Chocolate Lime Cake: A Light But Zesty Treat
Who remembers chocolate limes? Sweets of yesteryear, that like Marmite, you either loved or hated. If you like the combination of chocolate and lime, you’re really going to appreciate this chocolate lime cake. It’s similar to a lemon drizzle. The sponge is made with lime zest and cocoa which is then drizzled with lime syrup once baked.
Buttermilk
Once upon a time, I made a great tasting cake, but it had a heavy and pudding-like texture. Yes, it was a chocolate lime cake. I made it with a mixture of white and wholemeal spelt flours along with coconut flour and buttermilk.
I was really excited (sad I know) about using buttermilk in a cake. This was a new concept for me; I did intimate it was a long time ago! I was convinced buttermilk would give a particularly light texture, but I was far off the mark.
Since my first attempt at baking cakes with buttermilk, I’ve used it many times with great success. So, please don’t be put off using it. Buttermilk, like sour milk, yoghurt or kefir reacts with bicarbonate of soda or baking powder to give a better rise. This is particularly important with wholemeal flours as the bran, present in the flour, tends to impede this process.
I mixed the egg yolks into the batter and whisked up the egg whites separately to fold in at the end. This should have resulted in a beautiful light sponge. It didn’t and I was decidedly disappointed. Did I forget the baking powder? It’s been known to happen. Maybe I was heavy handed. Or did I just get the balance of ingredients wrong? I swore I’d tinker with the recipe until I got it right.
Chocolate Lime Cake
Well, not only have I tinkered with that chocolate lime cake, but I’ve made it a whole lot easier to make too. No more whisking of egg whites. I find this step particularly annoying in a cake as it not only takes more time, but creates more washing up.
I’ve reduced the quantity of buttermilk, omitted the coconut flour and used 100% wholemeal spelt flour. These days I tend to use kefir rather than buttermilk, but the two are interchangeable.
Other than the ingredients already mentioned, all you need is butter, sugar, eggs, cocoa powder and a lime.
As you can see from the photo above, I use a microplane* to zest citrus fruit. It’s ever so easy to use and if I run it under the tap directly after using it, it’s a joy to clean too.
CT tells me I worry too much and he thought the original cake was delicious just as it was. I have my pride, however and I’m pleased to report that I’d be happy to serve my revamped cake to anyone. Thank goodness, it only took me nine years.
The lime comes out good and strong with a delicious zing that makes an excellent contrast to the sweetness of the cake. If you’d like to make it look a little prettier, top with a few chocolate shavings. I topped the original chocolate lime cake with white chocolate. This time I used organic sea salted chocolate flakes, which highlighted the cocoa and zingy lime particularly well.
I’ve given quantities here for a small cake which cuts into four generous slices or six rather more modest ones. To make a 20 cm (8″) round cake, just double the quantities and bake for ten to fifteen minutes longer.
Optimum HealthyFry
I baked the chocolate and lime cake you can see in the photos here in my air fryer, the Optimum HealthyFry. However, I’ve given the temperature for a conventional oven in the recipe as well as one for my air fryer.
Yes, you can bake cakes in an air fryer. Who’d have thought it? In fact, the cakes turn out really well – as long as you’re only wanting modest sized ones. As well as ‘frying’ food and making excellent chips, the HealthyFry also acts as a mini oven.
It comes with a 15cm (6″) non-stick tin. I grease the tin with butter or oil, but don’t line it and I’ve had no problem with my cakes getting stuck. If you want to find out more about it, here’s a link to my Optimum HealthyFry review. So far I’ve baked this lavender honey cake in it and a vegan chocolate banana cashew cake.
Other Chocolate and Lime Recipes You Might Like
- Chilli, chocolate & lime bread
- Chocolate key lime pie
- Chocolate lime biscuits
- Double delight bundt cake
- Ginger & lime cake with lime curd & whipped chocolate ganache
- Lime & coconut cake with white chocolate
- Lime & pistachio cake with chocolate shards
- Mascarpone, chocolate & lime curd tarts
- Victoria chocolate sandwich with lime curd
- White chocolate & lime genoise
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this chocolate lime cake, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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Choclette x
Chocolate Lime Cake. PIN IT.
Chocolate Lime Cake – The Recipe
Chocolate Lime Cake
Equipment
- air fryer (affiliate link) optional
Ingredients
- 100 g light muscovado sugar
- 100 g unsalted butter softened
- 1 lime organic or unwaxed
- 2 medium eggs
- 125 g wholemeal spelt flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 50 ml kefir, buttermilk, sour milk or watered down yoghurt
- 25 g golden caster sugar
- 15 g chocolate shavings (optional) I used sea-salted chocolate
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the grated lime zest, followed by the eggs.
- Sift in the dry ingredients, discarding any bran left in the seive. Stir until just incorporated, then stir in the buttermilk or kefir.
