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This old fashioned 7UP pound cake recipe is a simple Southern dessert that’s perfect for just about any occasion. The smooth, buttery pound cake is made from scratch with just a hint of lemon. Enjoy the glazed cake on its own, or pair it with fresh fruit and a dollop of whipped cream!
Table of Contents
- How to Make a Moist 7UP Cake | 1-Minute Video
- Why You’ll Love this 7 Up Cake Recipe
- What does 7UP do for cake?
- Pound Cakes Versus Regular Cakes
- The Secret to a Moist Pound Cake
- Ingredients for 7UP Cake
- How to Make 7UP Pound Cake from Scratch
- 7UP Cake Serving Suggestions
- Preparation and Storage Tips
- Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best 7UP Cake Recipe
- 7UP Pound Cake Recipe
Love homemade pound cake recipes as much as we do? Be sure to try this wildly popular cream cheese pound cake, a decadent vanilla pound cake with caramel icing, a glazed almond pound cake, this old-fashioned lemon cream cheese pound cake, and a classic sour cream pound cake, too!
How to Make a Moist 7UP Cake | 1-Minute Video
Why You’ll Love this 7 Up Cake Recipe
Every home cook should have a delicious and easy go-to cake recipe that she can always turn to when hosting a party or attending a potluck. This 7up pound cake is a classic favorite, and here’s why:
- It has a crisp exterior and a soft, buttery crumb that’s dense (but not dry or crumbly)! The secret ingredient is the Bundt pan and the 7UP soda!
- It has bright citrus flavor. In fact, 7 up cake tastes like a classic lemon pound cake. You’ll finish the moist cake with a sweet-tart lemon glaze to really emphasize the citrus!
- This make-ahead dessert is convenient for holidays, dinner parties, or drop-in guests. Pound cake just gets better as it sits, so bake the cake in advance and take the stress out of hosting!
What does 7UP do for cake?
In this particular recipe, the 7UP soda serves a few different purposes. It acts as a leavening agent (instead of baking soda or baking powder) to help the cake rise, it adds a hint of lemon-lime flavor, and it serves as the liquid that thins the batter.
Pound Cakes Versus Regular Cakes
Unliketraditional American layer cakesorsheet cakes, pound cakes have adense,rich textureand a crisp crust. Made with simple ingredients like butter, flour, sugar, and eggs, pound cakes are large, heavy cakes that don’t rise as much as other cakes.
Pound cakes are traditionallyprepared in Bundt pans or tube pans, but can also be baked inloaf pans. They’re actually a type ofquick bread, since the term “quick bread” refers to any dough or batter that’s leavened without yeast. In this case, we use the carbonated 7-up soda to help the batter rise a little bit. While a simpledusting of powdered sugar is a classic finish, some versions also include a glaze on top.
The Secret to a Moist Pound Cake
Here are a few important tips to ensure a moist 7 up cake every time!
- Room temperature ingredients:starting with room temperature ingredients makes it easier to cream the butter, sugar and eggs. This ensures maximum volume and lift for your cake.
- Real butter:always use real butter (not margarine or other substitutes) for the proper fat content and texture.
- Store at room temperature:wrapped tightly, the pound cake will stay fresh at room temperature for 4-5 days. It actually gets better as it sits! While refrigerating the cake will extend its shelf life, this can also alter the texture of the cake.
Ingredients for 7UP Cake
This is just a quick overview of the simple ingredients that you’ll need for an easy 7up cake recipe from scratch (without shortening). As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Butter: use salted butter for flavor. Make sure that you give it time to soften at room temperature so that it mixes smoothly with the sugar.
- Sugar: for just the right amount of sweetness.
- Large eggs: give the cake structure.
- All-purpose flour: the base of the cake batter.
- Lemon zest: for that classic lemon flavor. Be careful that you only scrape off the very outer layer of the lemon peel. The white pith underneath has a bitter taste, so avoid that!
- 7UP soda: the secret ingredient that makes this case light, tender, and flavorful!
- Powdered sugar and lemon juice: for the glaze on top.
How to Make 7UP Pound Cake from Scratch
No matter your baking experience, you can pull off this easy pound cake recipe! I’ve included the detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick overview:
- Cream together the butter and sugar in the large bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. This can take anywhere from about 12 minutes or up to 20 minutes, so just be patient, and scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Add the eggs (one at a time), and then gradually add the flour and lemon zest.
- Fold in the 7-up soda and pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let it cool completely, and then glaze.
What temp should you bake a pound cake?
Bake the cake in a 325°F oven for about 70-80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Once the cake cools completely on a wire rack, you can transfer it to a serving plate and finish it off with a sweet lemon glaze!
How to Make 7UP Pound Cake Glaze
Some 7 up cake recipes include the 7UP soda in the glaze as well. I prefer a very basic lemon glaze, which is just a combination of powdered sugar and lemon juice. You can start with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and then add more to thin the glaze as necessary. The glaze should be thin enough to drizzle over the cake, but not too runny. To thicken the glaze, add more powdered sugar. You really can’t screw it up!
