Shirley Temple Cake

2 slices of cherry bundt cake on white plate

5 from 3

This Shirley Temple Cake is made with lemon-lime soda, grenadine, and maraschino cherries - reminiscent of a classic Shirley Temple drink!

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy cake recipes, shirley temple cake, Shirley Temple recipe

Servings:

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

16.25 ounce box white cake mix (just the cake mix - not the other ingredients listed on the package)
3.4 ounce box vanilla instant pudding (just the powder)
4 large eggs
1 cup lemon-lime soda (such as 7UP or Sprite)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons grenadine
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup maraschino cherries , stems removed, very finely minced (so you have 1/2 cup tiny minced cherry bits)

FOR THE ICING

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12-cup capacity bundt pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, instant pudding powder, eggs, soda, vegetable oil, grenadine, and almond extract; beat with an electric mixer or whisk vigorously for 2 minutes, until combined. Fold in the minced maraschino cherries.
Pour evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes, then run a dull knife along the edges to loosen. Then allow to cool COMPLETELY (otherwise the icing will just melt when you pour it on.)
Turn cake out onto a wire rack or plate; whisk together the icing ingredients and drizzle over the top, letting it fall down the sides. Let set.
Slice and serve!

Video

Notes

Do I have to use soda? A Shirley Temple drink really isn't a Shirley Temple at all without the lemon-lime soda, plus the carbonation makes this cake so light and fluffy - I highly recommend it for optimal results. However it can be replaced with milk or water. Baking time might need to be adjusted.

Swap the grenadine with maraschino cherry juice. A true Shirley Temple is made with grenadine, but you can replace it with maraschino cherry juice from the bottle of cherries, if preferred.

Add-ins. A 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or almonds added to the batter would be delicious. Or 1 cup of cup of sweetened coconut flakes is another great add-in.

What if I don’t own a bundt pan? A fluted bundt pan makes this cake so pretty. But if you don’t have one, no worries. This cake can also be made in a 9×13 baking dish with the cooking time between 25-30 minutes.

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