This Soda Cake is what you make when you need a dessert that tastes “from scratch”… but you don’t have time for anything fussy. Using Orange Crush as the liquid isn’t a gimmick. The carbonation lifts the batter in a way that gives you an ultra-soft cake — without adding eggs, oil or extra steps.
It’s a shortcut dessert, yes — but the texture is genuinely impressive for something that comes together in minutes. It tastes almost like an old-fashioned chiffon cake but without the effort.
Ingredients Needed For This Orange Soda Cake
NOTE: You are only using the dry cake mix and not using the additional ingredients called for on the box.
Ingredient Substitutions
ORANGE FLAVOR: You can add one tablespoon of fresh orange zest if you do not have pure orange flavoring on hand.
SODA: You can substitute any fruit-flavored soda for the Orange Crush.
FROSTING: You can add one teaspoon of pure orange flavoring to the orange-tinted frosting.
FOOD COLORING: Stick with gel food coloring— you only need a tiny amount, and it blends in without watering down the frosting the way liquid colors do.
Getting The Batter Right
- Use room-temperature soda. Cold soda knocks out carbonation faster. You want the bubbles intact so they can lift the cake in the oven.
- Tilt the bowl slightly and pour the soda down the side. This keeps the fizz alive instead of deflating on impact.
- Over-mixing pops the bubbles you need for height. Mix for one minute—90 seconds max.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Even layers bake at the same speed and cool flat, which makes stacking easier.
- Soda batter browns quickly. Bake on center rack.
Frosting Notes
As you frost, keep everything cool. Whipped frosting softens quickly under warm lights or in a warm kitchen, so if it starts to lose structure, pop the bowl in the fridge for 5–10 minutes. It firms right back up and spreads beautifully again.
If the layers dome a little, start by trimming them flat. It takes only a moment, but it makes the biggest difference — the cake stacks straight, the filling stays put, and you’re not fighting uneven layers as you frost.
When you move to frosting the sides of the cake, switch to an offset spatula. Whipped frosting is soft and airy, and the offset spatula lets you glide around the cake in smooth passes instead of dragging or tearing the surface.
Storage Instructions
Store any leftovers of this cake covered in the refrigerator for up to four days. You can freeze the unfrosted cake layers for up to two months. Allow the layers to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting.
More Cake Recipes
- Air Fryer Chocolate Cake
- Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Cherry Dr Pepper Cake
- Black Forest Icebox Cake
- Orange Creamsicle Cake
- Butterfinger Cake
Soda Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 15.25 ounces vanilla cake mix
- 12 ounces orange soda
- 1 teaspoon pure orange extract
- 24 ounces whipped white frosting (two 12-ounce containers)
- 2 to 3 drops orange gel food color
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment circles, and lightly spray with baking spray (Baker’s Joy or a generic version). Set them aside.
- Add the cake mix to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Pour the orange soda over the cake mix.
- Add the orange extract.
- Use a handheld mixer on medium-low speed and mix for 1 to 1½ minutes until completely combined and smooth.
- Evenly divide the cake batter between the 2 prepared cake pans. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes away clean. Allow the cakes to completely cool.
- Once the cakes have cooled, place half of 1 of the containers of whipped frosting into a small mixing bowl. Add 2 to 3 drops of the orange gel food color. Stir well until the color is uniform. Set it aside.
- Remove 1 of the cakes from the cake pan and place on a serving dish.
- Spoon the remaining ½ of the opened frosting container onto the cake. Using a silicone spatula or an offset spatula, spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cake.
- Carefully place the second cake layer on top of the bottom layer.
- Using the silicone spatula or the offset spatula, evenly spread the second container of whipped frosting over the top and sides of the cake.
- Using a decorator’s bag fitted with a star-shaped decorator’s tip, or a quart-size Ziploc with a small corner of the bag snipped off, hold the bag ½ inch above the surface of the outer edge of the cake. Using even pressure squeeze the bag in a circle to form a small rose shape. Repeat the pattern around the cake.
Notes
- This recipe will also work for other shapes of cakes such as bundt cakes and rectangular cakes or even with cupcakes. You’ll just have to adjust the cooking time based on the directions on the box.
- These pre-cut parchment paper rounds are great to have on hand to make lining the round pans easier.
- You are only using the dry cake mix and not using the additional ingredients called for on the box.
Nutrition
Comments
Gloria says
Yum! So fun!
Dawn Heffelfinger says
Could you make this into a orange jello poke cake
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Dawn – here’s our jello poke cake recipe. Enjoy!
Cindy says
I have a orange box cake
Charmaine Bent says
Thanks for all these delicious Recipes 💕💕😘
Trddie says
I’d make cupcakes. The orange batter would be so attractive as a cupcake!
Katrina Johnson says
This looks delicious! I love how there are so many ways to make it. To answer the question, I have always called it soda.
