Description
This delightful Key Lime Bread is soft, tangy, and perfectly moist, bursting with fresh lime flavor and a luscious lime glaze. Made with whole key limes blended into the batter, this quick bread combines the brightness of citrus with a tender crumb, making it a refreshing treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Batter
- 4 whole key limes or 2 large limes, peeled and pith removed
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Lime Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Set the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Prepare the Wet Ingredients: In a blender, combine the peeled and pith-removed limes, lime zest, eggs, olive oil, granulated sugar, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and sea salt to the blender. Pulse just until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, about 10 pulses. Be careful not to overmix, or the bread will be dry!
- Bake the Bread: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
- Cool the Bread: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the Lime Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and fresh lime juice until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more sugar or lime juice as needed. If too runny, add powdered sugar teaspoons at a time; if too thick, add lime juice teaspoons at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- Glaze the Bread: Once the bread has cooled, drizzle the lime glaze over the top. Let the glaze set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Make sure to remove the white pith from the limes as it can add bitterness to the bread.
- Do not overblend once the dry ingredients are added; over mixing results in a tougher bread.
- Use room temperature eggs for better emulsification and a smoother batter.
- The bread keeps well stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature.
- For a stronger lime flavor, use fresh key limes when available.
- If you don’t have key limes, regular Persian limes work as a substitute, but the flavor will be slightly different.
