This classic 7-up Pound Cake recipe has 7-Up soda added to the batter. The soda gives a lighter texture and just a tad bit more sweetness. You can enjoy it plain, or dress it up with fresh fruit and whipped cream! It’s a classic that dates back a few decades, but one that is always a crowd pleaser.
I’m not 100% sure when 7-Up Pound Cake was born, but it’s a classic recipe that incorporates the lemon-lime carbonated soda drink that was invented. For cooking and ingredient purposes, the 7-Up used in the recipe serves as the substitute for baking soda in the batter of this moist pound cake.
Let’s begin:
The ingredients: butter, flour, eggs, sugar, and 7-UP (not diet…it’s canceled out, anyway, with cake). The butter and eggs are room temperature. Some ingredients are: butter flavor extract and lemon extract, for this recipe. I could not find butter flavored extract at any of my grocery stores! Then I remembered…
… I ordered a bottle of Buttery Sweet Dough Emulsion to make Cinnamon Rolls and Stollen (which I finally made). I opened the bottle, for the first time, and took a whiff (last week, before the cold). It smelled like yellow cake mix batter, with a hint of citrus, and I really liked it! I decided to add lemon extract, anyway.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cream the butter, add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition; then add butter and lemon extracts and mix well. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Easy, so far!
Add the soft drink, then mix together until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix briefly. Pour into a greased Bundt pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until the cake is no longer jiggly. My oven reached this point just a hair over one hour. I’m one of those bakers who checks her cakes a little early. Overbaked cakes = dry = “Choke Cake”.
The cake did turn out perfectly, and it smelled heavenly– notes of vanilla, butter and citrus. Mmmmm. Now, how to get the cake out? That problem has been solved, ever since I learned to use Baker’s Joy Spray with all of my bundt pans.
A glaze would be a nice “finish” to this cake. As a shortcut, powdered sugar did the trick, just fine.
The slice of cake felt moist– this was promising.
Now, close your eyes and visualize a mound of fresh berries on top, with a dollop of fresh whipped cream…. or a scoop of homemade ice cream with a drizzle of caramel sauce. Did you see it? I did! Still, the cake was delicious, plain. Next time…
TASTING NOTES: Yes, this is perfect pound cake. It’s moist, but dense enough to stand up to whatever topping you might decide to use. I loved the Sweet Dough Emulsion flavor, which had subtle notes of vanilla, butter and citrus. I recommend it– it gives a terrific flavor, without overpowering the overall cake flavor. I’d like to try using almond extract, as a variation, too.
7-Up Perfect Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 3 sticks Butter
- 3 cups Sugar
- 5 whole Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Butter Flavoring
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Flavoring
- 3 cups All-purpose Flour
- 1 cup Sprite 7-UP, Or Sierra Mist
Glaze (optional):
- 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup 7-Up cold
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit.
- Cream butter. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition.
- Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition.
- Add butter and lemon extracts and mix well.
- Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add soft drink, then mix together until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix briefly.
- Pour into a greased Bundt pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until the cake is no longer jiggly.
- Remove cake from oven and invert pan until cake drops out. Slice and enjoy plain, with a freshly brewed cup of coffee– or add a glaze if you wish.
For the glaze:
- While the cake bakes, make glaze by using an electric hand mixer to combine the powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and 7-Up. Beat until smooth.
- Let cake stand in the pan for about 10 minutes.
- Turn cake over onto a plate or platter, remove pan. Let cool, then drizzle with the glaze.
Notes
Nutrition
OMG, I want a slice! Perfect is not the word; more like impeccable or flawless or yum-a-lious.
Nothing beats the taste of a good pound cake and yours is amazing looking!
I have never heard of a pound cake made w/ soda, but I trust you, and it looks divine!
Your pound cake is perfect, Debby. And I'm definitely going to look into getting some of the Buttery Sweet Dough flavoring you recommend. I need to chuck my old bundt pan and get a new one. The darn things should last forever!
