Bar #86: Cherry Lime

Cherry and lime…the perfect flavor marriage for summer.  Wrap those flavors up in a yummy bar with a buttercream frosting and you have yourself a great bar.  A little tart, a little sweet and a whole lot of delicious.  Enjoy!

Shopping List

1 box white cake mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs
the zest and juice of one large lime (about 2 tablespoons of both zest and juice)

1 1/2 cups cherry preserves
 1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease (I use Pam) a 9×13 baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, combine your cake mix, vegetable oil and 2 eggs with an electric mixer.  Beat in one tablespoon lime zest. Once smooth, pour half of your batter into prepared baking dish and spread out to form an even layer.

Drop tablespoons full of your cherry preserves down over the first layer.  It doesn’t have to spread out over the entire layer because during the baking process, it will melt and cover.

Take the other half of your cake batter and dot it around the top of the cherry layer.  It won’t spread all the way across, just drop big dots of batter all of the top.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until the bars are pretty much set in the center.  Remove bars from oven and cool completely before frosting.

To make your frosting, beat the butter, powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of lime juice together with an electric mixer.  Beat in your remaining tablespoon of zest.  Add more powdered sugar if the frosting is too thin or more juice if it’s too thick.

Frost cooled bars.

 Store in the fridge when not enjoying.

Happy eating friends!

xoxo