One of my favorite things to come out of the Midwestern multiverse is the 7Up pound cake my grandma made from scratch. She migrated from Corinth, Mississippi, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with the recipe in tow. Baked in a Bundt pan, it’s rich yet fluffy, with bright citrus flavor from lemon-lime soda in both the batter and the glaze.
A combination of butter and cream cheese keeps the crumb tender and moist for days, while fresh citrus zest sharpens the cake’s lemon-lime flavor without relying on extracts. Finished with a glossy lemon glaze inspired by grocery-store bakery classics, this cake is nostalgic, unfussy, and built to disappear slice by slice.
Tips for making 7Up cake
What 7Up does in a cake: A generous glug of soda adds a wealth of citrus flavor, while its carbonation helps create a lighter crumb and a crisp, golden-brown exterior. You won’t taste soda—just brightness and lift. Sprite—or any other lemon-lime soda—will also work.
Use fresh zest, not extract. Fresh lime and lemon zest provide a cleaner citrus flavor than the lemon extract found in many 7Up pound cake recipes.
Bring ingredients to room temperature. Room-temperature eggs, along with softened butter and cream cheese, blend more smoothly, helping the batter emulsify and bake evenly.
Grease the Bundt pan thoroughly. While I typically use softened butter and a pastry brush (or nonstick baking spray) to grease my Bundt cake pan, my grandma swore by a tube of Crisco shortening tucked away in her cabinet. Whichever you choose, be sure to coat every nook and cranny of the pan.
Cool completely before glazing. Pouring glaze over a fully cooled cake ensures a thick, glossy finish instead of one that soaks into the crumb.
Recipe information
Total Time
2 hours (plus cooling and setting)
Yield
8–12 servings
Ingredients
Cake
Glaze and assembly
Special Equipment
Preparation
Cake
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°. Generously coat pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Beat 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, and 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest, and 1 tsp. finely grated lime zest and beat until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and add 6 large eggs, room temperature, one at a time, beating after each addition until combined before adding the next one. Add 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour and 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt and mix just until combined and smooth, about 1 minute. Add ½ cup 7UP, room temperature, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract and beat until combined, about 1 minute.
Step 2
Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth surface. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 75–85 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan 15 minutes. Run an offset spatula or small knife around sides of cake to loosen, then turn out onto a large plate or cake stand and let cool completely.
Glaze and assembly
Step 3
Whisk 2 cups (220 g) powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. 7UP, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl until smooth. Glaze should be thick but still pourable. If too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more 7UP or lemon juice. Pour glaze over cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let sit at least 20 minutes for glaze to set before serving.
