Cherry Limeade Pound Cake

It is still too early for my brain to be functioning correctly.

…but I’m writing this anyway.

We’ve pretty much established the fact that fall is here and summer is over, and while I do love fall—I’m still clinging on to the last few minutes of summer.

Case in point: this cake I made the other day.  

 Sonic’s are a huge deal here in Oklahoma. I’m convinced it’s why we don’t have very many Dairy Queens (3 within a 100 mile radius). During those sweltering summer months, I make it my duty to swing by Sonic during happy hour to get a 1/2 price drink. I’ve become accustomed to buying a lemon berry slush, but back in the day I lived for Sonic’s cherry limeades.

So, after invoking my summer spirit that still lingers, I made the famous drink into a cake.

A thick, sugary pound cake.

Try it. You won’t have any regrets.

 Cherry Limeade Pound Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 sticks (1.5 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 TBS. lime zest
• 5 large eggs, room temp
• 3/4 cup cherry 7Up
• 2 (10 oz) jars maraschino cherries, drained

Glaze:

• 1.5 cups powdered sugar
• 2 TBS. Cherry 7Up
• 1 TBS fresh lime zest

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and butter and flour a bundt cake pan. Meanwhile, in large bowl, mix together butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, while continuing to beat with mixer until well combined. Add lime zest.  
2. Add flour, 1/3 cup at a time, alternating between adding flour and adding 7Up. Mix in cherries, reserving a dozen for the glaze. 
3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Tap pan on edge of counter to release any air bubbles that might’ve formed. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes until knife inserted in the middle of cake comes out clean. Let sit in pan 5 minutes to cool, then transfer to a wire rack.  
4. While cake cools, prepare glaze: chop reserved maraschino cherries and add to a large bowl with powdered sugar, 7Up, and lime zest. Beat with electric mixer until it reaches desired consistency. If too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too think, add more 7Up. 
5. Pour glaze over cooled cake. Top with extra lime zest (if you have any left!).

Man, I’ve been putting this new bundt cake pan to WORK lately. I’ve never been much of a baker, but I find bundt cakes and pound cakes are much easier to bake without it coming out, well, weird. There is room for error on these cakes, unlike other cakes & cookie recipes I’ve made in the past.

 Hope you enjoy this sweet, summery treat!