Sock-It-to-Me Cake  Recipe (2024)

By Millie Peartree

Updated Oct. 12, 2023

Sock-It-to-Me Cake Recipe (1)

Total Time
2 hours
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Rating
4(553)
Notes
Read community notes

This vintage cake recipe is part pound cake, part coffee cake, but, here, a crunchy brown sugar-pecan blend is inside the cake — rather than on top — for tidier eating and a better bite. Getting its name from a popular phrase in the 1960s, prominently featured in the song “Respect” by Aretha Franklin, this cake is made with abundance in mind. It’s inviting on its own, and perfect for coffee or brunch, or dessert. Make it for a group of people you love, or people you’re just getting to know. They’re going to ask you all about the recipe.

Featured in: 4 Recipes for a Memorable Juneteenth Celebration

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have

    10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers.

    Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Print Options

    Include recipe photo

Advertisem*nt

Ingredients

Yield:12 to 16 servings

    For the Cake

    • 3cups/344 grams cake flour, plus more for coating the pan
    • 1teaspoon baking powder
    • ½teaspoon baking soda
    • 1teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1cup/100 grams chopped pecans
    • ½cup/110 grams dark brown sugar
    • 2teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • cups/340 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • cups/525 grams granulated sugar
    • 5large eggs, at room temperature
    • 1tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 1cup/250 milliliters sour cream, at room temperature
    • Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the pan

    For the Glaze

    • 2cups/184 grams confectioners’ sugar, sifted
    • 2teaspoons vanilla extract
    • teaspoons milk, plus more as needed

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (14 servings)

621 calories; 32 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 80 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 59 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 276 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Sock-It-to-Me Cake Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Step

    2

    Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.

  3. In a small bowl, toss together the pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon.

  4. Step

    4

    In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the granulated sugar and mix until light and fluffy, another 2 minutes, scraping down the sides. Add eggs, one at a time, waiting until each is fully mixed in before adding the next. Add the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with half the sour cream, starting and ending with the flour mixture.

  5. Step

    5

    Generously spray a 12-cup Bundt cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and coat lightly with some cake flour, tapping out any excess over the sink.

  6. Step

    6

    Scoop half of the cake batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out, and spread the pecan mixture evenly over the top. Top with the remaining cake batter, spreading it in an even layer, and tap the pan on the counter to release air.

  7. Step

    7

    Bake until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour.

  8. Step

    8

    Remove the cake from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife along the edges of the cake to make sure it isn’t sticking to the pan. The cake should naturally start pulling away within a few minutes of being out of the oven. Unmold onto a rack set over a baking sheet, and let cool to room temperature.

  9. Step

    9

    Make the glaze: To a medium bowl, add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and milk, and stir until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk. You want it to be thin enough to coat the back of the spoon. Pour over the cooled cake and serve.

Ratings

4

out of 5

553

user ratings

Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

Terri

A cake with all-purpose flour substituted for cake flour is more likely to have a slightly coarser crumb, while a cake made with cake flour will have a finer, more even crumb and enhanced tenderness.

CDS

Instead of cake flour, try using 2 ½ c AP flour and ½ c corn starch (flour). It reduces the relative amount of gluten in the cake, and lightens the batter for a good rise.Also, to assist with the cake release, microwave 1 T butter until melted. Mix in 1 T neutral oil (like canola) and 1 T flour. Apply to the pan with a pastry brush.

William Wroblicka

This is a dessert cake. It's supposed to be sweet. In addition to imparting flavor, sugar helps make a cake tender and "moist." The amount of sugar called for here is "necessary" only for this recipe, which one assumes has been tested and found to be worth publishing. But there are thousands of recipes for American-style butter cakes with different proportions of the basic ingredients -- flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. If you don't like this recipe, try another one.

pink

@Cynthia Make your own cake flour. Use AP/plain flour: Remove 2 T flour per cup, replace with 2T cornstarch

Cynthia

Is it important to use cake flour? Could I use regular all purpose flour??

