Buy the Book, Make the Cake: 7-Up Cake via Grandbaby Cakes

Anyhow, my friend Jocelyn (she's kind of famous, you probably know her website, Grandbaby Cakes) wrote a book. It's called Grandbaby Cakes: Modern Recipes, Vintage Charm, Soulful Memories. And I think you should buy it. 

I could tell you about how funny and cool Jocelyn is, and how we clicked instantly when we met last year at the Pillsbury Bake-Off. I could tell you how we instantly decided that Oprah owed us both a check (for what, other than being awesome, I'm not 100 percent sure). 

But I'm sure that as fascinating as our mutual funniness and complete cuteness is to you, you're in it for the cake. So here, I present an excerpt from the new book, a fantastic recipe for 7-Up Pound cake. Enjoy!


Mama’s 7-UP Pound Cake

SERVES 12–16

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 nine­year­old 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 7-UP 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.

GRANDBABY NOTES

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 golden­brown, perfectly filled-­out cake, no leavening necessary. My mother has always been adamant about using the original 7-UP and nothing else. She says you can really taste the difference. While I have used other lemon­lime soda brands ranging from Sprite to Sierra Mist, I try my best to follow my mother’s advice.

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

  • 1 1⁄2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 5 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3 cups sifted cake flour
  • 1⁄2 cup 7UP soda, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon lemon extract

GLAZE

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 3 tablespoons 7-UP soda
  • 1⁄2 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.

Reprinted with permission from Grandbaby Cakes by Jocelyn Delk Adams, Agate Surrey, 2015.