Y’all, my Mama’s homemade 7-Up Cake Recipe is nothing short of a Southern classic – we’re talking decadently moist cake that’s kissed with that hint of citrus soda goodness! You haven’t truly experienced 7-Up Pound Cake until you’ve had it THIS way, trust me. It’s the kind of recipe that’ll have you feeling all the feels – nostalgia, happiness, and that warm, fuzzy feeling of home.
What Is 7 UP Cake?
It’s a pound cake with 7 UP that has been in my family for decades. Served at a soul food or Southern dinner, this cake is perfection on your table.
It was actually the very first cake I ever learned to bake, which I suspect is not only because it is my mother’s absolute favorite cake but also because it was not intimidating. It introduced me to the baking world, and I haven’t looked back.
The cake itself is so easy to make and results into a wonderful cake that even a nine-year-old girl can master it!
The Heart & Soul Of 7 Up Pound Cake
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern
Cooking Method: Baked
Dietary Info: Contains gluten, dairy, and eggs.
Key Flavor: Citrus-infused, Sweet
Skill Level: Beginner
Sweet Spots
- Perfect for beginner bakers! You may even get bitten by the baking bug like I did.
- A classic and decadent treat complemented by the subtle flavor of citrus soda. 7 Up Pound Cake tastes like a bright lemon cake.
- Melt in your mouth delicious! It has a crunchy crust with a moist inner texture making this cake simply irresistible.
- For many occasions: Perfect for anything from a family gathering, picnic, tea party, shower party, or even a birthday.
Ingredients to make 7 Up Pound Cake
What makes this pound cake recipe unique is that it doesn’t have a leavening agent. Really it doesn’t need one because a significantly longer creaming process adds more air to the batter, giving it the lift it needs.
Let’s take a look at the key ingredients you will need to make the best pound cake recipe with 7 UP. The full list and quantities are in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Classic 7 up soda: The key ingredient in this unique pound cake recipe! The 7 up soda plays many parts in this recipe, offering lemon lime flavor, liquid, and acting as a leavening agent eliminating the need for baking soda or baking powder.
- Unsalted Butter: This cake has a large amount of butter which is what creates the perfect richness.
- Eggs: The yolks add moisture and moistness but also the whites are more drying and add stability to the cake.
- Cake flour: Baking cakes from scratch with cake flour gives the cake a texture that’s soft, tender, and melt in your mouth good. Cake flour creates less gluten, making the cake less tough after baking.
- Lemon extract: Gives the cake an additional boost of lemon flavor!
For the Glaze:
- Confectioner’s Sugar: This fine sugar creates a smooth, easily spreadable glaze. It dissolves quickly, providing a sweet base without any graininess.
- 7-Up Soda: Adds a unique, light, and citrusy flavor to the glaze, complementing the cake’s similar flavors.
- Lemon Extract: Intensifies the citrus flavor in the glaze, pairing with the subtle lemon-lime taste of the 7-Up, and enhancing the overall flavor of the cake.
Top Tip: Make sure your butter is at room temperature before creaming the cake batter!
How To Make A 7 UP Pound Cake
Making a great 7 UP cake isn’t difficult. I actually think this cake is great for any level cook, even beginners. Walk through the main steps with photos to see what goes into making this recipe. Check the recipe card at the end of the post for detailed instructions.
- Add the butter to a mixing bowl and beat for two minutes on high speed.
- Slowly add the sugar and salt and continue beating on high speed for an additional seven minutes until the ingredients are very pale yellow and fluffy.
- Next, add the eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, add half the flour into batter and beat until combined. Add the second half and mix together. Be careful not to overbeat.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the 7Up and lemon extract, and mix only until combined.
- Pour the cake batter into a prepared bundt pan, and bake for 1 hour and 15 -20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool your 7UP pound cake in a pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert the cake on a serving plate.
- Mix together the glaze and pour over the cake and allow to harden.
Tips for making the best 7 Up Cake Recipe
- Use cake flour. It really makes a difference to the texture of your baked cake. If you don’t have any on hand, you can easily make your own cake flour for baking.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Allow your butter to soften and refrigerated ingredients to come to room temperature. Ingredients with the same temperature will mix more easily. This also prevents overmixing. This includes using room temperature soda.
- Spray the bundt pan well with baking spray so that the cake easily comes out of the pan. Try my Homemade Cake Release to make easy work of this.
- Don’t over mix the cake batter after the flour is added as your cake may come out tough or dense.
Popular substitutions & additions
- Soda Variations: Of course, 7 Up is highly recommended, if necessary, you can use another lemon-lime soda to substitute like Sprite or Starry.
- More Citrus Flavor: In addition to lemon lime soda and lemon extract, add a burst of freshness by using fresh lemon zest. Add it either to the cake batter or the glaze.
- Cake Flour: For that soft and tender crumb I love using cake flour, however using all purpose flour is popular option as well. Simply replace 1:1 cake flour to AP flour. Making your own cake flour only takes a few extra steps, but worth it if you want to experience this pound cake as I do.
What to serve with 7 Up Cake
How to store 7 Up Pound Cake
Store your 7 UP pound cake in a well-sealed container or wrapped well at room temperature for up to three to five days.
How long will 7 Up Pound Cake last in the fridge?