Tanya

For those with sugar concerns regarding desserts, may I suggest a cheese board.

Maggie

Cute name! It's the same recipe as I've been using for 40 years - my mother's Sour Cream Coffee Cake. Delicious!!

Emmy

In response to Hope, you use all the sour cream: 1/3 of the flour mixture, half the sour cream, 1/3 of the flour, half the sour cream, 1/3 of the flour, starting and ending with the flour mixture.

Powell

Yes. There are many generations of us who were making these recipes without a stand mixer and certainly no paddle.

laurie

I make my own cake flour. All you need is flour and corn starch. Whisk together 3/4 cup 2 tablespoons (105g) all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons (14g) cornstarch. Then sift it with other dry ingredients.

JCP

Can't have too many cat free cakes!

Valerie

Sylvia, I don't own a bundt pan. Any time there's a bundt recipe I want to make, I use my tube pan (i.e.: angel food cake pan). It works perfectly fine.

Hope

Yes! I’ve made it with walnuts and cinnamon for at least 10 years. With this newer recipe, you can also sprinkle chopped pecans on the bottom and top of the pa, mixed with some brown sugar, so the top and bottom of the cake are sweet and crunchy. It’s not clear from this recipe that you use all the sour cream, alternating with the flour. It seems like you only use half. Not sure why. But if you alternate flour with all the sour cream, you get a nice crumb texture.

KensCooking

Made this to recipe and it's fantastic. Only change is the Glaze quantities were very off. Needed 4 Tb of milk, not 2 tsp.

Suzannah Kolbeck

I make every cake GF with my own cup-for-cup blend (look for it on Charm City Edibles), but you could try it with another GF flour blend (except a blend with garbanzo flour.

lisa in montana

I tried making this cake and followed the directions to a T. Unfortunately, it completely overflowed the pan and then sunk inside was not cooked even after an hour.

paula

Toast the pecans! Also, I wavered on the sugar a few times but ultimately took the 300g approach. It was still fantastic! Actually, the slightly less sweet crumb offset the seam of cinnamon and brown sugar (and *toasted* pecans) beautifully. I also made about a tenth the amount of glaze, and it was just right.

cnoggs

This recipe is a delight!! Going into snack/tea/brunch cake rotation. Modified for celiac using 2.5cups of Krusteaz GF flour (terrible name, but my fave for baking) 1/2 cup cornstarch. Also used 1.5 cups of flour (vs 2.5 cups) in the cake. Made a full recipe of glaze which needed a full 4 TBS of milk. Only ended up using half as I liked the way it looked better.

Nicki Pogue

A big crowd-pleaser for our New Year's brunch. It turned out very moist and tender, and the nut layer adds a nice complexity.

Abbey

I made this while the flavor was pretty good, the notes to dust cake flour bake fired. I use a non stick bundt, but I still have to grease it. Bundts pop out no problems, but this one was very difficult to empty and in the end, it was too messy to gift due to the sticking. If you make this, consider the use of flour. I could be wrong, but I am fairly positive that's what caused the sticking.

Marbar

I faithfully followed the recipe except for using regular salt instead of sea salt. I was pleased with how it came out and will make it again. Yes it is quite sweet but on the other hand, it’s a special treat and not something I’m going to serve my family every day. I took this cake to a group meeting where I was in charge of bringing snacks. It was a big hit and I got lots of compliments on it.

judy walker

I would never make a cake for my family that contained 2.5 cups of sugar. So unhealthy

ERS

The crumb of this cake is fabulous, BUT. It is much too sweet, especially with 2C of confectioners on top, too. I found the nut/sugar mixture solidified during cooking and couldn't cut it. Vanilla turns it brown for a less than pleasing look (or is there another kind of vanilla?). 500 calories a slice!!!

