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7 Up Pound Cake: Southern Classic With Lemon Glaze
7 Up pound cake is a Southern favorite that has been baked for generations: a rich, buttery pound cake made with a splash of lemon-lime soda, baked in a Bundt pan and finished with a sweet-tart lemon glaze. It has a golden, slightly crisp crust, a fine and tender crumb, and a bright citrus flavor. It also keeps beautifully, so it is a great cake to bake a day ahead for guests, potlucks and holidays.
This version uses pantry staples, fresh lemon zest and no baking powder, just like the classic. Below are the ingredients, step-by-step instructions with what to look for at each stage, tips for a cake that won’t stick, and storage advice. The printable recipe card is at the bottom.
Why You’ll Love This 7 Up Pound Cake
- Classic flavor: buttery and lemony, with a light lemon-lime note from the soda.
- Simple ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, flour, lemon and a can of soda.
- Makes a big cake: a 12-cup Bundt pan gives 16 generous slices.
- Better the next day: the crumb settles and the flavor deepens overnight.
Ingredients for 7 Up Pound Cake
For the cake
- Unsalted butter, 1½ cups (3 sticks / 340 g), softened to cool room temperature, about 65°F (18°C). It should hold a fingerprint but not look greasy.
- Granulated sugar, 3 cups (600 g).
- Large eggs, 5, at room temperature.
- All-purpose flour, 3 cups (375 g), spooned into the cup and leveled, or weighed.
- Fine salt, ½ teaspoon (3 g).
- Lemon zest, 1 tablespoon, finely grated (from about 2 lemons).
- Pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon.
- Lemon extract, 1 teaspoon, optional, for a stronger lemon flavor.
- 7 Up or another lemon-lime soda, ¾ cup (180 ml), at room temperature. Use regular soda, not diet.
For the lemon glaze
- Powdered sugar, 1 cup (120 g), sifted.
- Fresh lemon juice, 1½ tablespoons.
- 7 Up, 1 tablespoon, or more lemon juice.
- Lemon zest, ½ teaspoon, optional.
What does the 7 Up do?
The soda adds a light lemon-lime flavor, a little extra sweetness and moisture, and some acidity, which may help keep the crumb tender. Don’t count on the bubbles to make the cake rise, though. Like any classic pound cake, most of the lift in this 7 Up pound cake comes from creaming the butter and sugar well and from the eggs, so don’t rush those steps.
Equipment You Need
- A 12-cup (2.8 L) or larger Bundt pan, or a 10-inch tube pan. A 10-cup pan is too small and may overflow.
- A stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or a hand mixer and a large bowl
- A long wooden skewer or cake tester
- A wire cooling rack
How to Make 7 Up Pound Cake (Step by Step)
1. Prepare the oven and pan
Set a rack in the lower-middle of the oven and heat it to 325°F (165°C). Generously grease every ridge of the Bundt pan with softened butter or a baking spray that contains flour. If you use butter, dust the pan with flour, tap it all around, and knock out the excess.
2. Cream the butter and sugar
Beat the butter on medium speed for about 1 minute until smooth. Add the sugar gradually, then beat on medium-high for 5 to 7 minutes, until the mixture is very pale, fluffy and nearly doubled in volume. Scrape the bowl a couple of times. This long creaming traps the air that makes the cake rise.
3. Add the eggs one at a time
Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 30 seconds after each and scraping the bowl as needed. Beat in the lemon zest, vanilla and lemon extract. If the mixture looks a little curdled, keep going; it will come together when the flour goes in.
4. Alternate the flour and soda
Whisk the flour and salt together. With the mixer on low, add the flour in 3 parts, alternating with the 7 Up in 2 parts, starting and ending with flour. Mix only until each addition disappears. Overmixing at this stage develops gluten and makes a tougher cake. Finish by folding the batter a few times with a spatula, scraping the bottom of the bowl.
5. Fill the pan
Spoon the thick batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan firmly on the counter 2 or 3 times to release large air bubbles.
6. Bake low and slow
Bake for 70 to 80 minutes, starting to check at 65 minutes. The cake is done when it is deep golden, springs back when pressed lightly, and a long skewer inserted into the thickest part comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. An instant-read thermometer should read about 200 to 210°F (93 to 99°C) in the center. If the top browns too quickly, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the pan after about 50 minutes. A crack along the top is normal for a pound cake.
7. Cool, then unmold
Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Run a thin spatula around the center tube and edges, place the rack on top, and flip the cake out. Leaving it in the pan much longer can make it stick, while flipping it sooner can make it break. Let the cake cool completely, about 2 hours, before glazing.
8. Glaze
Whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, 7 Up and zest until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable; add more soda or juice a few drops at a time, or more sugar, to adjust. Spoon it over the top of the cooled cake and let it drip down the sides. Let the glaze set for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.
