Hip Foodie Mom

Mama’s 7Up Pound Cake

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7 Up Cake is a classic and decadent treat! It’s a pound cake, complemented by the subtle flavor of citrus soda.

unfrosted 7 Up cake displayed on cake platter

Grandbaby Cakes Cookbook

Every once in a while, you meet someone and you immediately know that person is special. I first met Jocelyn Delk Adams on an airplane last May. We were both flying to Miami for a blogging conference and were on the same flight from Chicago to Miami.

Jocelyn and I started talking on the plane, shared a taxi from the airport to the hotel, and have been friends ever since. And it’s on that day in the cab that I learned about this gem, that she was working on; her first cookbook, Grandbaby Cakes.

Grandbaby Cakes cookbook cover

This book is special, you guys.

Now, I’ve read and flipped through a lot of cookbooks . . and there’s nothing like Grandbaby Cakes.

Yes, it’s a baking cookbook but it’s so much more than that. It’s a piece of Jocelyn’s heritage, family, soul and heart. We learn about her upbringing, her fabulous big mama (her grandmother), her mother and her aunt. We also learn how they taught Jocelyn by example in the kitchen when it came to baking, and that it was like a “rite of passage.”

Creating Mama’s 7 Up Cake

3 plated slices of Pound Cake next to remainder of the cake on a platter

“Big Mama never required a timer; just a whiff of a baked good’s fragrance in the air was enough for her to know that the [7 Up cake] was ready. Big Mama would take pity on her impatient grandbaby and hand me a fork. She didn’t mind if I snuck a bite or two, because she’d made the cake for me anyway.”

It was this special relationship between Jocelyn and her Big Mama that influenced who Jocelyn is today, her love for baking and the heart and soul behind this cookbook.

hand of black skinned woman removing slice of 7 Up cake from platter

I had the pleasure of learning how to bake a 7 Up cake recipe while my parents were in town. My mother helped me slice and serve the pound cake one morning while they were here. I didn’t make the glaze because it would have been too sweet for my parents, but you can bet I am making the glaze next time!

We had 7 Up cake with coffee and loved it! This is the most delicious pound cake we have ever tasted! This 7 Up cake recipe has been in her family for decades and this was, in fact, the very first cake that Jocelyn learned to bake!

Mama's 7Up Pound Cake from the Grandbaby Cakes cookbook. A classic and decadent treat complemented by the subtle flavor of citrus soda. The crunchy crust and moist inner texture makes this cake simply irresistible! #GrandbabyCakesBook

“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 the cake simply irresistible!”

Mama's 7Up Pound Cake from the Grandbaby Cakes cookbook. A classic and decadent treat complemented by the subtle flavor of citrus soda. The crunchy crust and moist inner texture makes this cake simply irresistible! #GrandbabyCakesBook

7 Up Cake Recipe and Other Cake Recipes

This cookbook is filled with all different kinds of cake recipes:

I love that the book is so rich with Jocelyn’s southern upbringing and her family. For me, growing up, we never baked much at all. Just cooked a lot of Korean food like Jajangmyeon. I remember my nanny baking a cake for us when we were little but it was Duncan Hines and from a box. If we ever had dessert, it was dessert purchased from a grocery store, so for me to see and read about someone’s family and their rich and full love for baking and each other, is truly heartwarming.

Each recipe has a story and a piece of Jocelyn. I absolutely love all the family photos and memories that are sprinkled throughout this cookbook. I hate it when you pick up a cookbook and there is hardly anything about the author, other than the introduction. I’ve never felt so connected to a family and their love for each other, baking and tradition.

7 Up bundt cake on cake platter

I have also baked the Real-Deal Caramel Cake, the Roasted Raspberry Cupcakes, the Marble Texas Sheet Cake and the Blueberry Pan-cakelettes with Maple Cinnamon Glaze.

All of these recipes are spot on and rich with flavor. Some require a ton of butter and sugar but hey, this is dessert and I think what I love most is that you can bake and share these with your family and loved ones and for me, it’s more about the act of baking for those you love and serving and sharing with them.

I can’t wait to bake some more recipes with my daughters! What I’m baking next: (hint, all of these links lead to the recipes that have already been published for Jocelyn’s cookbook tour!) Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake, Buttered Rum and Candied Sweet Potato Crumb Cake and the Dreamsicle Punch Bowl Cake. There are a ton more! You can find the entire cookbook blogger tour here!

