Dayap Cake

By: Aileen Anastacio


There’s something about the dayap lime—maybe its acidic flavor and the aroma of its zest—that
makes for a really amazing cake.


Serves 8 to 10  Prep Time 25 minutes  Baking Time 40 to 45 minutes


1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1/3 cup dayap juice
1 1/2 tablespoons dayap rind
3 cups all-purpose white flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
For the buttercream icing
200 grams unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup dayap juice
2 teaspoons dayap rind
7 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
food coloring and flavoring of your choice (optional)


1  Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease, flour, and line a 9x9-inch pan with greaseproof paper.

2  Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add dayap juice and rind.

3  In another bowl, combine flour with the baking powder. Mix well.

4  Gradually add flour mixture to the butter mixture on low speed, and mix until well-combined.

5 Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely before unmolding.

6  Make the buttercream icing: Cream the butter for about 2 minutes, on high in the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment.

7  Add milk, dayap juice and rind, and half of the sifted sugar. Beat on low and gradually increase speed to medium-high. Beat until mixture is light and fluffy.

8 Add the remaining sugar and beat for another 3 to 5 minutes. The mixture should come out light and fluffy, and be spreadable in consistency. (Add extra milk if mixture is too dry and extra confectioners’ sugar if it’s too wet.)

9  If you wish to color your icing and/or flavor it, add the color and/or flavoring a drop at a time.

10  Ice the cake. Decorate before serving.
Zest-grating When grating the lime to get the rind, make sure to grate only the colored portion. Avoid the bitter white portion underneath. For grating fruit rind, you can use a fine cheese grater, a citrus zester, or a microplane.