My mama’s 7 up pound cake was the first cake I ever learned to bake at 8 years old. I made it for every holiday imaginable because it was a hit and super easy to master. What makes this 7 up cake so special is the subtle lemon lime flavor and the soft texture which is different from my lemon pound cake texture. You would think that it would be hard to pull something like this off but it ain’t y’all. Let me show you how just like my mother showed me how.
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7 Up Pound Cake Ingredients
- 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: These give our cake stability.
- Cake flour: If you don’t have any around, 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.
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
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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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Hey, will it have a lemon flavor or does it enhance the flavor of the 7-up?
It enhances it overall.
Do you sift the flour, then measure? Or measure, then sift?
Sift then measure.
Hello do I have to own a stand mixer or a hand mixer will do?
Yep a hand mixer will work fine
Thank you for the tip on how to make cake flour. That in sifting made such a difference in the texture.
Excellent!
I tried 7 recipes looking for one like my aunt’s. I hated all of them. I gave up and assumed she made a cream cheese pound cake and added 7Up. Tried this one last night for my dad, and not only is it pretty close to what made aunt made, I actually like it!!!
Hooray I’m so glad you enjoyed this.
This 7-Up cake is delicious. It reminds me of my mother who’s been making it for years is the closest to hers thank you.
Aww absolutely my pleasure.
My go to recipe for 7-up pound cake. I also made your cream cheese pound cake. Both are always a hit. Printed the recipes and added them to the cookbook archive LOL.
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so so much!
I’ve used this recipe twice and it has been amazing. Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed this.
Hello, I have a question about the 7up pound cake recipe. I was planning to make some soon. Is ginger ale a good substitute for 7up?
You can try it! It will have more of a ginger flavor to it than the lemon lime.
Okay i made your brown sugar pound cake last week and it was a hit. My fiance asked for a 7 up cake and given how great the brown sugar pound cake was, i tried this one. AMAZING! My daughter said its her favorite and we all know 5 year olds are harsh critics. The instructions are beyond easy to follow. I had to half the recipe for my bundt pan but still worked! Thanks!
Awe, thank you so much, boo!