An old-fashioned Southern recipe, 7 Up cake pound cake is made in a Bundt pan and drizzled with lemon lime soda glaze. It’s super moist, easy to make, with a subtle lemon lime flavor.
I’ve been wanting to make and share this 7 Up cake recipe (pound cake) 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.
For more cake recipes, be sure to check out our caramel cake (one of our most popular recipes) and this red velvet cake!
What we love most 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.
What is 7 Up cake?
A 7 Up cake is a popular Southern 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.
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
- Non-stick cooking spray or oil, for greasing
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 a classic 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.
How to make glaze
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.
How to properly store 7 Up cake
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
7 Up Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or hand mixer
- 10-cup Bundt pan
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1/2 cup 7 Up or other lemon lime soda like Sprite, Starry, etc.
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons 7 Up
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray inside of Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray or grease with oil or butter and a light dusting of flour. Set aside.
- Whisk flour and cornstarch together in a large bowl. Then add salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- Use a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to beat butter on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and beat on high until creamed together. Scrape down sides of the bowl as needed.
- Beat in eggs and lemon extract on medium speed until combined.
- Pour in 7 Up and buttermilk and beat on low speed.
- Add dry ingredients to wet batter in batches, mixing in between each addition until incorporated. Be careful not to overmix; the batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour batter evenly into the Bundt pan. Tap pan on a hard, flat surface to level our and remove any air bubbles.
- Bake cake in oven for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil if you notice that it's browning too quickly.
- Once cake is done, remove from oven and let it cool for 10 minutes inside the pan. Then, invert cake onto large plate or serving dish.
- Allow cake to continue cooling, then prepare the glaze.
Glaze
- Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and 7 Up together in a small bowl.
- Drizzle glaze over cake, then slice and serve.
This cake came out just how I remember my granny’s 7UP cakes. Delish! Thank you!