Mommy’s Lemon Lime Soda Pound Cake

Ahem…

::in Oprah Winfrey voice::

It’s Day 9!

Holy cow HOW?! Time is surely flying and I am most certainly having a ball doing this event. My friends are well fed with cake too, so win-win!

Today’s cake, Beloveds, is an homage to my mother. She was a prolific baker and this was her go-to cake. The smell of this cake in my oven transported me to childhood family dinners, and it also made me miss her something terrible.

This is Mommy’s Lemon Lime Soda Pound Cake.

If Y’all will indulge me…

Friends, my Mommy was so smart. She graduated from Tuskeegee Institute with a degree in Mathematics. There was no mathematics that ever eluded her; I truly believe that she saw life in theorems and proofs. When I was studying for the A/B Calculus AP Exam (a thousand years ago), she patiently walked me through every practice problem, staying up late with me even when it meant that she went to bed even later than her midnight bedtime.

My Mommy was so kind. She was the parent who quietly gave to several charitable organizations without expectation of accolade. When she didn’t have money, she gave her time. She was particularly fond of the Special Olympics, and gave herself completely to the local Special Olympics where I grew up.

She loved her children ferociously. I always knew that my mother would drop everything for me if I truly needed her. She was an exceptionally busy, yuppie-generation corporate executive in the 80s, but she never made me feel like a burden when I was running a high temperature, or when I just needed to have a good cry. I hope that my own children feel that same unconditional love.

Y’all. My Mommy was so, so many other things. She was strong in character. She was patient. She was so very beautiful. And she could dress. My goodness, her sense of style was impeccable.

This is her cake, my way.

About this Cake

This cake is a take on the classic 7-Up Cake that my mother adapted and perfected when I was young. This was the cake she made to placate us children while she and my father indulged in my aunt’s rum cake.

She wrote this recipe on index cards many times for other people.

Kinda like…I’m writing my recipes for you. Huh. Full circle moment.

While I used 7-Up for this cake in order to pay respect to my mother, you can absolutely use another lemon-lime soda. Keep in mind, though, that other lemon lime sodas will make this cake exponentially sweeter than 7-Up. The soda is necessary because there’s no chemical leavening, so best not to omit it.

If you’re looking for an amazing buttermilk/plain pound cake, though, take a look right here!

This cake is bursting with lemon-lime flavor, and it’s so adorable! I am so glad that I added this specific cake to the lineup for this holiday event, since I ate it every holiday season of my own childhood.

If you love 7-Up Cake, or if citrus cakes in general are your thing, try this adapted version of the 7-Up Cake! I know you’ll love the big punch of flavor.

Let’s do this!

Beginners Start Here

If it’s been a while since you fired up your stand mixer, or if you’re brand spanking new to baking, you can start right here. This is the section where I share other BwB resources that might help you execute this cake to the best of your ability. Whether you’re new to baking or you’re a seasoned veteran who’s getting back into it, here are some baking resources to help you take your baking to the next level!

These resources are super useful to help you understand the techniques that you’ll need to successfully execute this amazing cake, and all of the recipes on this site.

Important Tools Used in this Recipe

Below, you’ll find some tools that I used for this pound cake, as well as all of the pound cakes in this event. I use these tools in my home kitchen and vouch for absolutely all of them. **I get paid a small commission if you purchase directly from some of these links, but they are truly amazing products that you’ll find in my kitchen.**

If you have them already, great! Think of this as a checklist to help you build the confidence that you’ll need to execute this recipe!

Recipe on deck!

Print
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Mommy’s Lemon Lime Soda Pound Cake

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This classic cake is beautiful, simple, and will bring up many food memories for your friends and loved ones that grew up eating pound cake.  This simple classic still stops people in their tracks, and is worthy of any table.

  • Total Time: ~5-7 hours
  • Yield: 14 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Batter:

  • 384 g flour, plus two tablespoons for greasing the pan
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 230 g salted butter, plus two tablespoons for greasing the pan (I used Vermont Creamery Cultured Butter with Sea Salt for this specific cake; the tang is perfection for citrus cakes)
  • 500 g sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 tsp lemon extract
  • 1 tsp lime extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 250 g lemon lime soda

For the Simple Syrup:

  • 67 g sugar
  • 84 g water
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

For the Final Glaze:

  • 360 g confectioner’s sugar
  • 56 tbsp lemon lime soda (start with 5)
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • Lemon and/or lime zest for garnish (optional)

