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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