Kitty Wells' 7-Up Pound Cake

Y’all know a good pound cake when you taste one, and this one from country music legend Kitty Wells has been making the rounds in Southern kitchens for decades. The secret is 7-Up: the carbonation gives the batter lift while the lemon-lime flavor adds a gentle citrus note you can’t quite put your finger on.

No baking powder, no baking soda. The soda pop handles all the leavening, which keeps the crumb dense and velvety the way a real pound cake should be.

Creaming the butter and sugar until truly fluffy is where it all starts. Then those five eggs go in one at a time, building structure and richness. Alternate the flour and 7-Up so the batter stays smooth and doesn’t curdle.

The lemon juice and vanilla folded in at the end sharpen the flavor just enough to keep things from being one-note sweet.

Chef Tips

• Use room-temperature butter and eggs. Cold ingredients won’t cream properly and can result in a heavy cake.
• Don’t open the oven door for the first 45 minutes or the cake may sink in the center.
• Grease and flour the tube pan thoroughly, especially the center tube, or the cake will stick.
• This cake needs no frosting. A light dusting of powdered sugar is all it asks for.

Variations

• Use Sprite or Sierra Mist if 7-Up isn’t available. Any lemon-lime soda works.
• Add a lemon glaze (powdered sugar plus fresh lemon juice) drizzled over the cooled cake.
• Fold in a tablespoon of lemon zest for a stronger citrus punch.