Nothing better than baking a cake from a family recipe – and that’s just what I’m bringing you today. But this family recipe comes from Jocelyn of Grandbaby Cakes: her Mama’s 7UP Pound Cake!
One of the favorite type of cookbook is one that’s filled with stories and Grandbaby Cakes by Jocelyn Delk Adams is JUST that – her family stories are intertwined into the recipes. Her tagline “modern recipes, vintage charm, soulful memories” is the best way to describe her book.
Flipping through the pages and reading her stories were so comforting, and when deciding on what to make, I wanted something simple yet with a lot of history and this 7UP pound cake popped up. A little more from Jocelyn:
“This is a vintage recipe that has been in my family for decades. It was actually the very first cake I ever learned to bake, which I suspect is not only because it is my mother’s absolute favorite cake but also because it was an unintimidating induction into the baking world, with results that even a nine-year-old girl could master. If you are a beginner baker, this is an excellent recipe to start your journey with. You may even get bitten by the baking bug like I did. Mama’s 7UP Pound Cake is a classic and decadent treat complemented by the subtle flavor of citrus soda. The juxtaposition of the crunchy crust to the moist inner texture makes this cake simply irresistible. It melts as soon as you taste it.”
Another note from the book was the persuasion to use only 7Up in this recipe. Not Sprite or anything else. So I looked near and far, high and low, for 7UP. It took me three stores and I had to buy an entire case of 7Up cans because they weren’t sold individually, but it was well worth it. The citrusy flavor of 7Up is so classic and works very well in this cake. More details from Jocelyn:
“This recipe doesn’t have a leavening agent, but it doesn’t need one. A significantly longer creaming process adds more air to the batter, giving it the lift it needs. Don’t skip this step. The results are a golden-brown, perfectly filled-out cake, no leavening necessary. My mother has always been adamant about using the original 7UP and nothing else. She says you can really taste the difference. While I have used other lemon-lime soda brands ranging from Sprite to Sierra Mist, I try my best to follow my mother’s advice.”
- 1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups sifted cake flour
- ½ cup 7UP soda, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon extract
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons 7UP soda
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- FOR THE CAKE: Preheat your oven to 315°F. Prepare a 10-cup Bundt pan with the nonstick method of your choice.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for 2 minutes on high speed. Slowly add the sugar and salt. Cream together for an additional 7 minutes, until very pale yellow and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed and slowly add the flour in 2 batches. Be careful not to overbeat. Pour in the 7UP and lemon extract. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix the batter until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 75 to 85 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Let cool to room temperature. Lightly cover the cake with foil or plastic wrap so it does not dry out.
- FOR THE GLAZE: In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until the mixture is pourable. When the cake is completely cool, spoon the glaze over the cake and allow it to harden. Serve at room temperature.
Disclaimer: Recipe reprinted with permission from Grandbaby Cakes by Jocelyn Delk Adams, Agate Surrey, 2015. A free sample of the book was sent to me with no obligation – sharing this because the cake is divine!
Hooray hon I am so so glad the cake turned out well for you!!!! You are so sweet. I absolutely adore this cake and still make it ALL the time!!! There is really nothing like it right?