Frances Harding says
Bundt Cake
Chris says
I grew up in southern Ohio calling it, “pop” 😁
Violet leonard says
This would be fun to try! Maybe a golden butter cake mix and 7 up soda. Maybe some chocolate frosting. I call it soda. Growing up in Iowa, we called it pop there. Thanks for the recipe!
Maria says
I always call it pop from childhood but now call it soda. Sometimes I fall back and call it pop. This cake sounds great! I’ve made one using Coke with chocolate cake and it was great.
Terry Chadwick says
I have never made a soda cake but am looking forward to making using orange soda. It sounds super yummy.
Ann says
I love using a chocolate cake mix and a cherry cola (like Dr. pepper) then iced with cool whip and decorated with maraschino cherries that have been rinsed and dried! Eazy peazy and delicious!
Nancy Cirelli says
Looks yummy and I can easily make this gluten free!
Debra says
Around here we would call it a “pop” cake! I’ve never tried one but this sounds so good with the orange flavor, the only thing I would change is I would make my own frosting, I never did like canned frosting.
Anne says
Sounds very refreshing and EASY! I like easy recipes for my family and my son loves the flavor of orange. Thanks for the great recipe.
Grace says
I have never baked a soda cake before. We usually refer to soda as Pop. This sounds very yummy and will try this recipe in the near future. Thank you for the great recipes.
Jenifer Evans says
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I usually bake my cakes in a 9×13 pan. I recently made an icing using lemon zest and Wow! what a wonderful difference in the flavor, so I will definitely use orange zest for this recipe.
Also, where I am from, we call it soda,or, soda water, not pop.
Linda Smith says
I love the simplicity of this recipe……I have always baked and especially the childrens birthday cakes…..my husband always enjoyed what I call summer light cakes….this one hits the spot!!!
Charmaine Logan says
I call it pop 🙂
Charmaine Gillcrist says
I call it pop 🙂
Kevin says
Soda! Definitely Soda! Going to love both making and eating the Orange Soda Cake! Yummy!
Anika H says
I’ve made a soda cake before but it was a 7up cake. Super good 😊
Catherine says
Cupcakes
Brenda says
I have made a similar cake. The soda depended on the cake mix. I have used diet cola with a chocolate cake for a sheet cake. Decorating is half the fun!
Laura Yarzebinski says
Easy peasy when you add POP to the cake mix.
Linda says
We call it “pop”
Debbie Phillips says
I like to use Cream Cheese Frosting.
Amy Arnold says
As far as calling it soda or pop….it’s just coke for us! 🤣🤣🤣 Love from GA!!
Erika Czajkowski says
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I’m going to use strawberry soda instead of orange and throw some finely chopped strawberries into the batter because I’ve never seen strawberry extract.
Brenda Zehr says
I call soda pop
Barbara Jones says
I had never used pop in my cake before- delicious
ann woloschak says
I have made Soda Cake many times, and everyone loves it! They always comment on how moist it is. I also make chocolate cake by using cola. It’s very good , too. When making the orange cake, I usually put mandarin oranges on top in a flower design instead of the icing rosettes.
Elizabeth says
I always call it soda my friends call it pop 🤷🏻♀️
Linda Tanzini says
Always call it soda. Either way you call it I can’t wait to try it
Kelly Kardos says
This looks fun! I’ve never used soda in baking before. Here in So Cal we call it soda. I remember visiting my grandparents in PA and hearing “pop” for the first time. I thought that was was pretty funny and my first realization how words are different in parts of the country
Barbara J Lambert says
This looks delicious! I call it pop! Would love to try this using green river for st. Patrick’s day.
Cindy says
I call it soda!
Ruby says
I say soda. And I have used soda and powdered sugar to make a glaze for cakes!!!!
Suzette says
i definitely call it pop and i have never baked a cake with a tin of pop before. I’m game to try this recipe to what it would be like.
Laura MacArthur says
Hi
I have made a few cakes using “pop”. I think it is a fun way to have kids bake with you too!! It is very easy to make & there are so many flavours to make. The cake taste awesome.
mali says
I’ve never baked with soda before, but I might give it a try now!
Susan says
I can’t wait to try this; may even make it for Mothers Day tomorrow.
Orange soda is my favorite so I am delighted that’s the one in this recipe and will later try one using Sprite with adding lime flavorings to the mix and to a cool whip topping.
Sabrina Woods says
I have made a pop cake before it was a cherry 7up chocolate chip cake. It was a bunt cake with cherry 7up icingand pieces of cherries too…yummy
Vicki in Birmingham says
I call it soda. But growing up in the South, everyone called it Coke…it didn’t matter what brand or flavor it was, it was Coke. For example, I usually got a Grape Coke or an Orange Coke!
By the way, this recipe looks delicious! Especially since I thought the Soda in the title had to do with baking soda, rather than a drink!
