So far, everything from Cravings’ brand has been an absolute hit. They make great products, some unique and some traditional, and all of them have a good quality, flavor and correct bake times. I worry this is too good to be true because a lot of box mixes are mediocre at best and I find myself disappointed more often than not but Cravings has not disappointed me yet. While they do have a higher price point, I am willing to pay it every time. Today, we are going to try their key lime coconut cake mix (I did purchase this mix a while ago so please note they have new packaging now and the coconut key lime cake mix box is now bright green). This is definitely a unique flavor combination that I have not seen anywhere else so lets jump in and see if this mix holds up to Cravings standards.
This cake mix comes together just like any other and it’s super simple. Combine the mix with eggs, oil, and water. Then mix in most of the provided coconut flakes, but leave some aside for topping the cake. The batter was strongly lime flavored, it was sweet and tart. It didn’t have much coconut flavor, just the coconut flakes which for me, I could take it or leave it. At this stage, I’m not sure they added anything but we’ll see how the flavor changes once baked.
Traditionally, you would bake cake batter in two pans, creating two layers of cake. This box mix suggests a few different sizes of baking pans, however the instructions call for only one pan. I used one single 8 inch round pan and poured the batter in, then put it in the oven to bake. The box calls for 43 to 47 minutes of baking and at 45 minutes I found it was perfectly baked. Cravings has once again given us an accurate bake time! This shouldn’t be such a big deal but most box mix brands are repeatedly providing bad bake times that are too long and it has become way too common.
While the cake cooled, I made the icing. They provide a powdered mix and you just add milk or water. I went with milk and it came together in a thin icing consistency. It wasn’t a lot of icing so my fingers are crossed hoping it covers the cake completely. As for flavor, it was kind of tart but mostly just sweet and didn’t have a noticeable flavor.
I removed the cooled cake from the pan and placed it on a plate. The box then calls for drizzling the icing over the cake but I wasn’t getting anything pretty from using this method so I quickly switched to spreading it over the top. It did give a nice coverage to the top of the cake but nothing for the sides. Before the frosting set, I added on the coconut flakes that I had set aside. After I did this, I realized that on the box they provided a tip saying to toast the coconut before adding it to the top and I am sad that I missed this tip. I think toasted coconut would be the perfect touch.
Digging in, I felt that this cake was moist and had a really good, strong key lime flavor. I think the coconut got a little lost and only really provided a different texture for me. The icing on top was the perfect addition and complimented the cake flavor really well. I think the toasted coconut flakes would have taken this up a notch but as is, this was a really good cake. Key lime cake mix is not something you can get from any other brand so I am really glad to know that Cravings did a fantastic job with this unique product. If you’re looking for a key lime dessert, I highly recommend you check this out.
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