Cool Lime Cake

This is a recipe I've had my eye on for awhile and it was a refreshing bright pop of flavor that works very well for a spring cake, or could be a perfect addition on St. Patrick's Day with the lovely green color! We enjoyed this the day before Easter with our lunch and it was very bright and fresh, but rich with the heaviness of the cake and the cream cheese frosting. The cakes themselves are somewhat dense due to the oil and eggs, but incredibly moist as well with the wonderful glaze that soaks in while they're still hot. The glaze gives them a pretty big punch of lime flavor as well.

I meant to get a picture of a slice of cake, but unfortunately my hungry hungry teenager decided to eat the last one before I got it photographed. Sigh. Oh well - trust me when I say the cake had a lovely green color from the lime jello mixed in and was incredibly moist from the glaze.

Cool Lime Cake adapted from Trisha Yearwood

Ingredients
Butter, for greasing pans
Flour, for dusting pans
1 3-oz pkg lime flavored gelatin
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3/4 cup orange juice
1 TBS lemon juice (could use lime for more of a tart / lime flavor if desired)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs, slightly beaten

Glaze:
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Icing:
1/2 cup (1 stick butter), room temperature
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, room temperature
1-lb confectioners' sugar
2 drops green food coloring (if desired)
1 TBS lime juice (more / less to taste depending on how tart you want your frosting)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9" round cake pans by greasing well with butter and dusting with flour, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (lime flavored gelatin, sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda) and whisk to combine. Make a well in the center and add in the remaining wet ingredients (vegetable oil, orange juice, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and the slightly beaten eggs). Whisk mixture together just until smooth, don't over mix.
3. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake in the preheated oven for 35 -40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Set cakes, in pans, on a cooling rack and prepare the glaze by whisking the 1/2 cup powdered sugar together with the 1/2 cup lime juice, Gently poke holes in the cakes (leave them in their pans) with a fork. Divide and pour the glaze over the tops and allow cakes to soak in glaze and cool completely.