Vicki in Birmingham says
I call it soda. But growing up in the South, everyone called it Coke…it didn’t matter what brand or flavor it was, it was Coke. For example, I usually got a Grape Coke or an Orange Coke!
By the way, this recipe looks delicious! Especially since I thought the Soda in the title had to do with baking soda, rather than a drink!
Beverly says
This looks so yummy! Can’t wait to try it. I use “coke” all the time. That’s what I grew up saying about all carbonated drinks. I use “soda” in many receipe. Dr. Pepper cake is delicious, Ribs, and I put soda as the “Water” in the bottom of my pans when I am making ham or turkey. Gives a delicious flavor.
Rose Tanner says
I love this cake it is delicious. Thank you for all the good recipes
Diane C Harrison says
I love making soda (Pop in my part of the country) cakes. They are wonderfully moist and flavorful! I always enjoy decorating my cakes with either icing stars, rosettes, etc or just sprinkles!
Sue says
Very easy to make and tasty
I used coca cola
And we call it pop
Twilla Hardy says
Pop
Jill says
When I went to college I called it pop, when I left I was calling it soda. It was a weird KC and St Louis thing as my school was between. Today I still call it soda.
Andrea says
I love “7-up” pound cake and would love to try this creamsicle version.
I usually call it soda.
Edie Danner says
I would use orange also it sounds so yummy.Do you think cream cheese Icing would taste good with this cake? I do.
Barbara says
Sounds delish, making the dreamsicle for Mother’s Day
KJ says
I’ve never made a cake with soda but this recipe sounds great! I think I’d like to try making a cherry cake with sprite!
MaryJo says
This looks yummy and easy. Growing up in the Midwest we always called it pop. I think I’ ll try cream cheese frosting. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Sarah harashe says
I’m making this today for Mother’s Day with Cherry 7up. We’ll see how it goes😄
Paul Kruger says
I call soft drinks Pop”
Paul Kruger says
I call soft drinks Pop”. That must be a Midwestern term
Christina Moore says
I would use red cream soda or strawberry soda if I couldn’t find my red cream soda. This recipe is something I’m going to have to try out it sounds delicious.
Wanda says
I’ve never made a cake with soda an I call them sodas.. love your emails.
Beverly Hallmark says
I call it soda now that I live in FL.
Debra Trujillo says
Soda
Bundt
Carol Jacobson says
Sounds so easy and delicious. Am definitely going to give it a try. Maybe with 7up, Husband loves things with lemon. Have tried many of your recipes and most have been delicious.
Lynette Dyas says
I have made a Dr. Pepper cake with chocolate cake mix before. This recipe using orange soda sounds sooo good.
Sophia Thomas says
I would use strawberry pop in my cake.
Kim Newsom says
I call it d soda.
I’ve made soda cake before and used Dr Pepper
Lilia Z says
We call it pop here in Eastern Washington. Husband originally from Massachusetts and he called it soda. Can’t wait to try this recipe with lemon-lime soda!
Mary Swett says
I have always called it a Soda cake and I love to decorate the top of the cake with fruit.
Joyce says
Prob will try it looks good!
Bonda Albers says
This sounds yummy. I call them soda. I have twins who will be 51 this week and have been making a strawberry soda pop cake since their first birthday. It was a Pillsbury winner. It has 12 oz. Soda but also eggs and food coloring. Back then, we didn’t have strawberry frosting, so we tinted vanilla pink and added strawberries to the top. I made it in round layers then, but now in a 13×9 pan.its a favorite in our family. I’d like to try this orange flavored one tho. Thanks for your great recipes!
Jennifer Thibodaux says
This sounds too easy! I call it soda in the southern Louisiana area
Joni Jennings says
It’s incredibly delicious! I would probably make a STRABERRY SODA SHEET cake with chocolate fudge icing to resemble that amazing flavor of a big red juicy strawberry dipped in creamy decadent chocolate fudge!!🍓🍫
LOVE IT!!
Nancy says
Rootbeer
Nancy says
Would like to try a rootbeer cake instead of of the Creamsicle cake
Charlotte says
My family loves cake. I will use a bundt pan. We call the beverage soft drink.
Karen says
In Indiana, we say pop!
Sharon says
I call it soda, even though I’m from Canada. I have always only used 7Up with a cake mix and I’ve always used a Bundt pan. I look forward to trying your orange soda cake. Yum!
Christy says
Soda
Sherrykelsh says
I call it soda and I have made one using diet soda. It turned out great!
Cassandra Cranmer says
The recipe sounds delicious. I call it soda when referring to soft drinks.
Sherrijo capodiferro says
I’m from NY so I call it soda. I have also made this with chocolate cake mix and cherry dr. Pepper. Any flavor you usecits delicious
Lee says
Soda pop
Terri M Kaplun says
I call it pop but sometimes I call it soda to mess with people. Lol
Cindy Axdahl says
We call it pop here in Iowa.
EDNA F WALKER says
this sounds amazing gonna make one tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!