7UP Cake Serving Suggestions
This cake is absolutely delicious served plain, so there’s really no need to fuss with much more. That said, you can make it even fancier with some fresh berries on the side and a dollop of whipped cream! You can never go wrong with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, either…
Preparation and Storage Tips
- The 7UP cake willstay freshwhen covered at room temperature for4-5 days— it doesnotneedto be refrigerated. To extend the life of your cake, wrap it tightly and store it in therefrigerator for up to 1 weekor in thefreezer for up to 3 months.
- How to Store Pound Cake:For the refrigerator or countertop, you can just wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap. For the freezer, I recommend a layer of plastic wrap, followed by another layer of aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn.
- The cake is best when prepared 1 day in advance.The flavors come together and it gets more moist as it rests!
Recipe Variations
- For even more flavor, add vanilla and lemon extracts. If you use about 1 teaspoon or up to 2 teaspoons of lemon extract, you can omit the lemon zest. About 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract adds warmth.
- According to this Southern Living article, you should not try to substitute Sprite or other lemon-lime soda for the 7UP. The 7UP has a higher level of carbonation than Sprite, which helps the cake rise beautifully! That said, some readers have successfully substituted with other beverages.
- Can I make a Bundt cake in a regular pan? Yes. If you don’t have a Bundt pan or a tube pan, you can typically use 2 loaf pans. The volume of batter should also fit in either two 9-inch round cake pans or in one 9 x 13-inch pan. I haven’t tested this particular recipe in anything other than a Bundt cake pan, though, so try it at your own risk.
Tips for the Best 7UP Cake Recipe
- When zesting the lemons, you only want to scrape off the very outer peel. This is where all of the essential oils and flavor can be found. You do not want to scrape off the white pith, which has a bitter taste.
- Make sure that you spray your Bundt pan really well with cooking spray, or grease with butter and sprinkle with flour. This will prevent the cake from sticking to the pan.
- Properly measure the flour.Weigh the flour on a kitchen scale or spoon the flour into the cup and lightly level with the straight edge of a knife.Packing the measuring cup too tightly and using too much flour will result in a dry cake.
- Make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperatureso that they blend together smoothly.
- Cream the butter and sugaruntil the mixture is light and fluffy, about 12-13 minutes. Whipping this air into the batter will help the cake rise during baking.
- Don’t leave the cake in the pan for too longafter baking — about 10-15 minutes is plenty. After that, condensation will start to form and the moisture will negatively impact the crust.
More Pound Cake Recipes to Try
Southern Cream Cheese Pound Cake
2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Chocolate Pound Cake
3 hours hrs 55 minutes mins
Vanilla Pound Cake Recipe with Caramel Icing
4 hours hrs 50 minutes mins
7UP Pound Cake
5 from 29 votes
Prep: 25 minutes minutes
Cook: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Cooling Time 2 hours hours
Total: 3 hours hours 40 minutes minutes
Servings 16 slices
Calories 408.6 kcal
This old fashioned 7UP pound cake is a simple Southern dessert that's perfect for just about any occasion!
Equipment
Bundt cake pan (I love the ones from Nordic Ware)
stand mixer (I use my trusty KitchenAid mixer)
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- ¾ lb. (3 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups white sugar
- 5 eggs, at room temperature
- 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
- ¾ cup 7UP soda
FOR THE GLAZE
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or more, as necessary)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 12-13 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each one. Gradually add flour and lemon zest, mixing just until everything is combined. Fold in 7-Up.
Pour batter into a well-greased Bundt cake pan.
Bake for 70-80 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). Cool in the pan for about 15-20 minutes, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the cake is cool, prepare the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Add extra lemon juice (1 teaspoon at a time), just until the glaze is thin enough to drizzle over the cake. If the glaze is too thin, add a little bit of powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over cake.
Video
Notes
- When zesting the lemons, you only want to scrape off the very outer peel. This is where all of the essential oils and flavor can be found. You do not want to scrape off the white pith, which has a bitter taste.
- Make sure that you spray your Bundt pan really well with cooking spray, or grease with butter and sprinkle with flour. This will prevent the cake from sticking to the pan.
- Properly measure the flour.Weigh the flour on a kitchen scale or spoon the flour into the cup and lightly level with the straight edge of a knife.Packing the measuring cup too tightly and using too much flour will result in a dry cake.
- Make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperatureso that they blend together smoothly.
- Cream the butter and sugaruntil the mixture is light and fluffy, about 12-13 minutes. Whipping this air into the batter will help the cake rise during baking.
- Don’t leave the cake in the pan for too longafter baking — about 10-15 minutes is plenty. After that, condensation will start to form and the moisture will negatively impact the crust.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 408.6kcalCarbohydrates: 58.6gProtein: 4.4gFat: 18.7gSaturated Fat: 11.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.9gMonounsaturated Fat: 5.1gCholesterol: 104.5mgSodium: 145.8mgPotassium: 56.8mgFiber: 0.8gSugar: 41.9g
Keyword: 7 up cake recipe, 7UP Cake, 7UP Pound Cake, Lemon Pound Cake
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Southern
Author: Blair Lonergan
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This recipe was originally published in March, 2020. The photos were updated in March, 2023.
