Cherry Pound Cake with Lime Soda
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Cherry Pound Cake is moist and tender, speckled with cherries and ribbons of lime zest. As if that isn’t perfect enough, it’s topped with a lime cherry glaze for cake that will knock your socks off!!!
Cherry Pound Cake
This cherry limeade cake is inspired by Sonic’s famous summer cool-down drink.
Not only is the cake so easy to put together, but the maraschino cherries add the perfect finishing touch! You can certainly use fresh sweet cherries if you’d like to!
Just 20 minutes in the oven is all it takes, and just tasting the batter makes me antsy to get this cherry pound cake into my mouth!
While the cake is cooling, you can put together a simple cherry glaze for the cake.
Craving more cherry goodness? Sip on this cherry limeade cocktail with a slice of cherry bundt cake, or try these cherry cheesecake cookies for an extra sweet treat!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Cherry 7UP – You’ll find lots of similar recipes for Sundrop pound cake, but I prefer Cherry 7Up for a mix of cherry and lime.
While still citrusy, Sundrop also has a hint of orange flavor with comes through in the cake along with lemon and lime. - Lime Zest – Use a microplane grater to create tiny shreds. You’ll need some for both the cherry pound cake and the glaze.
If you use the handheld kind that makes zest ribbons, be sure to chop them up into tiny pieces. - Maraschino Cherries – Drain these well and give them a light rinse if you prefer.
If using really cherries, be sure to pit them after destemming, washing, and drying thoroughly.
How to Make Cherry Glaze for Cake
This recipe couldn’t be simpler! Simply combine powdered sugar with Cherry 7Up and a little bit of lime zest.
It really enhances the flavor of cherry limeade in the cake, and the sweetness isn’t overpowering at all.
For Sundrop pound cake, simply swap the soda flavors and add some orange juice instead of cherry using the measurements below.
Tips for Making Cherry Limeade Cake
- Zest carefully.
Remove only the outer green layer of the lime, and avoid the white layer beneath. That’s the pith, and it has a very unpleasant, bitter flavor.
- Use room-temperature ingredients.
Allow both the butter and the eggs to warm on the counter before starting this cherry bundt cake recipe.
Room-temperature ingredients blend together easier, making for a much smoother batter.
- Only have regular 7 Up?
Add a splash of the maraschino cherry juice and make sure the liquid still measures ¾ cup in the cherry limeade cake batter.
In the cherry glaze for cake, use 1 ½ tablespoons soda and ½ tablespoon maraschino cherry juice.
Cherry Bundt Cake FAQ
First, be sure to properly grease the pan before adding the batter. Because of the flutes and ridges in the pan, it’s nearly impossible to get a clean release without greasing first!Once the cake is baked, place your serving plate upside down on top of the bundt pan. Holding the two together, carefully flip and place on the counter before lifting the bundt pan. Your cake should be sitting perfectly on the plate!
The flavor! While both recipes are for pound cake in a bundt pan, they feature different citrus and sodas.Cherry pound cake is made with Cherry 7Up and has ribbons of lime zest throughout. The Sundrop version uses the soda of the same name, which gives the cake a hint of orange flavor as well.
Storing and Freezing Leftovers
Keep leftover cherry bundt cake well covered or in an airtight container so it doesn’t dry out.
Store at room temperature for 3 to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
To freeze, wrap the unglazed cherry pound cake in several layers of plastic wrap. You can also wrap up individual slices and place them in a freezer storage bag.
Store in the freezer for up to 1 month and thaw in the refrigerator before adding the glaze.
Enjoy!
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Other Favorite Cake Recipes
Cherry Pound Cake with Limeade
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon grated lime zest
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup Cherry 7-Up, (See Notes for substitutions)
- 20 ounces maraschino cherries, drained
Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons Cherry 7-Up
- 1 tablespoon grated lime zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan and set aside.
- Reserve 10 Maraschino cherries to be used in the glaze.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter and sugar until creamy and well blended. Add lime zest and mix again to combine.
- Beat in eggs one at a time until well combined.
- Add salt. Add flour mixture, 1/3 at a time, alternating with 7-Up. Add remaining cherries and stir to combine.
- Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan. Tap pan on the counter several times to release air bubbles. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a thin sharp knife comes out of the center clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.
- Place a plate over the top of the pan and flip cake upside down, releasing cake onto plate. You may have to tap pan a few times with a knife to release from pan. Allow cake to cool completely.
- While cake is cooling, finely chop reserved Maraschino cherries. In a medium bowl, combine cherries and glaze ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until well combined. Glaze should be the consistency of corn syrup. Add more powdered sugar (a tablespoon at a time) if necessary to thicken glaze.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Donna’s Notes
- If you only have regular 7-Up, just add a splash of maraschino cherry juice and make sure the liquid still measures ¾ cup in the cake. For the glaze, use 1 ½ tablespoons soda and ½ tablespoon maraschino cherry juice.
- Recipe slightly adapted from The RecipeGirl Cookbook, pg. 278
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published April 2014. Updated and republished June 2023
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I made this cake for a friend who loves cherry (not my personal favorite). They absolutely loved it and even asked for the recipe!
What could you substitute for the butter?
Trying to save some calories.
How about using some mini chocolate chips sprinkled on top too?