Raspberry-Lime Rickey Cake
Ever heard of a lime rickey? NO?! Then you've missed one of summer's most refreshing drinks. At its simplest, it's a mixture of carbonated water (seltzer), lime juice, and simple syrup (sugar). In elevated form, it includes alcohol; the mojito is its kissing cousin. And if you're talking strictly ice cream fountain fare, the lime rickey is often enhanced with other flavored syrups — most often raspberry, if you live in New England. This lime cake, with its raspberry topping, is a tribute to the drink made famous by New England's Friendly's and Brigham's ice cream chains.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 35 min
- Yield
- 9 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 16 tablespoons (227g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, at least 65°F
- 2 cups (397g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons table salt
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 cups (360g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup (227g) milk, at room temperature
- zest of 2 limes, 1 to 2 tablespoons, lightly packed, or 1/2 teaspoon lime oil
- 1/3 cup (74g) lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 2/3 cup (131g) sugar, superfine preferred; Baker's Special Sugar is a good choice here
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups (340g) raspberries, frozen are fine
- 1 tablespoon (11g) King Arthur Pie Filling Enhancer, optional for thickening
- 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon lime oil
- 1/2 cup (99g) coarse sparkling sugar
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.
- 2
Beat together the butter, sugar, and salt till smooth.
- 3
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- 4
Add the baking powder, then add the flour alternately with the milk, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until smooth. Stir in the zest or lime oil.
- 5
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- 6
Bake the cake for 25 to 33 minutes, or until the top is starting to brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- 7
While the cake is baking, make the glaze by stirring together the lime juice and sugar. Set it aside.
- 8
Remove the cake from the oven, and set it on a rack. Use a skewer or toothpick to poke the top all over. Don't poke all the way to the bottom of the pan; just about halfway down.
- 9
Stir the glaze to combine, and immediately brush it onto the hot cake; be generous. Let it sink in for about 5 minutes, then brush on more glaze, continuing until all the glaze is used up.
- 10
If you're using the sugar topping, shake the coarse sugar in a jar with the lime oil, till well combined. Sprinkle the sugar atop the glazed cake, gently pressing it in with your fingers.
- 11
Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing.
- 12
To make the raspberry topping, stir together completely thawed raspberries with pie filling enhancer (if you're using it), and sugar to taste.
- 13
Serve squares of cake with a dollop of raspberry sauce on the side.