked my favorite kitchen tool for this below. It is a breeze to use. Much easier than the grater-type, in my opinion.

Other great healthy desserts

Vegan Lime Cake Recipe
Who says key lime has to be a pie? We all know key lime pie. I love pie too, but sometimes you just want a cake. This Glazed Key Lime Cake recipe is moist and super flavorful with the perfect tartness of the lime paired with the sweetness of cake.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat or spelt flour
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup sucanat or other dry sweetener
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup apple sauce
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 2/3 to 1 cup vanilla almond milk or other plant milk
- 1 Tbp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp lime zest
Key Lime Glaze
- 1 12 oz block firm silken tofu
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp lime juice, plus zest of 1 small lime
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients--flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sweetener. Whisk together well.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix all of the wet ingredients for the cake batter--apple sauce, vanilla, vinegar, apple cider, lime zest, lime juice, and plant milk. Combine thoroughly.
- Pour a well-blended wet mixture into the large bowl with dry ingredients and whisk together.
- Line a 9" x 13" baking dish with parchment paper or use a silicone baking dish.
- Pour cake batter into baking dish. Place in preheated oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Since ovens vary, check near the end of baking time. Insert a toothpick into the middle. When it comes out clean, the cake is done. While this is baking, go ahead and make the glaze.
- Allow cake to cool, then spoon glaze over the top and serve.
Key Lime Glaze
- Remove the zest of lime with a citrus zester. I have linked my favorite tool for this above.
- Open tofu package and drain any water. If using shelf-stable
tofu, there won't be much water. For the refrigerated tofu, you'll need to
drain and then press all water out. - Place drained and pressed tofu, maple syrup, lime juice, and zest in a blender or food processor and blend well. Set to the side until cake cools.
Notes
Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10Amount Per Serving: Calories: 293Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 208mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 6g
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
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Kate
Saturday 29th of February 2020
I would love to make this cake today but am unsure about the 8 inch baking dish. Do you mean an 8x8 square dish? The pictures look like the baking dish is rectangular. Thanks! Looks so yummy.
Terri Edwards
Saturday 29th of February 2020
Hi Kate- Thanks so much for bringing that typo to my attention. You're right, I did use a 9" x 13" for this cake. The recipe has been edited now to fix that. I REALLY appreciate the heads-up and hope you enjoy the cake!
Deborah A Likens
Thursday 4th of July 2019
This is marvelous! The cake is very dense but oh so yummy! It topped off our 4th! Thanks Terri!
EatPlant-Based.com
Friday 5th of July 2019
Wonderful! Thanks so much for letting me know!
Trish
Friday 30th of March 2018
could you use date paste instead of the dry sugar and add that to the wet ingred?? also, I was trying to make a key lime pudding using the silken tofu and it came out more like a topping. then the next day, I put it back in the blender and added a banana to it....OMG! it was so yummy! I ended up using it as a topping for mashed sweet potatoes! very similar to your glaze recipe with the addition of that banana.
EatPlant-Based.com
Friday 30th of March 2018
Hi Trish! Yes, I think date paste would work just fine in this cake recipe. I LOVE the banana addition to the glaze! Sounds like a delicious idea to me!
Lauren Vaught
Wednesday 28th of March 2018
OMG! This looks so good, and I have to try it. Thanks for all the enlightening and important information, and all the delicious, healthy recipes.
EatPlant-Based.com
Wednesday 28th of March 2018
Thank you, Lauren! I'm loving your recipes as well!