Grandbaby Cakes’ 7UP Cake Is the Best Pound Cake I’ve Ever Had

When it comes to cake baking, there’s no one I trust more than Grandbaby Cakes. The wildly popular blog, written by pro baker Jocelyn Delk Adams, is my go-to source when I’m in need of a new recipe, baking inspiration, or general baking advice. We’ve included Jocelyn’s recipes in several of our showdowns, and they’ve consistently impressed us. To say I’m a fan would be an understatement.

While I can genuinely say I’ve loved all of Jocelyn’s recipes that I’ve tried, her 7UP pound cake is my all-time favorite. It’s buttery, light-yet-moist, and perfectly flavored with citrus. In short, it’s the best pound cake I’ve ever had. I used to think making a bakery-quality pound cake at home was impossible, but Jocelyn’s recipe proved me wrong.

Get the recipe: Grandbaby Cakes’ 7Up Pound Cake

While pound cakes are inherently simple to make, a few smart ingredient choices make Jocelyn’s stand out from the rest.

1. Sifted cake flour. Using cake flour instead of all-purpose gives this cake its impossibly tender crumb and light-as-a-feather texture. I use Swans Down brand every time I make this recipe, which can be found in the baking section of just about any grocery store.
2. Lots of butter. This recipe calls for three whole sticks of butter, giving the cake a pronounced buttery flavor that’s deliciously decadent.
3. 7UP. While most cake recipes have you thin out the batter with milk, this recipe uses 7UP, which gives the cake a bright, citrusy flavor and lightens it up.

Before you head into the kitchen to make this cake, keep these tips in mind.

1. Generously grease your Bundt pan. Bundt cakes are notorious for sticking to the pan, so make sure to generously coat your pan in nonstick spray, taking care to get it in all the nooks and crannies. Pro tip: Jocelyn actually has a recipe for nonstick cake goop that works wonderfully!
2. Use the largest mixing bowl you have. If you use an electric hand mixer to make this recipe, make sure to use the biggest mixing bowl you have on hand. The recipe makes a lot of batter, so be prepared!
3. Splurge on good butter. Because this recipe uses three whole sticks of butter, it’s worth using high-quality butter that tastes good. I used Kerrygold butter and could taste it in the finished cake. If you have European-style butter on hand, this is the time to use it.
4. Let your cake cool before glazing. Make sure your cake is almost completely cooled before glazing it. Glazing it too early can cause the icing to soak into the cake rather than sit on top beautifully.

At Kitchn, our editors develop and debut brand-new recipes on the site every single week. But at home, we also have our own tried-and-true dishes that we make over and over again — because quite simply? We love them. Kitchn Love Letters is a series that shares our favorite, over-and-over recipes.