Grandma’s Old-Fashioned 7-Up Pound Cake
This old-fashioned 7-Up Pound Cake is rich, buttery, and full of delicious lemon flavor, with a tender pound cake crumb and a simple lemony 7-Up glaze on top. I made it as part of my TikTok series, Making My Grandmother’s Recipes, where I’m baking my way through the recipes she collected over the years. This one was a huge hit and everyone in my family absolutely raved about it!
What makes this recipe extra special is that it’s written in my grandmother’s own handwriting on a very old recipe card. The card is now almost tan in color, and I’m pretty sure it started out white! It makes me wonder just how old this recipe is. 7-Up Pound Cake became popular in the 1950s, so there’s a good chance this recipe dates back that far, especially since my grandmother’s recipe box includes other recipes dated from the 1950s.
Why You’ll Love This 7-Up Pound Cake
It’s an old-fashioned family recipe. This one comes straight from my grandmother’s handwritten recipe collection.
It tastes amazing. It’s rich and buttery with a delicious lemon flavor. My family couldn’t stop talking about how good it was!
The texture is wonderful. It has that classic dense, rich pound cake texture while still being tender and moist.
It’s made with 7-Up. The lemon-lime soda goes right into the batter and adds a subtle citrus flavor. I also use a little in the glaze.
It’s simple to make. This is an old-fashioned cake made with basic ingredients and no complicated techniques.
What You Need
Ingredient Notes
Butter – Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature so it creams easily.
Vegetable shortening – My grandmother’s original recipe calls for ½ cup shortening along with the butter. If you prefer not to use shortening, substitute another stick of softened butter.
Granulated sugar – Three cups might sound like a lot, but this is a large, old-fashioned pound cake.
Eggs – You’ll need 5 large eggs. Add them one at a time so they incorporate evenly into the batter.
Lemon flavoring – This gives the cake its delicious lemon flavor and is also used in the glaze.
All-purpose flour – No special flour is needed for this recipe.
7-Up – The star ingredient! You’ll use 7 ounces in the cake and a little more for the glaze.
Powdered sugar – Used with 7-Up and lemon flavoring to make the easy glaze.
How to Make 7-Up Pound Cake
Cream the butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the salt and lemon flavoring, followed by the flour and 7-Up.
Pour the batter into a prepared Bundt or tube pan and bake low and slow at 300°F until a wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes before turning it out. Once completely cool, drizzle with the easy 7-Up glaze.
See the full recipe and detailed instructions below.
Quick Tips
Grease and flour your pan really well. Make sure you get into all the nooks and crannies of your Bundt pan so the cake releases cleanly.
Don’t rush the baking time. This is a large, dense pound cake that bakes at just 300°F, so it needs time for the center to bake completely.
Start checking early. Begin checking for doneness at about 1 hour 15 minutes. Depending on your oven and pan, it should take approximately 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.
Use a long wooden skewer. It’s easier to reach the center of a thick pound cake with a skewer than with a short toothpick.
Let it rest before inverting. Cool the cake in the pan for 20 minutes so it has a chance to firm up before you turn it out.
Cool completely before glazing. If the cake is still warm, the glaze will melt and run off instead of creating that pretty finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called 7-Up Pound Cake? Because there’s actually 7-Up in the batter! The lemon-lime soda adds liquid as well as a subtle citrus flavor that pairs perfectly with the lemon flavoring.
Can I make 7-Up Pound Cake without shortening? Yes. My grandmother’s original recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter plus ½ cup vegetable shortening. If you prefer not to use shortening, substitute another stick of softened butter, for a total of 3 sticks (1½ cups) butter.
Can I use Sprite instead of 7-Up? Yes, another lemon-lime soda such as Sprite should work in the recipe, although I use 7-Up because that’s what my grandmother’s original recipe calls for and, of course, it wouldn’t really be 7-Up Pound Cake without it!
What size Bundt pan should I use? Use a 10-cup Bundt pan or a 10-inch tube pan. This recipe makes a substantial amount of batter, so you want to make sure your pan is large enough.
How do I know when my pound cake is done? Insert a long wooden skewer into the thickest part of the cake. It should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. Because ovens vary, start checking at about 1 hour 15 minutes rather than relying only on the baking time.
Why did my pound cake crack when I turned it out? A pound cake can crack if it’s turned out of the pan while it’s still very hot and fragile. Let this cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before carefully inverting it onto a wire rack.
Want to see me make my grandmother’s 7-Up Pound Cake? The video will be part of my Making My Grandmother’s Recipes series on TikTok on September 7. Follow along to see how this treasured handwritten recipe turns out!
7-Up Pound Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 sticks, 1 cup salted butter, softened
- ½ cup vegetable shortening, or substitute 1 stick [½ cup] butter, if preferred
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon flavoring
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 7 ounces 7-Up
For the 7-Up Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons 7-Up
- 1 teaspoon lemon flavoring
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Thoroughly grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan or 10-inch tube pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and shortening with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the salt and lemon flavoring and mix until combined. Gradually add the flour, mixing on low speed just until incorporated. Slowly pour in the 7-Up and mix just until the batter is smooth and combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until a long wooden skewer inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Begin checking the cake at about 1 hour 15 minutes, as baking times can vary depending on the oven and pan.
- Place the cake, still in the pan, on a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Carefully invert the cake onto the wire rack and let cool completely before glazing.
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, 7-Up, and lemon flavoring until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add additional 7-Up, ½ teaspoon at a time, until it is thick but pourable. Drizzle the glaze over the completely cooled cake. Let the glaze set before slicing and serving.