On July 4th, we had a family gathering at our house and everyone contributed something to the meal. My Aunt Sallie’s donation was a 7-Up Cake, a cake very similar to a pound cake.
Not only did Aunt Sallie’s cake look gorgeous, but it tasted fabulous as well! I’ve been to weddings and bakeries have NEVER tasted a pound cake this divine. This cake may just usurp Miss Val’s Pound Cake as my new favorite cake recipe. (Miss Val is Aunt Sallie’s sister, so sibling rivalry is to be expected, right?)
Aunt Sallie says she received the recipe several years ago from her friend Marie Simmons. According to Ms. Simmons, three things make this cake a baking success. First, using cake flour (no self-rising flour) is a must. Next, adding the cake flour one cup at a time is essential. Finally, mixing the flour into the batter very well is crucial to the cake’s texture.
Having tasted 7-Up Cake made this way, I will be following Ms. Simmons recipe and tips precisely. I hope you enjoy this cake as much as we do!
7-Up Cake
1½ cups butter, softened (3 sticks)
5 eggs
2 teaspoons lemon extract
2½ cups sugar
3 cups cake flour, sifted
¾ cup 7-Up
Generously grease and flour a bundt or tube pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar; add eggs one at a time and beat well. Mix in flour one cup at a time and beat well after each cup. Add extract and 7-Up and mix to incorporate.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 1 to 1½ hours or until cake tests done.
Photo: Courtesy of photomato (Flickr)
A few months before I married, I had several great chats with Miss Val, a down-to-earth family friend, an awesome hairdresser, and an experienced wife. One day as she was trimming my hair we started talking about what makes a good marriage. She told me, “I’m sure you’ve already been told about God, good communication, and commitment. I’m gonna tell you something a lot of brides forget about…the importance of keeping your man well fed!”
From that point on, I always carried a pen and pad to my hair appointments and never left Miss Val’s styling chair without a fantastic recipe. One of the best recipes she shared with me was for pound cake. Miss Val couldn’t tell me where the recipe came from, but I can tell you that’s it is the tastiest pound cake that has EVER passed my lips.
This fantastic foolproof recipe yields a pound cake that is perfect year round. Try it dusted with powdered sugar or simply plain. Serve it with warm fruit compote in the fall and winter or with fresh berries, ice cream and/or whipped cream in the spring and summer. Give it a try and you’ll want to make it a permanent part of your recipe file.
Miss Val’s Pound Cake
5 eggs
3 sticks of butter, softened
2 ½ cups sugar
1 cup of milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract
¼ teaspoon mace (shell of the nutmeg; I just use nutmeg)
3 cups of flour
3 level teaspoons baking powder
Sift flour and baking powder. Combine eggs, butter, sugar, milk, extracts, and mace on low speed to incorporate the ingredients. Do not overmix! (Batter may look curdled, but it’s fine.) Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients 1 cup at a time. Mix on high for 4 ½ minutes or until thick and airy. Grease and flour a tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour.
