7-Up Cake Celebration

For as long as I can remember, my eldest daughter has loved dance.  Princess loves to watch dance, loves TO dance, it doesn't really matter.  Getting her into an actual dance class, however, has been more problematic.  We've had one studio who's treatment of her was questionable, one that refused to have her at all, and one that has had more mixed results - more due to Princess than the studio.  The ins and outs make for a very long story - too long for a "food" blog.  The end result is that I've been looking for someone to take Princess on one-on-one for a while.  I thought I had a willing teacher this fall, but it sort of fell through.  I'd only JUST begun looking again when I lucked across a lady who seems both willing and well-qualified.  So possibly Princess (and also the Empress if she shows willing) will soon be dancing again.

In celebration, I offer you this remake of a 50's classic:  7-Up Cake

7-Up Pound Cake

1 c. sweet rice flour
1/2 c. millet flour
1/2 c. white rice flour
1 c. tapioca starch
1/2 c. potato starch
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 c. butter
2 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs + 1 egg white
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
7 oz 7-Up

This version uses 7-Up and some real lemon juice.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Liberally grease and flour a bundt pan.  (I usually use sweet rice flour for this).

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, and xanthan gum.  Set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar until very light and fluffy.  The leavening in this cake is mostly due to the air incorporated in this step, so make sure that you beat it enough.  The butter should lighten notably in both color and texture.

Add the eggs and egg white, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Scrape down the bowl and beat again for a moment to incorporate.  With mixer on slowest speed, add lemon juice, lemon zest, and 7-Up.

The mixture will appear curdled.  That's OK - keep going.  Pour in the flour gradually, with the mixer still on low.  Once all the flour is incorporated, turn up the speed a bit and beat until smooth.

Scrape down bowl and beat again until thoroughly combined.  Pour into prepared pan and smooth batter.

Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until surface is golden and a skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto plate.

Often this cake is presented in vintage cookbooks with a cream cheese/pineapple frosting.  That seemed a bit heavy to me, so I wanted to go with a glaze.  When I made this cake, I had a few raspberries left over that the Empress hadn't eaten.  So I decided to incorporate them into the glaze, as well as using some of the remaining soda.

Raspberry Glaze

2 Tbsp raspberry puree (fresh raspberries pressed through a sieve)
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
7-Up

In a small bowl combine raspberry puree and 1/2 c. powdered sugar.  Add remaining sugar alternating with small amounts of 7-Up until all sugar is incorporated and a drizzling consistency is reached.  Pour over cake.

Here is a small lesson, Grasshopper.  See that darker area at the curved surface?  That's what happens if your toothpick is too short to reach the bottom of the pan!  So...  use a nice, long skewer!

And enjoy this lemony alternative to the more usual Coca-Cola Cake.