What makes my mama’s 7 up cake so special is the subtle lemon lime flavor and the soft texture which is different from my lemon pound cake texture. Let me show you how just like my mother showed me how.
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7 Up Pound Cake Ingredient Tips
- Classic 7 up soda: My mama doesn’t believe in using any substitute for this cake. 7 up gives a mellow lemon lime flavor. You can also grab another lemon-lime soda like Sprite or Sierra Mist.
- Unsalted Butter: You can use salted butter. Just leave out the salt in the recipe.
- Granulated Sugar: This sweetens up our cake batter just right.
- Eggs: room temp.
- Cake flour: You can make your own cake flour with all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Make sure you sift it too!
- Lemon extract: You can also use lemon juice or lemon zest.
- Confectioner’s Sugar: If you ran out, you can make your own powdered sugar with a blender.
How To Make 7 Up Cake
Mix the Butter and Sugar
Step 1: Add the butter to a mixing bowl and beat for two minutes on high speed.
Step 2: 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.
Finish the Batter
Step 3: Next, add the eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 4: 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.
Step 5: Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the 7Up and lemon extract, and mix only until combined.
Bake and Glaze
Step 6: 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.
Step 7: Cool your 7UP pound cake in a pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert the cake on a serving plate. Let the cake cool to room temp.
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Step 8: Mix together all ingredients for the glaze and pour over the cake and allow to harden.
7 UP Cake Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 3 cups sifted cake flour
- 1/2 cup 7-Up soda room temperature
- 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
How to store 7 Up Pound Cake
Store your 7 Up pound cake recipe in a well-sealed cake container or wrapped well at room temp. This will keep the texture nice and soft, and it will last for up to 4 or 5 days this way.How long will 7 Up Pound Cake last in the fridge?
It can last in the fridge up to 7 days. Cold storage can dry out baked good so wrapping your cake well in plastic wrap is important to keep this baby nice and moist.Can I freeze 7 Up Cake?
To store it for longer, wrap it well in plastic then in foil, and store in the freezer. Label and it should last up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw it in the fridge or at room temperature before serving. You can also portion into individual slices before wrapping.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Use Cake Flour: I know you might want to skip this part because all-purpose flour is so easy to grab but it makes such a difference in the final texture of the cake.
- Cream the Full Amount of Time: Make sure you don’t skimp on the creaming period of the sugar and butter. It adds air into the batter so you don’t need leavening.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Having your butter, eggs at the same temperature helps them mix easily.
- Grease the Bundt Pan: Either use a baking spray with flour so that the cake easily comes out of the pan or try my homemade cake release for extra insurance.
- Don’t over mix the cake batter: Once you add in the flour, take it easy since you have activated the gluten. We don’t want to overactive and make it tough or dense.
Recipe Help
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 pan used for making a pound cake though some recipes will use a loaf pan for a rectangular-shaped cake. If you only have a loaf pan, halve the recipe or bake two loaves.
I love using my homemade cake release which combines oil, shortening and flour. I just brush it into my pans before adding the batter. You can also use a non-stick baking spray.
More Pound Cake Recipes
- Whipping Cream Pound Cake
- Chocolate Pound Cake
- Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Key Lime Pound Cake
- 35 Pound Cake Recipes
This recipe was originally published May 2018. It has been republished with new content and photos.
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Can this be baked in loaf pans? If so, is two enough? Bake fo how long?
If you want a good laugh associated with this cake recipe Google Jeanne Robertson’s story about sending her husband to the store for the ingredients. She just passed. This was the cake she took to the family when someone passed.
Has anyone tried making this with gluten free cake flour? Would love try but we are a celiac household.
Delicious cake and very moist
I love this cake. My Mom gave me her recipe. I add 2 tablespoons of lemon extract to give it a more lemony taste; that’s how my family prefers it. It’s my most favorite cake to make. Thanks for making your recipe available.
Jocelyn, thank you stir sharing this recipe. It is amazing! My cake came out moist & DELICIOUS!!!
I have never made a pound cake of any kind but one of my favorite ‘humorist”, Jeanne Robertson tells a wonderful story of sending her husband to the grocery to get the ingredients for her “7-Up Pound Cake”. It is very funny, and now I will try your wonderful recipe.
I do NOT like baking, but I love pound cake and I made this and it was delicious!! My mom told everybody about it and now everybody wants some. I go visit my mom once a month and I have to make her one every time. This time my aunt wants one, so I have to make two of them. My dad pretty much lost his mind when he tried it. Thank you so much for this recipe.
My mom died several years back and took her 7up cake recipe up to heaven with her. Why oh why did we never wrote it down?! This is the closest I’ve ever made that taste as delicious as hers! Thank you so much for bringing this memory to life again.
My children’s great grandmother used to make cakes for decades and 7up pound cake was her speciality! I have pieces of her recipe but it was hard to get her to give the recipe because she was a dump cook ( never measured but food always tasted the same ) and Never kd any recipes written down. she has since passed on and it’s been YEARS since I’ve tasted a cake remotely close to hers… until I happened upon Grandbabycakes! This recipe was super easy to follow and the cake turned out just like Big Mamas! If I could give more than 5 stars, I would! Great flavor all around , very easy to follow. The whole house LOVED it and so did I. Bought back special memories 🙂