Pound cake gets its name from the one-time weight of its many ingredients, creating a hefty cake meant to feed multiple people. Its dense, pillowy body and rich vanilla taste make it perfect for any occasion. One common mistake people make with this recipe is getting the moisture level right. Over-whipped or melted butter, over-mixed batter, and cold ingredients prevent air bubbles from forming, giving the cake a tougher texture. To help avoid these mishaps, adding a carbonated beverage can give pound cake more moisture and air. This is why the 7UP pound cake first became so popular.
But you don’t have to limit yourself to lemon-lime sodas. Instead, you might need to consider ginger ale as the secret ingredient your pound cake is missing. It has the same level of carbonation and citric acid but with the added benefit of a bright ginger taste. Our highest-ranked ginger ale brand, Boylan, uses real ginger and cane sugar, standing out from competitors that use high fructose corn syrup and ginger extract instead. The carbonation in this beverage will leaven the batter to achieve the spongy quality you’re looking for in a cake. All you need to do is simply add in the ginger ale with the vanilla extract after whipping together the base ingredients.
Upgrade your pound cake with ginger ale
It’s easy enough to upgrade pound cake with common pantry items. French chef Jacques Pépin adds jam to his recipe, while Ina Garten levels up her pound cake with vanilla extract spiked with lemon zest and brandy. Different combinations of fruit and ginger ale can transform your recipe into a chef-worthy dessert that stands out from the crowd.
Fruit-flavored ginger ale has become more popular, so there are plenty of ways to integrate these flavors into pound cakes. A cranberry or raspberry-infused ginger ale would elevate a dark chocolate pound cake into a bittersweet sensation. A squeeze of orange juice into ginger ale can activate the full zesty citrus potential of a lemon or classic vanilla cake. Ginger ale is a sensational flavor that has just the right amount of spice to open your senses and pair with several sweet ingredients. A couple of spoonfuls of this ingredient can improve a glaze or frosting as well, creating a cohesive and pleasant pound cake you’ll want to bake again and again.
