If you’ve been around the internet more than five minutes, you’ve probably seen a lot of chatter about retro cake recipes lately, particularly the kinds that have an odd-sounding pantry ingredient. The one that comes to mind is the viral tomato soup cake, which yes, uses a can of condensed soup in the batter. Another such example is the 7UP cake recipe, which relies on a cup of the classic lemon-lime soda to make a bundt cake from scratch. There are a lot of versions available to try, but when I decided to give it a go, I went right to the source! The 7UP site has one readily available.
Why I Tried the Lemon-Lime 7UP Cake Recipe
As someone professionally trained in pastry, I often avoid the viral home-baking hacks like doctoring up boxed cake mix. Not that there’s anything wrong with that if you do. Don’t come for me in the comments! Most of my favorite family recipes that I inherited from my grandmothers use store-bought ingredients, and I love them. (Here’s looking at you, Jell-O pudding and Cool Whip.) But it’s not usually on my baking to-do list to try hacks when I know how to make things from scratch without them.
Honestly, why I decided to try the recipe wasn’t to see if it worked. I was pretty sure that it would, given that it’s in so many recipe boxes and old church cookbooks handed down over generations. It was more because I didn’t have it in my own inherited recipe boxes and books, and I was curious. Much like the tomato soup cake (which I do have in my possession, and I have tried), the 7UP cake is making a comeback thanks to the internet, and I wanted to see what the hoopla was all about. Maybe I could be the next generation to pass it down?
Why the 7UP Cake Recipe Works
If you read through the recipe, you’ll quickly notice one major ingredient that’s missing: a leavener like baking soda and baking powder. The fizz of the soda is what’s helping to lift the batter. Often, classic, denser pound cake recipes don’t call for a ton of leavener anyway, so a bit of carbonation makes for an easy substitute.
You’ll also see that there’s no other major liquid in the batter. The soda is replacing what would typically be some sort of dairy, like milk or buttermilk, to add moisture. And yes, it gives added sweetness and flavor to the batter, too. Because it has added sugar, the soda also helps keep the cake moister for longer. Sugar is a natural preservative, so it can be eaten for days after it’s been baked.
My Thoughts on the 7UP Cake Recipe
The recipe on the 7UP site is a standard pound cake recipe, except for the soda replacement. The only ingredient that really stood out was that the recipe called for two tablespoons of lemon extract, which seemed like a lot to me. Two teaspoons seemed more standard. But for the sake of research, I followed the cake ingredients as written.
I admit, I didn’t follow the recipe exactly in some other spots, though. (Sorry, I couldn’t help it!) In the directions, it says to mix for a full minute after adding the soda and another minute after adding the flour. Both of these seemed a little long—I didn’t want to deflate the bubbles or develop too much gluten. So, I mixed until just combined on low speed for both.
I also halved the glaze recipe. Based on my experience with other bundt cakes, it felt excessive to have that much glaze, particularly on a cake that I assumed would be a little sweeter because of the soda. The instructions also mention that you don’t even need the glaze; a dusting of powdered sugar would be equally as good.
Other than those callouts, the cake was easy to make and baked up wonderfully per the instructions. Once it was cooled and the glaze had set, I had my first piece the same evening. It was really well balanced, I will say. The crumb was moist and on the denser side like you should expect from a pound cake. I had another slice two days later (stored at room temperature in a plastic food storage container) and it still tasted delicious.
And while it is on the sweeter side than some pound cakes, the 7UP cake wasn’t overly sweet. I was right about the icing amount for my particular taste buds; it only needed half. What I was wrong about was the lemon extract. Two tablespoons worked well, giving the cake enough lemon flavor without going overboard.
Should You Make the 7UP Cake Recipe?
If you like pound cake, definitely give it a go. It’s the sort of cake that makes an excellent afternoon pick-me-up with coffee, and I’ll definitely make it again. Plus, it automatically comes with a fun “guess the secret ingredient” element when you’re serving it to others. No one guessed it correctly when I quizzed them. I would love to know if anyone gets it right when you try it!
Try More Cake Recipes from ACD:
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7UP Cake Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 6–12 servings 1x
Description
This cake is adapted from the original 7UP recipe. The soda helps create a moist cake with a lovely lemon flavor. Try a slice with your afternoon coffee for the perfect sweet treat.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups sugar
- 5 eggs
- 2 tablespoons lemon extract
- 3 cups flour
- ¾ cup 7UP
Glaze:
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons 7UP
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously grease a bundt pan and set aside.
- In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy on medium speed, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add in the eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated, then add in the lemon extract.
- Add in the flour on low speed and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Add in the 7UP and mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 1 to 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Remove the cake and let it stand for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Using an electric hand mixer, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and 7UP. Beat until smooth.
- Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let it set before slicing.
Notes
The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also skip the glaze entirely and dust with powdered sugar for serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
AnnMarie Mattila
AnnMarie Mattila has been the editor for American Cake Decorating since 2021, and her company, Kissa Media, acquired the publication in 2025. She is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education and spent many years toting around her sweet creations before changing her focus to food media. She has a master’s degree in food studies from New York University and sometimes still eats cake scraps for dinner.