- Spoon mixture into a 15 cm (6") round greased and/or lined cake tin. Level the top.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180℃ (350℉, Gas 4) for 35 mins or until the cake is risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Alternatively bake at 160℃ in an Air Fryer for 30 minutes.
Syrup
- Whilst the cake is baking, gently heat the sugar and lime juice in a small pan until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for a couple of minutes.
- As soon as the cake is removed from the oven, make small holes all over with a toothpick and pour the warm syrup over the top.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. If liked, decorate with chocolate shavings when ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
I’m sharing this recipe for chocolate lime cake with Recipes Made Easy for #CookBlogShare. It also goes to Mummy Mishaps for #BakeOfTheWeek and JibberJabberUK for #LoveCake.
This post contains affiliate links to Froothie Optimum products*. Links are marked with an *. Buying through a link will not cost you any more, but I will get a small commission. Thanks to my readers for supporting the brands and organisations that help to keep Tin and Thyme blithe and blogging.
I love the thought of limes mixed with chocolate. I never really had sweets as child (my nan always directed us towards chocolate!) so I’m curious now about the taste of chocolate limes. I must look out for an old-fashioned sweet shop.
Not having sweets as a child was probably a very good thing. I was only allowed them occasionally, but it didn’t cure me of my sweet tooth. Let me know if you ever find any.
I remember chocolate limes well; my Granny used to eat them and I was never sure about them. I’ve since discovered that I’m also partial to them, so this cake sounds the perfect treat, and it looks so light and fluffy too 🙂
Oh! Do they still make them Louise? Perhaps they’re something you grow into 😀
I love chocolate and lime, I’ve never had it in a cake though so I must try this!
What have you had it in Cathy? You have me intrigued now.
I cant say I remember chocolate limes, although im sure i would be more than old enough. This cake looks rather good and Im sure it tastes as good. Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare
Thanks Jacqui. I remember them well, mostly for not liking them very much 😀 I do, however, like the combination for baking.
Hi Choclette, I am not on twitter. I did join it a couple of years ago, but realised I just didin’t have the time and it is even more impossible now I have a baby. Good luck with the chocolate competition. The company choose the winner, but I will cross my fingers for you 🙂
I love the interesting flavour combinations you have in this. I really think you should try some little adjustments to get it exactly as you would like as it sounds great and unique.
Pascale
hi there! landed here via celia, just wanted to say hello, lovely spot you have here! as for this cake, it’s still an interesting flavour combo, and if it’s a bit dense, that never killed anyone. cheers
Oh pooh! That is a shame. I did like the cake thingy, that made me smile 🙂
Lovely – I bet the lime really lifted the chocolate
BTW – my daisies were rice paper. I think I got them from Jane Asher
Thank you everyone for your kind words and reassurance – it’s very comforting and much appreciated.
Kath and MangoCheeks – I found the coconut flour in Greenlife, an extra large health food shop in Totnes, which I should be banned from as I always end up spending rather more than I had bargained for.
Janice – I had completely forgotten about chocolate limes. Have to say I do not remember them with any fondness.
Celia – I don’t think it was the spelt as this is the flour I use most often in baking and don’t normally have any problems.
I make lime syrup yoghurt cakes reasonably often, and they are usually very light! I blame the different flour!
Don’t be downhearted, it looks amazing and I am sure it tasted fabulous – just not what you’d imagined. We are all our own worst critics, but I’m in awe of the amount of inventive baking you do, plus you have an allotment too. Very cool
Oh I forgot to add, I’ve never come across coconut flour either, and love the idea of using it in sweet dishes, so Thank you for pointing that out. Did you get it from a specialist shop? or on-line?
HI Chcolette,
Lime in a chocolate cake is a new one to me, so than you for introducing me to the idea.
I understand where you are coming from in relation to your disappointment about the cake, but you know where you ‘may’ have gone wrong, so that is good starting point. Ultimately, the cake albeit a little heavy, still tasted good, so that is what really matters. I personally would love a slice right now, and its only 8.30 in the morning.
I’ve never heard of coconut flour before, Choclette! Though maybe the heaviness is from the spelt – I know when I bake bread that spelt loaves always have a denser texture and less rise than traditional wheat flour?
ooh chocolate limes, remember them? Gorgeous crunchy lime candy with a soft chocolately centre, your cake combo is bound to be a success!
Oh no, another flour that I now have to search out. I had no idea that coconut flour even existed! Mr OC will start barricading me off from the flour aisle soon to save our savings! Sorry to hear it didn’t meet your expectations, but I love the consistency of bread pudding so I think I would have been with CT too on this one. It looks lovely and I love cakes that have a syrup poured over fresh from the oven.
I too have had many a baking let down by forgetting that one little ingredient. I’m with CT! Your cake looks brill and sounds wonderfully tasty!
This is such a greta flavor combination. Very interesting! I don’t think I’ve ever done lime and chocolate before – I’m going to have to give it a try. Thanks!
beautiful cake and loved the combo too
Wonderful combination Choclette – this looks a lovely cake, just what you needed after all the digging 🙂 Lucie x