Instructions

To Make the Batter with a Stand Mixer:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.  An oven thermometer will help you determine where you need to set your oven in order to get to a true 325°F.
  2. Sift the flour into a medium bowl.  Add kosher salt to the mix and whisk to combine.
  3. Place the room temperature butter in the bowl of your stand mixer.  Mix on low speed until smooth.  (30 seconds)
  4. Slowly add the granulated sugar and mix on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.  (5-10 minutes)
  5. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing for at least 45 seconds after each addition.  Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed (I usually scrape the bowl after the third and sixth egg).  This step is especially important for cake rise in this particular cake, as there is no chemical leavening. (7 minutes)
  6. Add vanilla extract, lemon extract, and lime extract and mix until thoroughly combined.  (1 minute)
  7. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.  (30-45 seconds)
  8. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add all of the lemon lime soda and mix until just combined.  Don’t add too quickly or the carbonation will bubble over!  (~1 minute)
  9. Add the second half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.  Stop mixing just as soon as the mixture is fully together.  (~1 minute)
  10. Using a rubber spatula, fully scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.  Then, mix the batter until it is smooth and consistent.  Make sure to fully scrape the bottom of the bowl!
  11. Grease a 10-12 cup bundt pan with the remaining butter and flour and place the batter in the pan.

To Make the Batter with a Hand Mixer:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.  An oven thermometer will help you determine where you need to set your oven in order to get to a true 325°F.
  2. Sift the flour into a medium bowl.  Add kosher salt and whisk until combined.
  3. Place the room temperature butter in a large mixing bowl.  Mix on low speed until smooth.  (~1 minute)
  4. Add half of the sugar and mix until the sugar is just incorporated.  (~30 seconds)
  5. Add the second half of the sugar and mix on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.  (7-12 minutes)
  6. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing for at least 45 seconds after each addition.  Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed (I usually scrape the bowl after the third and sixth egg).  This step is especially important for cake rise in this particular cake, as there is no chemical leavening. (7 minutes)
  7. Add vanilla extract, lemon extract, and lime extract and mix until thoroughly combined.  (1 minute)
  8. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.  (30-45 seconds)
  9. Add all of the lemon lime soda and mix on lowest speed until combined.  (~1 minute).
  10. Add the second half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.  Stop mixing as soon as the mixture is fully together.  (1-2 minutes)
  11. Using a rubber spatula, fully scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.  Then, mix the batter until it is smooth and consistent.  Make sure to fully scrape the bottom of the bowl!
  12. Grease a 10-12 cup bundt pan with the remaining butter and flour and place the batter in the pan.

To Bake the Cake:

  1. Bake the cake at a true 325°F for 60-70 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 210°F-215°F.  Alternately, the cake is done with a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and a fingerprint indentation bounces back.
  2. Allow the cake to rest for ten minutes while you make the simple syrup.

To Make the Lemon Simple Syrup:

  1. Combine sugar, water, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Stir occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Remove from the heat.
  2. After allowing the cake to rest for ten minutes, invert it onto a cooling rack and carefully remove the bundt pan.
  3. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the lemon simple syrup over the entire cake.
  4. Allow the cake to cool completely.  (3-5 hours)

To Make the Final Glaze:

  1. Combine the confectioner’s sugar, fine sea salt, and lemon lime soda in a large bowl.
  2. Mix with a whisk or a spoon until completely smooth.  (1-3 minutes). Add lemon lime soda, one teaspoon at a time, if the glaze is too thick to pour.
  3. Completed glaze should be just pourable and should have the consistency of thick honey.
  4. Using a spouted measuring cup, spoon, or squeeze bottle, drizzle final glaze over the cake.  For the photos here, I used a squeeze bottle.

To Store:

This cake can be stored on a countertop for up to five days.

Notes

  • It’s really important to use a food scale for this recipe.  When we don’t use digital food scales, we tend to be heavy-handed with ingredients.  This could lead to overspill in the oven.
  • This cake is a showstopper and it is big.  It needs at least a 10-cup bundt pan to be successful.  I mostly use 10-cup Nordic Ware bundt pans and it works well in those.
  • If your butter is not quite room temperature when you’re ready to bake, you can cut it into cubes and give it a few more seconds of mixing before you add the sugar.
  • Author: Shani
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Inactive Time: 3-5 hours
  • Cook Time: 60-70 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

I love you Mommy. And I hope you all love this cake.

See you tomorrow!

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