Sun Drop®Pound Cake Recipe

Try making the best ever Sun Drop®Pound Cake Recipe from scratch! It’s a southern classic, decadent, moist cake that’s made with sun drop soda for a subtle lemon, lime and orange flavor.   

If you love dessert recipes with citrus flavor, definitely try my recipes for 7 Up Pound Cake, Lemonade Pie, and Lemon Loaf.

Adding soda to pound cake is nothing new. It adds a nice dose of acid to the cake to give the cake a great texture that makes it moist and flavorful. 

Growing up in the south SunDrop® soda was always a favorite of mine. If you’ve never had it before, then it’s a refreshing soda with the crisp flavors of lemon, lime, and orange. Nowadays you may not see this citrus soda in stores as much, but I still can’t resist the urge to grab a cold bottle when I see it. Especially if it’s in a glass bottle!

This soda is actually so popular that it has its own pound cake recipe that I was first introduced to as a child at the church potluck. Today I will take so time to share the recipe with you.

Let’s get started!

Jump to:

• Ingredients You'll Need
• Step By Step Instructions
• Recipe Tips & Tricks
• Storage
• More Recipes You'll Love
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients You'll Need

1. SunDrop®Soda - May use Mountain Dew as a substitute.
2. Butter - Use any brand that you prefer, but try to select the best butter possible. It can be salted or unsalted. Allow the butter to come to room temperature before combining it with the other ingredients to make the cake. 
3. Shortening - Pairs well with the butter for a helping of additional fat to make the cake moist and gives it that dense pound cake texture. 
4. Sugar - Granulated or cane sugar add sweetness to the cake. For this recipe, you will need 3 cups of sugar.
5. Eggs - This cake requires five large eggs to make. Try to remove the eggs before using them and allow them to come to room temperature.
6. Vanilla Extract - Be sure to use pure vanilla extract and not imitation for best results.
7. Lemon Extract - Helps to bring out the lemon flavor of the soda. All-Purpose Flour - Check to make sure it’s plain all-purpose flour with nothing added to it. You may whisk or shift before using it to remove any large lumps.

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities and instructions.

Step By Step Instructions

Begin the recipe by preheating the oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare a bundt or tube pan using shortening to lightly grease the entire pan in a thin layer. Lightly dust the whole pan with a small amount of all-purpose flour. This will prevent the cake from sticking to the pan and allow for easy removal. Be sure to remove any excess flour and set the pan aside. 

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a (hand) electric mixer, add the butter and shortening and mix on medium speed until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and continue mixing until light and fluffy.  

Adjust the mixer to medium-low speed and add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Mix until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure all of the cake is mixed.

Adjust the mixer to low speed and add the all-purpose flour a little at a time before adding in the soda. Mix until combined, but do not overmix. 

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread it around and tap the bottom of the cake pan to make sure it’s spread evenly in the pan. Place into the oven and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a cake tester comes out with little crumbs and no wet cake mixture. 

Carefully remove the sun drop cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 to 15 minutes before removing the cake completely. 

While the cake cools, prepare the glaze in a medium mixing bowl, by whisking together the melted butter, powdered sugar or confectioners' sugar, and soda until combined. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the top of the cake while it’s still warm but removed from the pan. Slice and enjoy!

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Take your time preparing the cake pan! Use shortening to lightly grease the pan with a thin layer and then lightly dust it with a small layer of all-purpose flour. Make sure the entire pan is covered, this prevents the cake from sticking to the pan. 
• Allow the refrigerated ingredients time to come to room temperature before using for best results.
• Try not to overmix the cake mixture, especially after the flour is added. Mix just enough for the ingredients to come together then stop.
• Be sure to check the pound cake while baking to make sure that it doesn't overbake. Place a cake tester (toothpick) into the cake and once it comes out with little to no crumbs or wet cake mix, then it’s time to pull it from the oven.
• Allow the cake to cool a bit in the pan before removing it.
• If you cannot find SunDrop soda, then Mountain Dew or Mello Yello soft drinks are good substitutes. 

Storage

Store any leftover cake at room temperature in an airtight container or cake storage for 4 to 5 days. Slice a serve as normal. If you prefer to store it in the refrigerator, then you may just allow it to come to room temperature or slightly reheat it before serving.

Freezer Storage - This cake can be made in advance and stored in the freezer for 30 days. When ready to serve, simply remove it from the freezer the night before and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving the next day. Once it has thawed, then can store at room temperature.

More Recipes You'll Love

• 7 Up Pound Cake 
• Homemade Sour Cream Pound Cake 
• Mini Pound Cake for Two 
• Sweet Potato Pound Cake 

Have any comments, questions, or other delicious ideas and ways to enjoy this Sun Drop Pound Cake? Please share them in the comments below!

📖 Recipe