7UP Cake

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Start with a boxed mix and a can of 7UP for the easiest lemon-lime 7UP Cake around. A party and potluck favorite all across the Midwest!

7 up cake on a marble cake stand.


 

There is something nostalgic about a cake made with 7Up (or chicken wings made with Coca Cola or baked ham made with Dr. Pepper). They were a fixture in my childhood at church potlucks and neighborhood block parties.

What these recipes lack in fizz, they make up for in flavor, and in FUN. This 7Up can is familiar and new all at once, and always delicious.

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for 7IP cake.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Yellow cake mix: Based on convenience recipes of the 50’s, this 7Up cake starts with a boxed mix. Find the equally delicious from-scratch version in the “Recipe Tips and Variations” section.
  • 7Up soda: For best results, use 7Up and not another lemon-lime soda alternative. 7Up has a higher amount of carbonation than say, Sprite, which helps the cake rise the best out of all the options. See FAQs for more information.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Adjust an oven to the middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan well with butter. In a large bowl, add the yellow cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, lemon pudding mix, and 7UP. Stir well to combine.
7 Up cake batter in a clear bowl next to a bundt cake pan.
  1. Pour the batter into prepared pan.
7 Up cake batter in bundt cake pan.
  1. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean with a few crumbs attached, about 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Remove cake from the bundt pan.
7 Up cake in bundt cake pan.
  1. To make the glaze, in a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lime juice, 7UP, and zest.
7 up cake glaze in a small clear bowl next to a can of 7 up.
  1. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
Someone drizzling glaze over a 7 up cake.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This cake makes 12 luscious slices.
  • Storage: Store extra cake covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.
  • 7UP Pound Cake from scratch:
    1. Adjust an oven to the middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan well with butter.
    2. In a standing mixer, cream 1 ½ cups butter (3 sticks) and 3 cups granulated sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 10 minutes.
    3. Add 5 eggs to the mixture one at a time, beating after each is added in. Add 3 cups self-rising flour and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
    4. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Fold in ¾ cup 7UP. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
    5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean with a few crumbs attached, about 60 to 75 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
    6. Once cool, remove from the pan and drizzle with the Lemon Glaze. If using the from-scratch method, each slice (assuming 12 slices per cake) is 576 calories.
Two slices of 7 up cake on gray plates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the 7Up do in baking?

The fizzy carbon dioxide replaces traditional leavening agents such as baking powder and baking soda. You can get a tall, fluffy cake from the fizz

Can you substitute Sprite for the 7Up in 7Up cake?

Ideally, you should use 7Up. 7Up has a higher level of carbonation than Sprite so it works better to make the cake rise (even if the sodas have a similar flavor).

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A 7up cake on a marble cake stand.

7UP Cake

This easy, lemony 7UP Pound Cake is moist, delicious, and tastes just like the soda! And it’s MADE with 7UP, too! A party and potluck favorite.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 386
5 from 21 votes

Ingredients 

For the cake:

For the glaze:

Instructions 

  • Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan well with butter.
  • In a large bowl add the yellow cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, lemon pudding mix, and 7UP. Stir well to combine. 
  • Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean with a few crumbs attached, about 45 to 55 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Remove cake from the Bundt pan.
  • To make the glaze, in a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lime juice, 7UP, and zest. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Yellow cake mix: Based on convenience recipes of the 50’s, this 7Up cake starts with a boxed mix. Find the equally delicious from-scratch version in the “Recipe Tips and Variations” section.
  2. 7Up soda: 7Up has a higher amount of carbonation than say, Sprite, which helps the cake rise the best out of all the options. See FAQs for more information.
  3. Yield: This cake makes 12 luscious slices.
  4. Storage: Store extra cake covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.
  5. 7UP Pound Cake from scratch:
    1. Adjust an oven to the middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan well with butter.
    2. In a standing mixer, cream 1 ½ cups butter (3 sticks) and 3 cups granulated sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 10 minutes.
    3. Add 5 eggs to the mixture one at a time, beating after each is added in. Add 3 cups self-rising flour and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
    4. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Fold in ¾ cup 7UP. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
    5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean with a few crumbs attached, about 60 to 75 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
    6. Once cool, remove from the pan and drizzle with the Lemon Glaze. If using the from-scratch method, each slice (assuming 12 slices per cake) is 576 calories.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 386kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 3gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 337mgPotassium: 47mgFiber: 1gSugar: 40gVitamin A: 81IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 100mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

    1. Hi Lorraine, yes! It will change the flavor a little, but it will work. Please write back after you’ve baked it! – Meggan

  1. Great flavor! Made for St Patrick’s Day Party. I added green food coloring. Looked and tasted fantastic. The glaze was easy to make. Many Compliments. Definitely will make again with no changes.5 stars

    1. Thank you so much for your comment, Susan! I’m so glad you loved it and found it easy to make! – Meggan

  2. So I’m making this cake right now and accidently added double the amount of 7up 🙄. I continued on even after I realized my mistake and the consistency still looked like normal cake batter. Cake isn’t finished yet but do you think it will taste the same or no?

    1. Hi Jme, I hope it turned out well! The 7up acts as a leavening agent, which causes the cake to rise. Typically too much will cause the cake to rise quickly then fall flat. I hope this wasn’t the case for you! How did it turn out? – Meggan

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