Nothing is more wonderful than a perfect slice of pound cake. I think you have produced this right now!! Feel better soon.
I'd like to take some of that buttery emulsion and dab a little on my wrists and behind my ears….
Beautiful cake! I think I'll try this and butter my bundt with some granulated sugar. I appreciated the fall apart bundt picture…I've had that happen when I didn't let it cool long enough. The temptation to eat it right away is too strong!
This looks wonderful. I've heard of the recipe before but never made it. You've convinced to give it a try. It's very hard to beat a perfect piece of pound cake.
I can be there in four hours, save me a piece! Absolutely beautiful cake.
Pound cake is seriously my favorite! I love the buttery taste. 🙂 This looks so simple yet delicious.
Looks delicious! I love your blog…it always changes my mind as to what I am making next.
I'm so interested in the Buttery Sweet Dough Emulsion- I've never heard of it, but will have to look into it. Your cake has made me hungry!
I'm jealous that you seem to be having spring already, and it's absolutely freezing here. About two years ago, I made the famous 7 Up Cake which is a classic soda pop recipe (there is a Coca Cola Cake and I think a Sprite Cake, too). The bubbles give the cake a really nice texture. Yours looks delish.
Pound cake is one of our favorites although I've never made it myself. Gorgeous photos as usual.
Sam
I found your blog via One Perfect Bite, I love it and I will be back again and again! Love your photos and the recipes are all very interesting. My husband and I live in the Texas Hill Country(aka the Cedar Tree Capital of the Universe), and feel your pain with the congestion etc. The pound cake looks terrific and a perfect dessert for Super Bowl Sunday! ~LeslieMichele
That's an old family recipe in my house! 7-up cake! I haven't thought of it in years–thanks for the trip down memory lane!
It looks so perfect Debby. One for the books.
This cake looks beautiful. Real moist and a lovely color. I'm going to keep this in mind next time I need a pound cake.
This looks like a wonderfully moist and delicious pound cake. I've never seen a recipe for pound cake with 7-up in it, but it definitely looks like a winner!
it looks SOO moist! I want slice right now 🙂 nice work!
Some things are best eaten unadulterated and this sure looks like one of them.
Yummmm Pound Cake! The pictures are beautiful. Question, what is the cake extract that you said was for stollen? Im not familiar with that.
Debby, Where's my slice?
This does look perfect!. I almost bought some of that butter emulsion to give to my mom since she loves citrus and vanilla together. I'll have to get some next time.
But luckily I have all the ingredients to make this. Oh, minus the 7up- dang!
YUMMM-EEE! I imagined it and it was a thing of pure beauty!
Btw, I've made cakes with soda and I gotta tell you each one has been a delight so, I know you're not lying about this one.
~ingrid
Hi Debby
I brought the LorAnn Lemon, Orange and almond bakery emulsions from the King Arthur Flour company a few years ago, I can still smell the flavors in them even though they have an expiration date of 01/10. I keep them in the refrigerator. I don't know if they are still usable after the expiration date. Do you still use yours after the expiration date. I don't use them much and they are too expensive to buy every time they are past their expiration date.
Hi Jackie! I never pay attention to the expiration dates. So far, so good! I used 2 tsps of the baking emulsion. I'm still guessing at how much, but I always have good results.
This recipe is simply amazing! Since I made your version of the 7-up Pound Cake, I've retired mine (ha-ha!). Each time there is a celebration at home, I'm asked to make this cake. Thank you so much for sharing!
I've made this cake at least 5 times since I found your recipe!!!! It is so moist and delicious!!
Thanks Stacey! I' so glad to hear this one is a winner for you. I'm long overdue to make it again.
Omg…my cake was awesome. It was my first time making a pound cake. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Why does yours looks better than Pioneer Woman’s and it’s her recipe! Hmmm, go figure that one out! P.W.’s just looked very dark, it wasn’t picture presentable to me.
LOL! Well that’s a compliment!! It’s a great cake and I shouldn’t bake it again.