This Soda-Flavored Aldi Bakery Item Was A Cherished Treat In The 1950s

There's one dessert back in Aldi's bakery section right now that customers can't stop talking about: a lemon lime 7Up cake that is actually made with the iconic fizzy beverage. Some Aldi shoppers are skeptical, thinking a cake made with soda couldn't possibly taste good. Others, however, know this is not a newfangled invention: The 7Up cake is one of many nostalgic cakes you probably forgot existed. It dates back to the 1950s, with strong origins in the South, and is just one of many recipes from the era that utilizes soda in baked goods. It also happens to be delicious.

Like the 1950s 7Up cake, Aldi's version is a Bundt pound cake featuring the citrusy flavors of 7Up, with a sugary glaze on top. One Aldi shopper applauded the cake's moist, soft texture and noted that the 7Up comes across as a pleasant standard lemon citrus flavor. A poster on Reddit purchased it despite misgivings about soda in a cake. They were surprised by how tasty it was and reported eating the whole dessert in one sitting. Another Redditor shared, "Y'all talked me into one. And it's delicious. Moist and tasty. Honestly, no notes." This tracks with others' memories of the original 7Up cake. "It was my favorite as a kid in the '70s ... completely decadent," one Reddit poster said.

This vintage-style cake is a seasonal item at Aldi. Currently, it costs $4.95 for 20 ounces — about seven servings. In 2023, it was 26 ounces for $5.49 (nine servings), but its fans generally don't seem to mind paying slightly more per ounce. It is among many Aldi products that tend to sell out quickly, so keep this in mind next time you see one in stores. 

While 7Up soda was invented around 100 years ago by Charles Leiper Grigg, the cake wasn't officially created until 1953, when the Seven-Up Company included it in a promotional booklet with other recipes that featured the sugary, carbonated drink. The cake recipe in question played on the 1950s' love of convenience foods, simply calling for the cook to use a package cake mix and swap in 7Up for the liquid. Many subsequent recipes, both from home cooks and 7Up itself, went for a from-scratch method, however.

By the time the 7Up cake recipe came out, people nationwide had been baking with soda since the Great Depression, though the method had originated earlier in the South. One of the reasons soda was utilized was because of the way it positively affects baked goods. When soft drinks like 7Up are mixed into batter, there's a scientific reason it leads to a fluffier bake: soda contains carbon dioxide (CO2). This is usually achieved through chemical leaveners like baking soda or baking powder. These have to be activated by an acid (like yogurt, buttermilk, or citrus juice), prompting the development of carbon dioxide in a batter (the gas pockets add lift). 7Up and other sodas could achieve a delicate crumb without chemical leaveners, as they already contained CO2. And not only did soda make for a fluffier bake, it also added sweetness. 

Though the 7Up cake's popularity has waxed and waned through the decades, it's luckily now on the upswing — and available at Aldi. Best of all, if it is sold out the day you hit up the store, you can easily make your own version with two ingredients: soda and boxed cake mix.