7-Up Pound Cake Recipe (Soul Food)

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An old-fashioned 7-Up pound cake recipe made in a Bundt pan and drizzled with lemon lime soda glaze. This soul food pound cake is super moist, easy to make, with a subtle lemon lime flavor!

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I've been wanting to make and share this 7 Up pound cake recipe (soul food style) with you all for a long time! It reminds me of my mom and my grandma (who are some of the best cake bakers I've ever known). My favorite memory as a kid was watching my mom in the kitchen make one of her famous cakes and letting me lick the beater!

Our 7 Up pound cake has a subtle lemon flavor, not as strong as lemon pound cake, but similar vibes. It's drizzled with a simple glaze (powdered sugar + soda) that you can whip up in 2 minutes. This cake is great to bring to a potluck or party, or to serve on holidays and other special occasions.

Be sure to also check out this peach cobbler recipe with canned peaches, banana pudding with chessmen cookies, and our caramel cake recipe for more Southern dessert ideas!

Be sure to check out all of our soul food dessert recipes!

7 Up Cake

A 7 Up cake is a popular soul food dessert that most closely resembles a pound cake. It's made with 7 Up soda and is typically baked in a Bundt pan, then drizzled with a lemon lime-flavored soft drink glaze.

We don't know the origins of using soda in cake, specifically, but Smithsonian writer Lisa Bramen briefly talks about 7Up Cake and Other Bubbly Baking.

What we love about this recipe

It's super moist: The buttermilk adds a richness to this 7 Up cake, and provides tons of moisture so there's no dry crumbs here.
It's not too sweet: Perfect amount of sugar, lemon, and soda, so it's not sugar overload. Plus, the glaze has a subtle sweetness to it.
It's easy to make: When it comes to cakes from scratch, it doesn't really get any easier than this. Use your hand mixer to combine all of the ingredients, dump in your Bundt pan, and bake.

Ingredients

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

All purpose flour + cornstarch
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Baking powder and baking soda
Butter
Granulated sugar
Eggs
Lemon extract
7 Up
Buttermilk

Pound Cake Glaze

Confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
7 Up

Variations and Modifications

Flour: Use cake flour instead of flour and cornstarch combined.
Soda: Swap out 7 Up for another lemon lime soda, like Sprite, Starry, or Sierra Mist.
Lemon: Instead of lemon extract, use 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and a little lemon zest.
Buttermilk: Sub some or all of the buttermilk with more soda.
Simple syrup: Some people like to pour simple syrup over the cake for added moisture, before drizzling the glaze.

Tools and Equipment Needed

Bundt pan (standard 10-cup size)
Handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment
Silicone spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl
Whisk for stirring

How to Make 7-Up Pound Cake

Detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Then spray the inside of a Bundt pan with nonstick spray or grease thoroughly oil. Set aside.

Step 2. Whisk flour and cornstarch together in a large bowl. Add salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

Step 3. Use a handheld mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, and beat butter on high speed until smooth and creamy.

Step 4. Add sugar and continue beating on high speed for 2 minutes, until butter and sugar are creamed together.

Step 5. Add eggs and beat on medium speed.

Step 6. Pour in lemon extract.

Step 7. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in 7 Up soda and buttermilk.

Step 8. Add dry ingredients to batter, in batches, and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Don't overmix; the batter will be somewhat thick.

Step 9. Pour cake batter evenly into the Bundt pan. Tap the pan on a hard flat surface to even out the batter and release any air bubbles.

Step 10. Bake cake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Step 11. Remove cake from oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack, plate, or serving dish.

Step 12. Make glaze for cake (see below) and drizzle over the top of the cake before serving.

Glaze Icing for Pound Cake

Step 1. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and 7Up together in a small bowl.

Step 2. Drizzle over cake. Then, slice and serve.

Recipe Tips

Grease the Bundt pan really good, making sure to coat all the nooks and crannies. I used a nonstick spray that includes flour, for an easy release. You can also use oil or butter, with a light dusting of flour.
Mixing cornstarch with all purpose flour is a homemade cake flour substitute, but you can use actual cake flour instead. It makes the cake extra tender and soft.
If the top is browning too quickly but the cake isn’t done yet, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes before trying to invert it. I use a plate and flip it over, then tap alonf the bottom of the pan until it sounds hollow.

Storage Instructions

Store pound cake at room temperature for up to 3 days. Cover it with plastic wrap or store it in cake storage container to keep it from drying out.

Commonly Asked Questions

Why do people put 7 Up in cake?

It's believe that 7 Up acts as a leavening agent, helping the cake rise. It also adds a subtle lemon-lime flavor.

Can I make 7 Up cake without a Bundt pan?

Yes, you can make 7 Up cake without a Bundt pan, but the baking time will vary.

How to prevent cake from sticking to Bundt pan?

Use a nonstick cooking spray or grease and flouring the Bundt pan to prevent sticking. the cake from sticking. Make sure you get in all the grooves and crevices of the pan. Then, let the cake to cool for about 10 minutes before inverting it onto a plate, cooling rack, etc.