Hey, y'all! Dessert, while not my favorite course, is an integral part of a menu. I don't often find myself craving it; that said, when I do, it's most always a craving for a lemon dessert. As such, I wanted to design a lemon cake that features Kentucky-favorite Ale-8-One. Why? Lemon and ginger are perfect accompaniments. With this in mind, my Lemon Ale-8-One Cake was born!
This post is in partnership with Ale-8-One. Thank you all for supporting those that make JCP Eats possible. All opinions expressed are my own.
Post updated November 2021.
Lemon Ale-8-One Cake



Enjoying reading about my Lemon Ale-8-One Cake? Check out my other recipes here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use fresh lemon juice -- always! Freshly-squeezed juice has much more flavor than store-bought; as lemon is one of the two main flavors in this cake, don't skimp out here.
Ale-8 or Ale-8-One is the only Kentucky-made soda still in existence. Based in Winchester, it has a wonderful ginger profile + a cult following.
Love my Lemon Ale-8-One Cake and want more recipes from me? Check out the rest of my website here.
Ingredients, Shopping List:
- Flour: All-purpose will be used for this recipe.
- Sugar: Pick up white, granulated sugar + powdered sugar for this cake. Granulated sugar will go in the batter, while powdered sugar will be in the icing.
- Shortening: I use Crisco.
- Ale-8-One: The Kentucky-made ginger soda will be a part of the cake batter.
- Eggs: Of your choice.
- Lemons: Get a bag -- you'll squeeze them for the juice + zest them!
- Sour Cream: Full-fat works best.
- Vegetable Oil: Only ⅔ c. will be used.
- Baking Needs: baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, vanilla extract.
- Fresh Blueberries + Raspberries: For garnish.

Lemon Ale-8-One Cake
Ingredients
For The Cake
- 2 c All-Purpose Flour
- 1.5 c Sugar
- 6 oz Ale-8-One
- 3 Eggs
- 1 c Lemon Juice freshly-squeezed
- ¾ c Sour Cream
- ⅔ c Vegetable Oil
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
For The Icing
- 1 c Butter
- 7 c Powdered Sugar
- 1 c Shortening
- 3 teaspoon Lemon Zest freshly-grated
- 3 tbsp Lemon Juice freshly-squeezed
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
For Garnish
- 1 Pack Blueberries
- 1 Pack Raspberries
Instructions
For The Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a stand mixer, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix on a low-speed until combined. In the same bowl, add the lemon juice, eggs, oil, Ale-8-One, and vanilla extract. Mix. Fold in the sour cream until incorporated.
- Separate batter into two greased cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes; check cake with a toothpick until done. When done, the toothpick will come out clean. Allow cake to fully cool before icing.
For The Icing
- Beat butter and shortening together until smooth.
- In small batches, add 4 cups of the powdered sugar. Mix well.
- Add lemon juice, vanilla, and the lemon zest. Mix well.
- In small batches, add the remaining 3 cups of powdered sugar. Mix until fully-incorporated.
Assembly
- After fully cooled, take one of the cakes and lay it flat on a cake stand. Put desired amount of icing on top of the cake. Layer the second cake on top of the icing, adding more icing to the top of the second layer. Note: I prefer to leave the sides without any icing; that said, you can cover the cake in icing if desired.
- Spread raspberries and blueberries on top of the cake; cut and enjoy!
Nutrition
Enjoy my Lemon Ale-8-One Cake? Check out my other recipes here.


About Ale-8-One
Launched in July of 1926, Ale-8-One is the only Kentucky-invented soft drink still in existence. It was invented by G. L. Wainscott and was named via one of America’s first slogan contests at the Clark County Fair. “A Late One” – the winning entry – was a pun adopted for its witty description. From that, a Kentucky legacy transpired.
Y’all come back now, ya hear?
My best,
JC
Love my Lemon Ale-8-One Cake and want more recipes from me? Check out the rest of my website here.
Keep Up With JCP Eats
Thank you so much for visiting the blog today! I’d love to keep in touch via social media. You can follow my content on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Tik Tok, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I also author a sister website to JCP Eats, Unabashedly Southern, on which I write about southern lifestyle. Read Unabashedly Southern here.
Denise
This recipe sounds yummy! Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
jcpeats
Thanks for reading, Denise! Happy Derby Week!
Lisa
What size pans to bake the 2 layers in
jcpeats
Hi, Lisa! Thank you for the great question. I used two 8x8 pans!
lee
This was delicious!!