When stored properly a fresh 7 up pound cake can last for up to a 5 to 7 days in the fridge. Cold storage can dry out baked good so wrapping your cake well in plastic wrap is important to retain mositure.
Can I freeze 7 Up Cake?
To store it for longer, wrap it well in plastic and aluminum foil, and store in the freezer for up to one month. When ready to serve, thaw it in the fridge or at room temperature before serving. You can also portion into indiviudal pieces before wrapping.
Frequently asked questions
My mother has always been adamant about using the original 7 UP and nothing else. She says you can really taste the difference. While I have used other lemon-lime soda brands ranging from Sprite to Sierra Mist, I try my best to follow my mother’s advice.
A round bundt or fluted pan is the most common type of pan used for making a pound cake though some recipes will use a loaf pan for a rectangular-shaped cake. For making a pound cake, I think the cake presents best when using a fluted bundt cake pan.
Use a non-stick baking spray or shortening to coat the inside of the Bundt pan. Make sure to cover every nook and cranny of the pan. Then sprinkle it lightly with flour before adding your cake batter. Inverting a slightly cooled cake over a wire rack allows gravity to help remove it from the pan without breaking. If it seems to be a bit resistant, allow it some time to keep cooling.
More Delicious Cake Recipes
If you want love this recipe, I think you’ll also love these!
- Hummingbird Cake
- Banana Pudding Cake
- Chocolate Pound Cake
- Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Key Lime Pound Cake
- 35 Pound Cake Recipes
*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!
7 UP Cake Recipe (7 UP Pound Cake Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 3 cups sifted cake flour
- 1/2 cup 7-Up soda
- 2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
For the Glaze:
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 3 tablespoons 7-Up soda
- 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Start by preheating your oven to 315°F then liberally spray a bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.
- In your mixer bowl, add butter and beat for 2 minutes on high speed. Slowly add in sugar and salt beat on high speed for an additional seven minutes until very pale yellow and fluffy.
- Next, add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed.
- Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour into batter in two increments. Be careful not to overbeat.
- Lastly, pour in 7 Up and lemon extract, scrape down sides and mix until just combined and turn off mixer.
- Pour cake batter into prepared bundt pan, and bake for 1 hour and 15 -20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert cake on serving plate.
For the Glaze:
- In a small bowl, whisk together confectioner’s sugar, 7 Up, and lemon extract until it’s pourable. Spoon over the cake and allow to harden.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published May 2018. It has been republished with new content and photos.
Frieda says
I’ve made your 7up cake using my heritage cake pan like yours in the photo.
Both times, the cake stuck in the pan.
What form of cake pan release do you use/recommend?
I might add, both times the cake was delicious!
Thank you, I love your recipes.
lisa g. says
I’ve seen in her videos that she uses Pam Baking spray. It’s what I use and it works. There’s flour in the Pam spray.
Elizabeth says
I made this cake to celebrate the end of the school year and the start of summer. It was delicious! My son and I made it together. The recipe was easy to follow, but still felt sophisticated. I also enjoyed that it did not require any unusual ingredients. I’m so glad that I could make of one of your family’s recipes. Thank you for sharing!
Radiah says
This is a really good recipe. I am not at all a baker and this recipe was easy to follow and the cake was delicious! I used a hand mixer which got a little messy but it worked. The cake was very moist inside and crunchy outside. My family loved it!
Bonita says
Wow! I just made this recipe and simply love it! It brought back so many memories of my mother and I in the kitchen baking. My very first cake was the 1-2-3-4 cake LOL, and the second cake was the 7-Up cake. It is moist and fluffy. Thank you so much for the recipes as well as the demonstration of how to prepare your recipes. Love the cookbook, (smile)
Anna R says
I love that you have made this recipe available, it is my go to anytime I crave a pound cake. On another note I am delighted with all of the recipes in your cookbook.
Elder Bull says
Thanks for sharing your recipes. I am about to make the Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake and then I saw the 7 Up Cake. I was wondering if I could add the instant lemon pounding cake to the 7 up cake to make it more lemony (if that is a word)?
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
Yes but honestly I wouldn’t because it would alter the taste. This cake is really about the flavor the 7 up brings it which is incredible. Make it without the first time so you can see the difference.
Valarie says
If you use pure lemon extract and pure vanilla that will be plenty of flavor. Pudding will change the texture of your cake and it will not taste like homemade. I have used pure vanilla, pure lemon and pure lime extract with success. I can’t wait to try this 7-Up Cake recipe!!! I plan to try the Sock It to Me cake recipe too.
Cathy says
Fantastic! I tweaked the flavors a little but followed the mixing instruction precisely. It was devoured.
Soquenthia Wilson says
Hi, can I used butter(salted) and if not, why?
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
You sure can. Just omit the salt from this recipe.
Cher says
Can you use all purpose flour instead of cake flour?
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
I would suggest using cake flour because the texture of the cake will change with all purpose flour. It won’t be as light but you can make your own cake flour if you need to. For every cup of flour, You simply remove 2 tablespoons of flour and replace with cornstarch then sift at least 3-4 times then use.
Brenda L Williams-Cannon says
Made the 7UP cake for the Thanksgiving holiday; none left. Many compliments. Love Jocelyn’s cake recipes. They are easy to follow and delicious as well.
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
That makes me so so happy! So glad you love it!