John S

For mini Bundt cakes, we made a half-recipe--two eggs plus a yolk-- and this generously filled a six-cavity (each 4") cake pan. Baking time was 27 minutes at 350. We had made this cake previously (and realized that we, too, had a slightly too-small Bundt pan!) and really enjoyed it. The long-legged dog enjoyed it more, having eaten 3/4 of the entire cake when we, well I, foolishly left it in a dog friendly location on the counter. Lesson learned (again).

Laura

Used 450g of granulated sugar. It was still sweet and moist, although perhaps could use a bit more to keep it moist longer. Slightly overfilled a Wilton Bundt pan, and rose quite high but didn’t spill out. Fully beating the butter until fluffy with and without the sugar is critical.

Kay D

I followed the recipe for the cake as it was written. I did have to add more milk to the glaze. Took it to a Labor Day barbecue and everyone loved it.

Aprilb

Perhaps the best baked thing I have ever made. I didn't have cake flour so used the substitute suggested on the king Arthur flour site. Also, thought I had a Bundt pan but couldn't find it, so I made two loaves. I got the proportions of pecan mixture to cake batter wrong between the two loaf pans but it didn't matter. Both came out so good. I had to cook a bit longer than suggested because of the pans I used but it made the outer crust almost caramelized. I didn't put on the glaze.

Kathy Tracy

Leave the glaze off - too sweet with it

Lori

Made this for the Friday coffee after-pool aerobics class at the Y. It got rave reviews. I was hesitant about the icing, as I thought it might be too much, but everyone said the vanilla added another flavor dimension to the cake. Will make it again.

Michele Sellers

I’ve made this 3 times now, I do cut the sugar down to 2cups, personal pref, and made the glaze the 2nd time using cream cheese with a little powdered sugar (didn’t measure), sprinkling chipped pecans into it after drizzling on the cake. It’s pretty and delicious !!

Private notes are only visible to you.

Sock-It-to-Me Cake  Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is sock it to me cake made of? ›

This easy Southern Sock it to me cake is made of a moist and tender butter cake with a ribbon of pecan brown sugar cinnamon streusel filling in the middle all topped with a simple vanilla glaze; it's one of my favorite bundt cake recipes!

What makes a cake more moist oil or butter? ›

Vegetable oil contributes moistness far more reliably, a result of the fact that oil remains liquid at room temperature while butter solidifies. Liquid contributes to the sensation of moistness, and therefore cakes made with oil often present as moister than their butter-based counterparts.

How do you make a cake taste like a bakery cake? ›

Step 1: Look at the directions on the cake mix. Step 2: Add one more egg (or add 2 if you want it to be very rich). Step 3: Use melted butter instead of oil and double the amount. Step 4: Instead of water, use whole milk.

What does adding applesauce to cake do? ›

Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce is a popular oil substitute in baking. It can add moisture to your cakes and cupcakes while reducing the fat content. Use a 1:1 ratio, replacing the oil with applesauce. Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt is another great option for moisture and creaminess.

Why is it called sock it to me cake? ›

The phrase is in the outro of Aretha Franklin's 1967 hit, “Respect.” It means something like “lay it on me.” It's like when a baker asked someone if they wanted a piece of this buttery cake, the answer was “sock it to me!”—which is how this cake got its name.

What flavor is sock it to me? ›

Most of the original Sock It to Me Cake recipes called for cake mixes, but our version is scratch-made with simple pantry ingredients. Like the original, our cake is a buttery sour cream Bundt, layered with a ribbon of brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans in the middle, and topped with vanilla icing.

What happens if I use butter instead of oil in cake? ›

Most cake mixes call for oil, but butter will bring in amazing flavor. To substitute butter for oil in baking just melt the butter, measure it, let it cool, and add it as you would the oil. Compared to oil, butter will create a cake with a firmer, cakeier texture.

What is the best oil to use in a cake mix? ›

Whenever possible, use canola oil for baking.

