Shirley Temple Cake

This Shirley Temple Cake is a classic, moist, and delicious pound cake that’s perfect for any occasion. The delicate flavor of cherry gives it an extra special hint of sweetness. Topped with a light glaze, this delicious cake is sure to be a hit at your next gathering!

slice of Shirley temple cake topped with glaze and cherries on a white and gold plate

One of our favorite things about this delicious cake is that it doesn’t take a lot of effort, nor does it take a long time to make. So, you can whip up this cake at the last minute and still enjoy a sweet treat with your friends and family.

uncut Shirley temple cake topped with glaze and cherries on a white and gold plate

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • It’s super moist and flavorful, perfect for any occasion
  • The delicious cherry flavor pairs nicely with the cake.
  • A great crowd pleaser that will be loved by adults and children alike.
  • Topped with a light glaze for an added sweetness that ties it all together.

🛒Ingredients

bowls of lemon lime soda, cherries, powdered sugar, heavy cream, a lemon, lime, and white cake mix on a white background

One great thing about this shirley temple pound cake is that you only need simple ingredients to make it. All of these ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery store so you don’t have to worry about tracking down costly ingredients.

  • white or yellow cake mix
  • flour
  • maraschino cherries
  • lemon lime soda
  • lemon zest
  • lime zest
  • powdered sugar
  • fresh lemon juice
  • fresh lime juice
  • heavy cream

See the recipe card below for quantities.

🔪 How to Make Shirley Temple Cake

Making this delicious cake recipe is so simple. Just follow the instructions or in the recipe card below at the bottom of the post and you will have a sweet and tangy cup in no time at all.

Step 1: Preheat the oven and prepare your pan

Preheat oven to 350. And, grease a bundt pan with cooking spray. 

Step 2: Toss the cherries in the flour

Toss one cup of halved cherries with 1 tablespoon of flour.

cake mix, lemon lime soda, lime zest, lemon zest, and cherries in a large mixing bowl

Step 3: Make the cake batter

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix with the floured cherries, soda, lemon zest, and lime zest. And, then stir gently to combine. 

red silicone bundt cake pan filled with cake batter ready for the oven

Step 4: Bake the cake

Pour the batter into your bundt pan. And, then bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 5: Cool the cake

Let cool slightly before inverting onto a cooling rack. Cool cake completely. 

glaze being made in a small white bowl with a whisk with a wooden handle laying on the top

Step 6: Glaze the cake

Make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar with the lemon and lime juice and 1 tablespoon of cream or milk if needed.  You want a thick glaze. Pour the glaze over the cake.

uncut Shirley temple cake topped with glaze and cherries on a white and gold plate

Step 7: Garnish and serve

Garnish with more lime zest and cherries with stems.  Slice and serve!

📝Variations

Do you want to change up this recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!

  • Orange – Add some orange zest to the cake batter—this will give the cake a delicious citrus flavor.
  • Fruit flavor – Substitute the lemon and lime juice in the glaze for other types of fruit juices, such as pineapple or cranberry.
  • Vanilla Glaze – Instead of a lemon lime glaze you can use a simple glaze made with milk or heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract instead.

If you love sweet lemon lime flavored desserts then next time you may want to give this Lemon Lime Bundt Cake recipe a try.

🥄 Equipment

Here is a quick list of the tools that you need to make this delicious bundt cake recipe. Gather these tools and get ready to dive into a slice of fruit flavored cake.

  • large bowl
  • small bowl
  • medium bowl
  • bundt cake pan
  • cooling rack
slice of Shirley temple cake topped with glaze and cherries on a white and gold plate

🥫 Storage

To keep this cake fresh store it in an airtight container like a cake plate for up to three days. You could also freeze individual slices of the cake wrapped in plastic wrap in a freezer bag for up to three months.

💭 Tips

Here are a few tips that you can use to ensure that this Shirley Temple pound cake turns out perfectly for you every time that you use them.

  • Be careful to not overmix your cake batter. Overmixing can result in a tough cake that is not light and fluffy.
  • Make sure to grease your bundt pan well with butter or cooking spray. This will make it easier to remove the cake from the pan once it is done baking.
  • Make sure that you allow your cake to cool for a few minutes before you try to remove it from the pan.
  • It’s important that your cake is completely cooled before you add the glaze otherwise the glaze will just melt right off the cake.

⁉️ FAQ

Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.

What is a Shirley Temple?

A Shirley Temple is a sweet and tart drink made with lemon lime soda, ginger ale or lemonade and garnished with maraschino cherries. This cake recipe brings the flavors of this classic cocktail into a delicious pound cake.

What type of cake mix should I use?

You can use either a white or yellow cake mix for this recipe. Whichever you have on hand will work just fine.

How can I tell when a bundt cake is done?

The best way to tell when a bundt cake is done is to insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean then the cake is done baking.

🍽 More Bundt Cake Recipes

Do you enjoy bundt cakes? If so, try these delicious recipes:

📌 PIN IT!!

slice of Shirley temple cake topped with glaze and cherries on a white and gold plate

🧾Recipe Card

Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.

slice of Shirley temple cake topped with glaze and cherries on a white and gold plate

Shirley Temple Cake

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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 12 Slices

Equipment

  • large bowl
  • small bowl
  • medium bowl
  • bundt cake pan
  • cooling rack

Ingredients

  • 1 15.25 box white or yellow cake mix
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 cup maraschino cherries rinsed and halved
  • 1 12 ounce can lemon lime soda
  • Zest of one lemon
  • Zest on one lime
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • Juice of one lemon
  • Juice of one lime
  • 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
  • Maraschino cherries with stems for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Grease a bundt pan with cooking spray.
  • Toss the one cup of halved cherries with the 1 tablespoon of flour.
  • In a large bowl, combine cake mix with the floured cherries, soda, lemon zest and lime zest.
  • Stir gently to combine.
  • Pour the batter into your bundt pan.
  • Bake 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Let cool slightly before inverting onto a cooling rack.
  • Cool cake completely.
  • Make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar with the lemon and lime juice and 1 tablespoon of cream of milk of needed. You want a thick glaze.
  • Pour the glaze over the cake.
  • Garnish with more lime zest and cherries with stems.
  • Slice and serve!

Disclaimer

Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.

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