This absolutely amazing 7UP cake is the easiest dessert to make — it’s a delectably moist cake topped with a simple glaze that’s full of delicate citrusy flavor.
Pairing up a boxed mix and some 7UP is sure to surprise you. Who knew a soft drink could transform a cake mix into such a delicious dessert?
The next time you’re looking for an incredible cake that will impress all of your guests, look to this sweet and citrusy cake that will have everyone asking for the recipe.
Why You’ll Love 7UP Cake
Who doesn’t love a moist and fluffy cake that’s chock-full of flavor, right?
- Versatile: This citrusy cake is a huge hit at any event, from special occasions like birthday parties and baby showers to cookouts and other casual gatherings.
- Easy: It’s hard to imagine a cake that’s easier to make than this incredibly simple 7UP cake — and no one will ever guess how quickly you were able to whip it up.
- Customizable: There are tons of ways to make your own signature style of this cake.
Ingredients
Many of these simple ingredients may already be in your pantry. If not, they’re easy to find at the grocery store.
Lemon Lime Cake
- Cake mix: Vanilla, yellow, or angel food mixes all work well.
- Greek yogurt: Use either plain, vanilla, lemon, or lime, depending on the flavor you prefer to stand out in the cake.
- Vegetable oil: While this oil is standard for baking, you can use any oil with a neutral flavor. Other options are canola oil or avocado oil.
- Eggs: Eggs help to provide structure and contribute to the cake rising.
- Citrus: While you can use either juice or zest, I prefer to use both for plenty of citrusy flavor.
Lemon Lime Glaze
- Powdered sugar: Confectioner’s sugar gives this glaze its sweetness and texture.
- Butter: Butter gives the icing the perfect consistency, allowing it to adhere to the cake.
- Lemon-Lime soda: While the standard soda for this cake is clearly 7UP, you can use any lemon-lime flavored soda like Sprite or a generic brand. You can also use ginger ale if you prefer to omit the citrus flavor.
- Milk or Water: Whole milk gives this icing the best consistency and flavor, but water is an option as well.
- Extract: This is optional, but you can add more citrusy flavor with lemon extract or round out the flavors of the other ingredients with a vanilla extract.
- Maraschino cherries: These bright beauties add vibrant color to the cake and are also a sweet treat.
How To Make 7UP Cake
This easy cake is a cinch to whip up on the fly.
Cake:
- Combine cake ingredients. Add the cake mix, yogurt, oil, eggs, citrus juice, and zest to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until completely combined.
- Pour into pan. Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan or tube pan sprayed with cooking spray and place in a preheated oven.
- Bake. Bake until the cake passes the toothpick test and is a light golden brown color.
- Allow to cool. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack briefly before inverting it onto a serving dish.
Icing:
- Add ingredients to bowl. Add the powdered sugar, melted butter, soda, milk (or water), and extract to a medium bowl.
- Combine. Whisk the ingredients together until smooth. Adjust milk and powdered sugar as necessary for the desired consistency.
- Drizzle onto cake. Using a spoon, drizzle a portion of the icing over the top of the cake.
- Garnish and serve. Garnish with maraschino cherries and serve immediately or cover until ready to serve.
What to Serve with 7UP Cake
As with any cake, this one is perfect for pairing with a dollop of whipped cream or a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. For drinks, a cold glass of milk will always work well, but for the adult crowd, you can also try a Dirty Shirley (which has a similar flavor profile) or a lemon drop martini.
This delicious cake is also perfect with a bowl of fresh fruit.
Variations
Make this cake your own special treat with a few twists.
- Zest: For more citrus flavor, add lemon zest or lime zest to the top of the cake.
- Nuts: Crushed nuts sprinkled over top add flavor and texture.
- Mint: Sprinkle some fresh mint on the cake for fresh, herbal flavor.
- Garnish: Add vibrant fresh berries for a pop of color and bright flavor.
- Icing: For more citrusy flavor, add a little bit of either lemon juice or lime juice to the icing.
Storage and Freezing
Storage: There’s no need to refrigerate this cake. Just cover (or transfer to an airtight container) and store for up to 5 days at room temperature.
Freezer: Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap or store individual slices in a resealable freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Common Questions About 7UP Cake
7UP acts as a leavening agent — it helps the cake rise, like baking soda or baking powder. It also gives the cake lime and lemon flavor.
The recipe for 7UP cake was first published in 1953 in promotional materials created by 7UP.
Absolutely! The 7UP works together with other ingredients in the cake mix, resulting in a perfectly moist and fluffy cake.
More Easy Cake Recipes
7UP Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake:
- 15.25 ounce box cake mix , vanilla or yellow
- 5.3 ounces lemon , vanilla or lime Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter , melted
- 3 tablespoons lemon-lime soda
- 1 tablespoon milk or water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract
- Maraschino cherries
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325°F and coat a 12 cup bundt or tube pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry cake mix with the yogurt, oil, eggs and citrus juices and zests, mix well, scraping down sides as you go.
- Pour into prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until top (bottom) is lightly browned, springs back to the touch and passes the toothpick test.
- Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Gently tap the top of the baking pan and then invert onto a serving platter. Allow to cool fully before drizzling with icing.
Icing:
- To make icing, whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, soda, milk (or water) and extract until no lumps remain, approximately 2-3 minutes. If the icing isn’t a pourable consistency, add more powdered sugar or milk until it reaches a smooth white texture that will coat the back of a spoon.
- Spoon evenly over cake all the way around and allow to set, repeat with remaining icing.
- Top of maraschino cherries and serve.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or ratings.
MM
Such a lovely cake recipe! My mom’s favorite flavor is lemon and lime so I’m making this for her brithday!
dana
The multitude of ways you can use 7-Up is incredible. My mom uses it for her pie crust! This was delicious. The lemon and lime flavors come out beautifully.
Luci Petlack
What an interesting way to use 7UP! I’m going to try making this over the weekend. 🙂
Nathan
I love this lemony cake, and I never would’ve thought to use 7UP for a citrus glaze! So perfect for the summer, I don’t think this cake will last very long in my house 🙂
Kushigalu
Interesting cake flavor. Looks so delicious. Thanks for the recipe.