Cherry Limeade Cake Recipe: A Sweet and Tangy Bundt Dessert

Cherry Limeade Cake

This cherry cake recipe is a sweet dessert whose lime tang recalls a favorite childhood drink. If you grew up ordering an icy Cherry Limeade on a hot afternoon, one bite of this Bundt cake brings that memory straight back to the table.

The batter starts with a box of white cake mix, then picks up its bright personality from Sonic Cherry Limeade Gelatin. A glossy cherry lime glaze finishes the top with just enough tang to balance all that sweetness. It is sweet, it is tangy, and it is the kind of dessert that disappears before you finish clearing the plates.

SAVE THIS RECIPE!

Pin this one, print it, or text it to your sister, because you are going to want it again. Three things make this cherry cake recipe worth keeping close at hand.

• It starts with a box mix. A box of white cake mix does the heavy lifting, so you get a tender Bundt cake without measuring flour or worrying about leavening. It is faster, easier, and far more forgiving on a busy day.
• The ingredients are simple. Nothing fancy, nothing hard to find. Eggs, water, oil, a box of cake mix, and the gelatin that gives this cake its color and its flavor.
• It is family friendly. The sweetness of the cherry and the zip of the lime make it a hit with kids and grown ups at the same table. Nobody has to be talked into a second slice.

The lime is what sets this cake apart from every other cherry cake you have made. It is the same sweet and tangy combination you get in a Sonic Cherry Limeade, only in cake form.

If you have ever wanted a dessert that tastes like a summer drink, this is the one. It is also very easy to make, so even a beginner baker can pull it off on the first try.

It is a good one to keep in your back pocket for birthday dinners, church potlucks, and those evenings when the family asks what is for dessert and you want an answer that makes everyone smile.

What You Need to Make this Cherry Cake Recipe

Before you start mixing, set everything out on the counter. Having it all within reach keeps the process quick and the kitchen calm.

Ingredients

For the cake you will need a box of white cake mix, eggs, water, vegetable oil, and a 3.94 ounce box of Sonic Cherry Limeade Gelatin. For the glaze, have butter, powdered sugar, maraschino cherry juice, and lime juice ready to go. Maraschino cherries and fresh limes are optional garnishes for the top.

The gelatin is the ingredient that gives this cake its color and its cherry lime flavor, so do not leave it off your shopping list. Everything else is likely already in your pantry or refrigerator.

Equipment

A Bundt pan is the star of this recipe, along with a couple of mixing bowls and a mixer. That is the entire list, which is another reason this cake is so approachable for new bakers.

How to Make Cake, Step by Step

This is a stir, pour, and bake kind of cake. Here is the whole process from an empty bowl to a glazed Bundt cake.

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a Bundt cake pan with nonstick cooking spray, working the spray into every groove so the cake releases cleanly later.
2. Beat the base. Beat together the cake mix, eggs, water, and vegetable oil until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once so no dry pockets are hiding at the bottom.
3. Add the flavor. Add the gelatin and mix until combined. The batter turns a pretty shade of pink and smells like a cherry limeade.
4. Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Cool and turn out. Let the cake cool in the pan until it is safe to touch, then flip it over onto a serving plate and let it cool completely.
6. Glaze and serve. Stir the butter, powdered sugar, cherry juice, and lime juice together until smooth and well combined. Add a little more lime juice if you want a thinner glaze. Spread it over the top of the cooled cake and let it set before serving. Garnish with cherries and lime slices if you like.

One small note from my kitchen: the glaze sets quickly, so spread it while it is still glossy and let gravity carry it down the sides of the cake.

Common Questions About Cherry Cake

Expert Tips for Making Cherry Limeade Cake

A few small choices turn a good cake into a great one.

• Add crunch. Fold in walnuts or almonds for a little texture against the soft crumb.
• Serve it a la mode. A scoop of cherry ice cream next to a slice is a very good idea.
• Make them mini. The same batter works in a personal Bundt pan for individual cakes.
• Do not overmix. Stop as soon as the batter comes together for the most tender result.
• Watch the oven. Oven temperatures vary, so check at 30 minutes and trust the toothpick test.
• Boost the lime. A little lime zest in the batter deepens the lime flavor without changing anything else.

Any one of these is enough to make the cake feel a little more special, and they all take just seconds to do. I usually add the zest and skip the nuts, then serve the slices with ice cream while the glaze is still a little soft.

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Ingredients

Here are the exact amounts, with the cake and the glaze kept separate so nothing gets mixed up.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a Bundt cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Beat the cake mix, eggs, water, and vegetable oil together until well combined.
3. Add the gelatin and mix until combined.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Let the cake cool until the pan is safe to touch, then flip it onto a serving plate and cool completely.
6. When the cake is cool, mix the butter, powdered sugar, cherry juice, and lime juice until smooth and well combined. Add more lime juice if needed to thin the glaze. Spread the glaze over the top of the cake and let it set before serving. Garnish with cherries and lime slices if desired.

The step by step section above walks through each stage in more detail, including how to get the cake out of the pan in one piece.

Recipe details

This cake comes together quickly, which is part of why I make it so often on weeknights.

Twelve servings makes this a good fit for a family dinner, a potluck, or a bake sale table. Leftovers keep well in an airtight container, and a slice warmed for a few seconds tastes almost like it just came out of the oven.

Nutritional information is an estimate per serving: 419 calories, 65 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of protein, 17 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of fiber, 46 grams of sugar, 382 milligrams of sodium, and 60 milligrams of cholesterol.

Cherry Limeade Cake

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Cherry Limeade Cake This cherry cake recipe is a sweet dessert whose lime tang recalls a favorite childhood drink. If you grew up ordering an icy Cherry Limeade on a hot afternoon, one bite of this Bundt cake brings that memory straight back to the table.

• Total Time: 45 min

Ingredients

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Cake
1 box white cake mix
4 eggs
1 ⅓ cups water
⅔ cup vegetable oil
3.94 ounce Sonic Cherry Limeade Gelatin

Glaze
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
⅓ cup maraschino cherry juice
1 tablespoon lime juice

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Instructions

1-Preheat oven to 350 degrees: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a Bundt cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2-Beat together the cake mix, eggs, water,: Beat together the cake mix, eggs, water, and vegetable oil until well combined.
3-Add the gelatin and mix until combined: Add the gelatin and mix until combined.
4-Pour the batter into the prepared cake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5-Allow the cake to cool until the: Allow the cake to cool until the pan is safe to touch, then flip the cake over onto a serving plate and allow to cool completely.
6-When the cake is cool, prepare the: When the cake is cool, prepare the glaze by mixing together the butter, powdered sugar, cherry juice, and lime juice until smooth and well combined. Add more lime juice, if needed, to thin the glaze. Spread the prepared glaze over the top of the cake and allow to set before serving. Garnish the cake with cherries and lime slices, if desired.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 35 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 419kcal
• Sugar: 46g
• Sodium: 382mg
• Fat: 17g
• Saturated Fat: 12g
• Carbohydrates: 65g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 4g
• Cholesterol: 60mg