Its neutral taste will not give your cake any undesirable flavor, and you can keep the focus on the flavors in your cake, especially if you are using premium ingredients in your cake such as vanilla beans and high quality chocolate.

Is cake better with milk or water? ›

Baking tip #2: adding milk to your box cake mix in place of water adds a dense texture to your dessert leaving it moist and flavorful like a homemade cake. Or, if you prefer, you can add buttermilk, giving your cake a tangy flavor to balance out the sweetness.

How do bakeries get their cakes so moist? ›

Seven Bakery Secrets to Incredibly Moist Cakes Every Time
  1. Use Buttermilk Instead of Milk.
  2. Add Vegetable Oil.
  3. Use Instant Clearjel or Instant Pudding Mix.
  4. Use the Right Recipe.
  5. Don't Overbake.
  6. Bake in Sheet Pans Instead of individual Cake Pans.
  7. Use a Simple Syrup or Glaze.
Apr 23, 2021

What is the secret to a perfect cake? ›

The next time you're baking a cake, keep these simple tricks in mind:
  1. Prep the ingredients. Have all of the ingredients at room temperature, unless the recipe directs otherwise. ...
  2. Use the right flour. ...
  3. Prep your pans. ...
  4. Alternate wet and dry ingredients. ...
  5. Preheat. ...
  6. Release air bubbles. ...
  7. Test for doneness. ...
  8. Cool down.
Jun 29, 2022

Do bakers use box cake mix? ›

As a professional baker, I don't often use boxed mixes, but I appreciate how easily they bring a cake together. I think premade mixes are great for beginners gaining confidence around the kitchen and also for last-minute cake "emergencies."

What does adding an extra egg do to a cake mix? ›

Add an Extra Egg

Most cake mixes call for two to three eggs. Just one more egg will add extra moisture, fat, and a little protein, which means the cake will be softer and less likely to overbake and dry out in the oven.

Can I use applesauce instead of the egg and a cake mix? ›

Applesauce. Applesauce is a great neutral egg replacement, meaning you won't taste any apple in the final product. When subbing in applesauce for eggs, use ¼ cup for every egg your recipe calls for, and add an additional ½ teaspoon of baking powder to the dry ingredients.

How much applesauce for one egg in cake? ›

Applesauce. Use applesauce to add moisture. Replace one egg with 1/4 cup of applesauce in sweet desserts. If you want a lighter texture, add an extra 1/2 teaspoonful of baking powder, as fruit purées tend to make the final product denser than the original recipe.

What flavor is sock it to me pudding cake? ›

This single serve pudding cake slice contains sock-it-to-me cinnamon pecan flavor. This is an everyday occasion treat that can be shared with adults and children for a quick sweet treat.

What is the nutritional value of sock it to me cake? ›

Marketside Sock It To Me Cake (1 slice) contains 40g total carbs, 40g net carbs, 15g fat, 3g protein, and 310 calories.

What is cake release made of? ›

What is cake release made out of? Cake release is basically equal parts flour, oil and butter (or shortening). What most people do is either use baking paper to line their cake tins, or grease and flour them.

What is cake gel made of? ›

Cake gel has good mechanical mixing stability and can maintain a stable cake batter proportion after a long time of mixing. Cake gels are semi-liquid made up of water, vegetable oil corn Flour/vanilla, emulsifiers, stabilizer, solvents, and sugar.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Amb. Frankie Simonis

Last Updated:

Views: 6266

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (56 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Amb. Frankie Simonis

Birthday: 1998-02-19

Address: 64841 Delmar Isle, North Wiley, OR 74073

Phone: +17844167847676

Job: Forward IT Agent

Hobby: LARPing, Kitesurfing, Sewing, Digital arts, Sand art, Gardening, Dance

Introduction: My name is Amb. Frankie Simonis, I am a hilarious, enchanting, energetic, cooperative, innocent, cute, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.