Tips for the Best 7 Up Pound Cake
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Cold eggs or cold soda can make the creamed butter seize and the batter curdle, which leads to a denser cake. Take everything out about an hour ahead.
- Measure the flour carefully. Too much flour makes pound cake dry. Weigh it if you can, or spoon it into the cup and level it.
- Cream for the full time. 5 to 7 minutes feels long, but it is what gives this cake its lift.
- Grease the pan thoroughly. Bundt pans have lots of corners for cake to stick to. Use a pastry brush to get butter into every groove.
- Check your oven. Many ovens run hot or cold. An inexpensive oven thermometer helps a lot with long-baking cakes.
- Don’t open the oven early. Wait until at least 60 minutes have passed before you check, so the cake doesn’t sink.
Easy Variations and Substitutions
- Other lemon-lime sodas: Sprite or a store-brand lemon-lime soda work the same way. Avoid diet soda; the sugar helps the texture and browning.
- Cake flour: swap in the same weight (375 g) of cake flour for an even finer, softer crumb.
- Lime pound cake: use lime zest and lime juice instead of lemon in both the cake and the glaze.
- Two loaf cakes: divide the batter between two greased and floured 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pans and bake for 55 to 70 minutes, starting to check at 50 minutes.
- Cream cheese pound cake: for a richer, denser cake, try our cream cheese pound cake.
What to Serve With 7 Up Pound Cake
- Fresh strawberries, blueberries or raspberries and whipped cream
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream
- Lemon curd or a spoonful of Greek yogurt
- Coffee or iced tea
- Toasted slices with a little butter for breakfast
It also makes a light, bright finish after a rich dinner such as our bavette steak with garlic herb butter.
How to Store and Freeze
- Room temperature: keep the cake covered with a cake dome or wrapped in plastic wrap, and enjoy it within 3 days for the best texture.
- Refrigerator: wrapped tightly, it keeps up to 1 week. Chilled pound cake is firm, so let slices sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
- Freezer: wrap the unglazed cake, or individual slices, in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it in its wrapping at room temperature, then glaze.
A Note on Raw Batter
As tempting as it is, don’t taste the batter. The FDA advises never eating raw dough or batter, because flour is a raw ingredient that can carry harmful bacteria and raw eggs can carry Salmonella. Baking the cake is what makes it safe. Read more in the FDA’s guide to handling flour safely.
7 Up Pound Cake FAQs
Why is my pound cake dense or heavy?
The most common causes are under-creaming the butter and sugar, cold ingredients, too much flour, or overmixing after the flour goes in. Cream for the full 5 to 7 minutes, use room-temperature ingredients, and measure the flour carefully.
Why did my 7 Up cake stick to the pan?
Usually the pan wasn’t greased thoroughly enough, or the cake cooled in the pan too long. Grease every ridge with butter and flour or a baking spray with flour, and unmold the cake after 15 minutes.
Can I use Sprite instead of 7 Up?
Yes. Any regular lemon-lime soda works. The flavor difference is very small.
Does 7 Up pound cake need baking powder?
No. A traditional 7 Up pound cake has no baking powder or baking soda. It rises from the air beaten into the butter and sugar and from the eggs.
Why did my pound cake sink in the middle?
It was most likely underbaked or the oven door was opened too early. Bake until a skewer comes out clean and the center reaches about 200 to 210°F (93 to 99°C).
Can I make 7 Up pound cake ahead?
Yes. It tastes even better the next day. Bake it up to 2 days ahead, wrap it well once cool, and glaze it on the day you serve it, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
7 Up Pound Cake Recipe Card
Calories are an estimate per slice (1/16 of the cake), based on USDA FoodData Central values for butter, sugar, flour, eggs, lemon-lime soda and powdered sugar. For more baking ideas, see our vanilla cake, the 3-ingredient chocolate dump cake, and all our cake recipes.
7 Up Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C) with a rack in the lower-middle. Thoroughly grease a 12-cup Bundt pan and dust it with flour, or use baking spray with flour.
- Beat the butter 1 minute until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and beat on medium-high 5 to 7 minutes until very pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, about 30 seconds each, scraping the bowl. Mix in the lemon zest, vanilla and lemon extract.
- Whisk the flour and salt. On low speed, add the flour in 3 parts alternating with the 7 Up in 2 parts, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.
- Spread the batter in the pan and tap it on the counter 2 or 3 times.
- Bake 70 to 80 minutes, until golden, a long skewer comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, and the center reads about 200 to 210°F (93 to 99°C). Tent with foil after 50 minutes if browning too fast.
- Cool in the pan 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely, about 2 hours.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, 7 Up and zest into a thick, pourable glaze. Spoon over the cake and let it set 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.
