Fall in Florida is a little different than back in Michigan or elsewhere throughout the country. It’s not cold or cloudy or gloomy.
Instead, we’re going into the dry season with blue skies, bright sunshine, and temperatures that are basically perfect. It’s the good weather version of Groundhog Day, and it’s the biggest reason why I moved, so I am thankful for it and enjoying it as much as possible.
For those of you who don’t think Florida has seasons, I will totally disagree. Summer is HOT and HUMID and sometimes rainy, but fall and winter are the time to hang outside as much as possible and wear all those sweaters and boots and jackets because the evenings are chilly. Particularly at a rooftop to enjoy some Disney fireworks!
Like my wardrobe, my palate is open to both fall flavors (pumpkin, spice, and everything nice) and tropical vacations in food form (citrus, coconut, and mango for the win!). That means all kinds of flavors are in my kitchen at all times, and so all kinds of flavors are here on the blog.
Turns out variety really is the spice of life.
Today, I’m bringing you something tropical. Lime totally makes me happy. Smelling it. Baking and cooking with it. Making cocktails (it’s margarita time somewhere!). It’s a happy food, and so is this paleo lime coffee cake.
The crumble on this cake is everything. But isn’t the crumble always everything in a coffee cake??? I added almonds because I think they go well with lime, but you could use any nut. This cake is interesting because the crumble goes on the bottom of the cake, so there is crumble in literally every single bite, at least partly because you can’t steal it off the top. That’s a big problem in my house.
Not that it necessarily needs a glaze, but I decided to add a simple vanilla lime coconut one to take things over the top and really bring home the lime flavor. Which you cannot miss. This cake is packed with bright, tart lime goodness.
Even though it might be fall, we can all use some bright, happy foods in our lives.
Paleo Lime Coffee Cake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
Description
Almond crumble and tons of fresh lime zest and juice make this cake a hit for breakfast, snack, or dessert!
Ingredients
Crumbs
2 cups paleo flour blend (2 cups almond flour, 1 ¼ cups tapioca starch, ¾ cup coconut flour)
½ cup coconut sugar
1 cup chopped almonds
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup, plus 1 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Cake
¾ cup, plus 2 tablespoons paleo flour blend
¾ teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
½ cup coconut sugar
Juice and zest of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons of juice)
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
Glaze
1/3 cup coconut butter
Juice and zest of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons of juice)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk, plus more if necessary
Instructions
Make the crumbs. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, almonds, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the oil and syrup until clumps form. Crumbs may be made up to 5 days ahead of time. You won’t use the whole recipe in the cake, so make a quick fruit crisp with leftovers.
Make the cake. preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment. Sprinkle 1 ¾ cups of the crumbs on the parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, lime juice and zest, and oil until well combined. Stir in the flour and baking powder, finishing with the milk. If the batter seems too thick, add a couple more tablespoons of milk. Pour over the crumbs and bake about 50 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan.
Once cake is cool, carefully loosen the sides and invert it onto a plate or platter. Peel off the parchment and make the glaze. In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the coconut butter in the microwave in 15 second increments, stirring in between, until melted. Stir in the lime juice and zest and vanilla bean powder. Stir in milk until mixture is smooth and thin enough to be drizzled. Drizzle over cake, slice and serve.
Cake may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil, and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the microwave for about 1 minute.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Cooking Channel
This sounds so delicious! I love limes but never think to bake with them. Florida has such great citrus. Have fun coming up with great ideas like this one using all the great citrus in your state.
★★★★★
Agree that from around now to around early to middle April the weather in Florida is perfect. And it’s the start of citrus season! Although the strawberries you get from Plant City beginning in very late December are the best I’ve ever had. Anyway, terrific recipe — thanks.
I’ve even found white strawberries. Florida is definitely cool!!