So, check all of them out, buy this cookbook if you don’t have it already and bake this 7Up cake!

Print Recipe

Mama's 7 Up Cake (Pound Cake Recipe)

This 7 Up cake recipe is adapted from Grandbaby Cakes (the cookbook). I only changed the amount of sugar used. Recipe published with permission from the Author, Jocelyn Delk Adams.

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 7 up cake, pound cake recipe
Servings: 12
Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter 3 sticks, room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 5 large eggs room temperature
  • 3 cups sifted cake flour
  • ½ cup 7-Up soda room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon lemon extract

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 3 tablespoons 7-Up soda
  • ½ teaspoon lemon extract

Instructions

For the cake:

  • Heat oven to 315 degrees F. Spray a 10-cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray. In the bowl of a 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 one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Turn your mixer down to the lowest speed setting and slowly add the flour in two batches. Do not overbeat. Pour in the 7UP and lemon extract. Scrape down the sides and bottom of your mixing bowl and mix the batter until just combined. Again, 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 for at least 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Let cool to room temperature.

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 and enjoy!

 

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Leslie W

    Dang it I don’t have a favorite handed down recipe! My mom & assuming her mom weren’t big on that stuff & I’m not a bad cook (I’d rather collect the cake stands than produce the product they were meant to show off) I can whip out an outstanding meal when necessary. How’s that for a run-on sentence? Cook on!

    Reply

  6. Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes)

    Wow this is such a beautiful beautiful post. Seriously I don’t think my heart can quite take any more of this. And seeing your mother’s hand in that pound cake shot girl? Poetry. I am so so glad we met on that flight suspended in mid-air. You are my soul sista blogger boo and I love you.

    Reply

  7. Allie | Baking a Moment

    Alice the cake is beyond gorgeous! I love that you shared it with your mom and dad. That picture with your mom’s hand is so beautiful. And you quoted my favorite line from the book, “She didn’t mind if I snuck a bite or two, because she’d made the cake for me anyway.” That just melted my heart when I read it!

    Reply

  12. Danielle of Texas

    When I think of a pound cake I think of Sunday brunch and coffee! I should make this one for Mothers Day next year and invite my mom over.

    Reply

  19. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary

    I Love hearing how you met Jocelyn for the first time, clearly that was a destined friendship. This pound cake is GORGEOUS, Alice! LOVE LOVE LOVE your Mom’s hand in that picture, so precious! I can only imagine how good 7 Up in Pound Cake tastes! Definitely going to have to give this a go! Pinned! Cheers! 🙂

    Reply

  22. Gina O

    This is a very beautiful book, indeed and the cake looks divine!
    My daughter is always experimenting with baking and recipes, and my favorite by far is her chocolate chip shortbread cookie… definitely worth the effort! I tend to focus on the savory, and my favorite recipe for this time of year is roasted sweet potato soup with croutons.

    Reply

  23. Kelly

    Aaw I love how you both met – and the picture of your mom’s hand is so beautiful and sweet! This cake and Jocelyn’s book is stunning, Alice! You did an amazing job recreating it with the modifications for your parents to enjoy:)

    Reply

  24. Tonya

    I was born and raised in Texas. My father’s favorite cake of all time is the 7 up cake. In my southern accent, ” You made us proud”!! Beautiful post Alice! Thanks for sharing!!!

    Reply

  26. Mira

    I’ve never made a 7 up cake, but my aunt makes one, which I like. You did a great job Alice, love the cake and pictures! Will definitely try Jocelyn’s recipe. I got the book, but still haven’t baked anything 🙂

    Reply

  37. Diana Cote

    My family is Colombian and o think they make lots of yummy food, my favorite is empanadas, though they make some mean tamales and sopa de carne res. ☺️

    Reply

  39. G.Smith

    I love reading cookbooks and learning about the heritage some families share in the kitchen. The texture of that cake looks magnificent ! Gonna have to make a 7-Up run soon. 🙂

    Reply

  40. Jenifer

    My favorite family recipe is my mom’s coconut cake! It is so moist and delicious! She makes it every Christmas.

    Reply

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