HHeritage Kitchen

Desserts

7UP Pound Cake

7UP Pound Cake is a nostalgic favorite often found on holiday dessert tables and at family gatherings. The lemon-lime soda lends a subtle citrus flavor to a rich, buttery cake with a fine, tender crumb. A simple lemon glaze makes the finished cake even more inviting.

Jump to Recipe
Sliced glazed 7UP pound cake baked in a Bundt pan, served on a plate

Prep time

25 min

Cook time

1 hr 25 min

Cooling

2 hr

Total time

3 hr 50 min bakes 70 to 85 minutes; about 2 hours of cooling before glazing is included, so plan on roughly 4 hours

Servings

12 · One 12-cup Bundt cake, 12 to 16 slices

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), softened
  • 5 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup 7UP lemon-lime soda, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Butter and flour for preparing the pan

For the lemon glaze

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2–3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1–2 tablespoons milk or additional lemon juice, as needed

Instructions

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 325°F. Thoroughly grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.

  2. 2

    In a large mixing bowl, cream softened butter and granulated sugar for approximately 5–7 minutes until light and fluffy.

  3. 3

    Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

  4. 4

    Mix in lemon extract and vanilla extract.

  5. 5

    In a separate bowl, whisk flour and salt together.

  6. 6

    Add flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the 7UP. Begin and end with the flour. Mix on low speed just until combined.

  7. 7

    Spoon batter evenly into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top.

  8. 8

    Bake for approximately 70–85 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the thickest portion comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

  9. 9

    Let the cake cool in the pan for 15–20 minutes.

  10. 10

    Carefully invert onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely before glazing.

  11. 11

    For the glaze, whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice and enough milk or additional lemon juice to reach a pourable consistency.

  12. 12

    Drizzle over the cooled cake. Allow glaze to set before slicing.

Notes

  • Suggested pairings: Southern Sweet Tea, Sock-It-to-Me Cake or Southern Tea Cakes.

Heritage Kitchen Tips

  • Use regular 7UP: the traditional recipe uses regular lemon-lime soda.
  • Room-temperature ingredients help produce a smooth, evenly mixed batter.
  • Do not overmix: once flour is incorporated, mix only until combined.
  • Bundt pan preparation: coat every crevice thoroughly to prevent sticking.
  • Pan capacity: use a 12-cup Bundt pan and avoid overfilling it.

Ingredient substitutions

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest added to the batter
nothing — an optional citrus variation

Storage and reheating

Keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze tightly wrapped slices for longer storage.

Round out the meal

Complete the meal

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