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Looking for a quick and easy dessert that’ll knock your socks off? Look no further than the amazing Carlota de Limón, also known as Mexican Lime Icebox Cake! This show-stopping dessert is a breeze to make, so even if you’re not a master chef, you can still impress your friends and family with your amazing culinary skills. Plus, with its tangy lime flavor and creamy texture, this dessert is sure to be a crowd-pleaser that everyone will love.

A Cream-y tart dessert
Mexican Lime Icebox cake is a home-style Mexican dessert perfect for any time of the year. The creamy sweet-tart mixture made with sour cream, condensed milk, and lime juice runs between multiple layers of cookies, creating a delicious and impressive-looking cake.
This flavorful dessert is traditionally served during the Easter and Christmas seasons. In Mexico City, this dessert is often simply called Postre de limón.
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What’s in Carlota de Limón/ Mexican Lime Icebox Cake?
This Creamy, Sweet, Tart cake takes only 5-ingredients

Wet Ingredients:
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Sour cream – Mexican sour cream or regular sour cream
- Key limes & lime zest( key limes are a little sweeter than regular limes) or Regular limes ( for a more tart taste)

Dry ingredients:
- Powdered sugar
- Galletas Marias or Marie (Gamesa or Goya brands)
A Marie/Marias Cookie or Biscuits is a type of sweet cookie that is quite similar to the English Rich tea. The Marias cookies are simple, and delicious and are not overwhelmingly sweet. The cookies taste more like vanilla wafers to me and my grandkids.
How to Make Mexican Lime Icebox Cake
- Whisk together sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, powdered sugar, lime juice, and lime zest in a medium bowl.

- Using a spoon, spread ½ cup cream mixture on the bottom of an 8” baking dish.
- Top cream mixture with 9 Maria cookies, arranged in a single layer. (I try to fill in the gap with broken pieces of cookies)

- Gently spread cookies with about ¾ cup cream mixture. Repeat layering 3 times more, using ¾ cup cream mixture and 9 cookies per layer, ending with the remaining cream mixture.

- Cover cake with plastic wrap; transfer to refrigerator. Chill for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Garnish the cake with lime zest, if desired, before serving.

How to store Carlota de Limón
- Place leftovers in an air-tight container, cover the cake, and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Other Dessert Recipes You Will Love 🧡
- Delicious Pumpkin Empanadas: A Perfect Sweet Treat Recipe

- Delicious Mantecadas: Step-by-Step Muffin Recipe

- Refreshing Mexican Fresas con Crema Dessert

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Mexican Lime Icebox Cake/Carlota de Limón
Ingredients
- 2 cans 14 oz. of sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup key lime juice
- 2 tsp lime zest
- 1 7 oz box of Maria Cookies (brands Goya or Gamesa)
Instructions
- Whisk together sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, powdered sugar, lime juice, and lime zest in a medium bowl.
- Using a spoon, spread ½ cup cream mixture on the bottom of an 8” baking dish.
- Top cream mixture with 9 Maria cookies, arranged in a single layer.
- Gently spread cookies with about ¾ cup cream mixture. Repeat layering 3 times more, using ¾ cup cream mixture and 9 cookies per layer, ending with the remaining cream mixture.
- Cover cake with plastic wrap; transfer to refrigerator. Chill for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Garnish the cake with lime zest, if desired, before serving.
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July 3, 2025 at 11:43 amSOOOO GOOD! I make this every summer and also for special occasions. Everyone always loves it! Thank you for sharing your recipe. ☺️