Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Use this Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe to make frosting for white cake, coconut cake, key lime cake or cupcakes! It’s perfect for a tangy and sweet spring or summer treat. Made with fresh lime juice and lime zest, this frosting is refreshing and delicious and so perfect you’ll want to eat it with a spoon!

Originally posted January 2022, updated June 2024.

Tart flavors are always a favorite of mine so Key Lime Pie is one of my most favorite desserts! And cream cheese frosting… well, it goes on anything!

So by combining those flavors into one frosting recipe – I hit it out of the ballpark. I really didn’t even need a cupcake to eat it on… I could eat the frosting with a spoon!

I’ve used this Key lime frosting on cupcakes, between cake layers, and on bundt cakes. I love that it’s even stiff enough to use it onr cakes where you want to pipe a pretty border! As a huge key lime fan, I recently used it on these green-tinted cupcakes for a St Patrick’s Day celebration and added some key lime slices to the top for a fun twist! They were pretty and delicious and a huge hit!

This frosting is the perfect balance of creamy sweetness and tart flavors! You can use this on cupcakes for a class party or a special occasions where you need something fancy. It’s one of my favorite things!

Cake Recipes to Bake for Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting:

• White Almond Sour Cream Cake (aka Wedding Cake)
• The Best One-Bowl Coconut Bundt Cake Recipe
• Cherry Limeade Cupcakes
• Delicious Gluten-Free Honey Coconut Cake Recipe

Equipment You’ll Need:

• Mixing Bowl
• Electric Mixer: a hand mixer will work or my favorite Bosch Stand Mixer. You could also use a Kitchenaid Mixer with paddle attachment.
• Zester
• Silicone Spatula
• Piping Bag and Piping Tip OR Small Offset Spatula (if spreading or decorating with this frosting)

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces (or 1 stick) Salted Butter (unsalted butter will work but you may want to add a pinch of salt)
• 8 ounces Cream Cheese
• 5-6 cups Confectioners’ Sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh Key Lime Juice (or bottled if you must) – the amount of lime juice may vary slightly to your taste, so having a little extra is never a bad idea.
• 1 teaspoon Key Lime Zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, but vanilla enhances the flavor of so many things!)
• Milk, as needed
• One small lime, to slice thin and twist for cupcake toppings or cake decorations if you like (optional)

Are key limes different from other limes?

Yes. The most obvious difference is that fresh key limes are small limes, have darker green color, and have thinner rind. But that’s not what’s important when using key limes in recipes. For recipes, key lime juice is more potent and the flavor is more floral. The juice is tart and less acidic than regular lime juice. As a big fan of key lime, that makes them the slightly better choice for Key Lime Buttercream.

Can you use regular limes (aka Persian Limes) or lime juice in this recipe?  Yes. Unless you’re keenly familiar with this citrus fruit, you likely may not notice the difference, but if you can get key limes, do. Or use this amazing key lime juice and skip the zest.

How to Make Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

1. In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the room-temperature butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth.
2. Next beat in lime zest and lime juice.
3. Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing thoroughly on low speed and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each cup.
4. Beat until smooth.
5. If the frosting is too stiff, add milk one teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. If it’s too thin or you have runny frosting, add powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time until thickened.
6. Spread a thick layer of frosting on any cake or pipe it onto cupcakes. You will enjoy this frosting SO much!

Cream Cheese Frosting FAQ

Can you change the color of key lime cream cheese frosting? Yes! The lime juice only adds the tiniest hint of color so you can add gel coloring to make it any color you want. Or you can add a little green gel color if you want a distinct green to the frosting to “match” the key lime flavor.

How can you stiffen the cream cheese frosting?  Add more powdered sugar. To be really careful, you can add the powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time. But I often add more (up to half a cup) at a time to stiffen my frosting.

Is cream cheese frosting or regular buttercream sweeter? The tanginess of the cream cheese and lime definitely gives this frosting a less sweet taste than regular vanilla buttercream.

Storage Instructions

Keep Key Lime Frosting in an airtight container or covered tightly with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. 

More Citrus Recipes

• Instant Pot Key Lime Cheesecake with Graham Cracker Crumbs Crust
• Cherry Limeade Cupcakes
• Icebox Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd
• Key Lime Bars
• Key Lime Pie
• Easy Lime Popsicles
• Lime Green Jello Shots {Football Themed!}
• Easy No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
• Easy No Bake Key Lime Pie

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