Carlota de Limón
Updated
Updated
This Carlota de Limón (aka Lime Icebox Cake) is one of my favorite easy desserts. It’s creamy, tangy, and comes together with just 4 ingredients and about 10 minutes of prep—no baking required! I love making it for Cinco de Mayo, summer gatherings, or really any time I need a quick dessert that still feels elegant and impressive.
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Easy Mexican Lime Icebox Cake
No bake desserts, especially icebox cakes, are some of my favorite spring and summer treats. Depending on my mood and the occasion, I’ll make my beloved chocolate icebox cake, while other times I want something lighter and more citrusy like this carlota de limón—lime icebox cake.
Carlota de limón is the Spanish name for lime icebox cake. It’s an easy Mexican dessert made with layers of galletas Maria, a popular Mexican digestive cookie, and a cream made from evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. The limón (lime) comes from the freshly squeezed lime juice in the filling.
I love how easy this Mexican lime icebox cake is to make. Just like other icebox cakes, it layers cookies with a creamy filling—in this case, one infused with bright, tangy lime flavor—and is chilled until the cookies soften into a lovely cake-like texture.
Since it’s a no-fuss, no-bake dessert, I always turn to this recipe during the warmer months or for festive occasions like Cinco de Mayo. It’s refreshing, simple, and always a crowd-pleaser.
Helpful Tips
- Break the cookies if needed. If the cookies don’t fit perfectly, break them in half to make them fit. The important thing is to have a nice, even layer.
- Don’t over blend the ingredients. Blend the filling ingredients until well-combined but don’t overdo it as that can cause a bunch of air bubbles to form.
- Chill overnight if possible. Cover the baking dish and refrigerate for at least 5 hours before serving. I usually set mine in the fridge overnight, which ensures the dessert has solidified enough and the cookies have ample time to soak up the cream mixture.
- Aim for 3 or 4 layers of cookies. I recommend not building more than 4 layers of cookies so that they don’t overpower the taste of the lime-cream. They will soak up the liquid so you also don’t want too many of them because it’ll just end up being like a big soggy cookie.
Carlota de Limón {Lime Icebox Cake}
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice, (from 4 or 5 limes*)
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 2 sleeves Mexican Maria cookies, (galletas Maria, 6 ounces each), or use another digestive cookie, graham crackers or Nilla wafers also work.
Instructions
- Squeeze the juice from 4 or 5 limes until you reach 1/2 cup.
- Add the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk (make sure to get all of it out of the can), and lime juice to a blender. Blend together for a minute until well-combined and a pudding-like consistency is reached.
- In an 8x8x2-inch square baking dish**, add a layer of the cream mixture just so it coats the bottom. Then arrange a single layer of Marias cookies on top, breaking up some cookies to fill in any gaps.
- Add about ½ cup of the cream mixture to the top of the cookie layer; spread it evenly and smooth using a spatula. Then top it with a layer of cookies.
- Continue layering until there are no more ingredients left, ending with a smooth layer of the creamy lime mixture on top. (You should end up with 3 layers of cookies.) Give the dish a gentle tap on the counter to help remove any air bubbles and make sure the cream mixture surrounds all the cookies.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours (or overnight) until firm and set.
- Optional topping: Beat together 1½ cups heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe over the top of the cake. Garnish with cookie crumbs, lime zest, and twisted lime slices.
- Slice and serve!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Carlota de Limón Step by Step
Make the filling. Add 12 ounces of evaporated milk, 14 ounces of sweetened condensed milk, and ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice to a blender. Blend until well combined and pudding-like in consistency.
Assemble the icebox cake. Add a thin layer of the creamy filling mixture to the bottom of a square pan. Add a single layer of cookies on top, then spread some of the filling mixture on top. Top with cookies and repeat until all ingredients are used.
Refrigerate. Gently tap pan on the counter to remove the air bubbles and allow the cream to surround the cookies. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
Make the topping. If desired, beat together the whipped topping ingredients until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe over the top of the cake.
Garnish, serve, and enjoy: Garnish with cookie crumbs, lime zest, and twisted lime slices.
How to Store Leftovers
Keep your carlota de limón stored and covered in the fridge until serving. You want the filling to stay solidified. It should be served chilled. It will keep up to a week, but ideally consume within 2 days—the cookies become soggy the longer the dessert sits. It still tastes delicious, but the texture isn’t as nice. I do not recommend freezing this icebox cake. This cake can be made up to one day ahead of time, after that the cookies will get soggy.
Serving Suggestions
Slice into squares and serve as dessert to any of your favorite Mexican dishes, like salsa verde chicken or sofrito chicken. Enjoy a slice with some cool and refreshing Mexican Horchata!
This has been a hit with our family and friends. So light and delicious. Although it is similar, it is as different to Key lime pie. So very light. Make it once and you’ll make it over and over.
This so easy and always a big hit when I’ve made it. I zest the limes and add that to the blended ingredients! Definitely in my rotation for summer desserts.