Sock It To Me Cake Recipe From Scratch

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Sock It To Me Cake is an ole Southern stand-by that’s perfectly moist and so easy to make from scratch. Enjoy a scrumptious slice with your morning coffee.

sock it to me cake slice

A cross between a coffee and pound cake, this Sock It To Me Cake is a great cake to have with coffee but is an equally good dessert. A Southern specialty, this butter bundt cake with an enticing streusel filling is complete with a sweet glaze drizzled on top. Most importantly, it is moist and easy to make, since it starts with a Duncan Hines cake mix.  It is said that Duncan Hines made this cake famous in the ’70s and ’80s by putting its recipe on the back of the box, so we certainly don’t want to break with tradition!

However, you can also make this Sock It To Me Cake recipe from scratch. Follow this easy from scratch cake recipe and simply use a bundt cake pan instead of a regular cake pan. Now let’s get to some baking!

sock it to me cake ingredients

Recipe Ingredients

  • Yellowcake mix
  • Oil
  • Dark brown sugar (you can also use light brown)
  • Sour cream
  • Sugar
  • Eggs
  • Water
  • Pecans
  • Cinnamon
  • Vanilla

Add all the dry ingredients in a bowl

Making the streusel mixture

Place 3 tablespoons of cake mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans in a small mixing bowl.  Stir until well combined and set aside.

Mixing streusel mixture in bowl

It will look like this.

Sock It To Me Cake ingredients in mixing bowl.

Making the Batter

Put the remainder of the cake mix, sour cream, oil, water, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.  

Mixing ingredients with electric mixer.

Blend with mixer for 1 minute, scrape down sides and continue mixing for 2 more minutes on medium speed.

Cake ingredients being mixed with electric mixer.

The batter should be thick and creamy like this.

pour half batter in pan

Pour half of the batter into a greased and floured bundt pan.

sprinkle struessel over batter

Sprinkle streusel mixture over cake batter.

pour rest of the cake batter over struessel

Pour the remaining cake batter over the streusel filling.

spread it gently

Spread gently to the sides of the pan.

bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes

Bake this at 350 for 50-55 minutes.  

Let cool in pan about ten minutes before turning out to cool completely.

Making the Glaze for the Cake

add milk to confectioners sugar

Our glaze ingredients are confectioners sugar and milk.

mix together until drizzle consistency

Place the powdered sugar in a bowl and add milk a tablespoon at a time while whisking.  Add enough milk to make a glaze thin enough to drizzle over the cooled cake.

Glaze drizzling down sides of cake.

Isn’t she a beauty?  I think she is worthy of a bakery case.  And the great part is, she tastes equally as amazing. Enjoy!

sock it to me cake slice

Storage

  • You can store your Sock It To Me Cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week or at room temperature for up to four days.
  • If you want to freeze slices, double wrap them and store them in the freezer for up to three months. When it’s time to enjoy, simply thaw the slices overnight in the fridge.

Recipe Notes

  • I find using sour cream with cake mixes helps to ensure a thicker, more moist cake result.  It’s one of those ingredients that really compliments almost any cake or brownie mix.  You can also use greek yogurt, coconut yogurt or buttermilk.  This article shows some other ways to spruce up box cake mixes too.
  • If you want your glaze to just be a drizzle on top and soak into the cake some, make it thinner. But if you want your glaze to really sit thick atop the cake like icing, you want it to be the consistency of school glue. If it gets a little thin, just add a tablespoon or two more of sugar. Alternatively, if it’s a little thick, add a tablespoon more milk.

fork picking up bite of Sock It To Me Cake

Recipe FAQs

Where Does the Name Sock It To Me Cake Come From?

There are questions about the origin of the cake itself but many who are old enough will remember the show “Laugh-In” in the ’60s and ’70s.  They made the term “Sock It To Me” quite popular and since it means, “give it to me now”, I am thinking that is why the cake got its name.  Because when you see it, you just want whoever made it to give it to ya right now!  

You might also enjoy these other delectable cake recipes:

Apple Dapple Cake

Red Velvet Bundt Cake Recipe Sooo Good!

Lemon Angel Food Cake Roll A Heavenly Dessert

Chocolate Pound Cake with Fudge Glaze

sock it to me cake slice

Sock It To Me Cake

Sock It To Me Cake is moist and easy to make. It's origins aren't as clear but your family won't care since the cake is usually gone in no time.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake
Servings: 12
Calories: 293kcal

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 yellow cake mix
  • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
  • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans optional
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs large
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Glaze

  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease and flour tube pan or bundt pan. Set aside.
  • For the streusel filling, place 3 tablespoons of cake mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans in a small mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
    1 yellow cake mix, 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • Place the remaining cake mix, sour cream, oil, water, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
    1 yellow cake mix, 1 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar, 4 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • Beat for one minute with your mixer and stir down the sides as needed.
  • Continue beating for two minutes on medium speed.
  • Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.
  • Top with streusel mixture.
  • Pour the remaining cake batter over the streusel and spread gently to the sides of the pan.
  • Place in oven and bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until golden and cake springs back when lightly pressed with your finger.
  • Let cool for 10 minutes and then turn out onto rack to cool completely.
  • To make the glaze, place sifted confectioners sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, and whisk until smooth. More milk can be added if needed until the glaze is thin enough to drizzle over the cake.
    1 cup confectioners sugar, 2 tablespoons milk

Nutrition

Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Sodium: 343mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

 

 

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77 Comments

  1. Hi, I’am new to baking and need so much info. what size Bundt pan should I use for the “Sock It To Me ” cake ?

    1. Hey there, You want a bundt pan that holds between 10-12 cups. The sizes vary out there but mine is 10.5 x 10.5 x 4.5 inches

      Hope that helps and looking forward to what you thought of the Sock It To Me Cake 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    Just took it out of the oven. The whole house smells so deliciously good. I’ve made your recipe before and YUM! Thank you!!

  3. My grandmother, Mammy, used to make this cake all the time when I was a child. She didn’t put the drizzle on top, but always kept it in a covered “cookie tin” (that she had received those butter cookies in at Christmas) in the refrigerator. That was one thing that was ALWAYS a staple at her home… including her homemade buttermilk that she made herself in a big glass gallon jar with powdered milk…it was normally fermenting on the countertop, which was really gross to me growing up! I NEVER drank it, but she did ALWAYS. (She lived to be 102!!) Thanks for the recipe and the memories that it evoked for me today. Snow days for me are normally spent card making, scrapbooking, or reading. Sometimes cooking too! 🙂

  4. Please e-mail to me the recipe for the Apple Dapple Cake. My sister sent it to me on twitter. I’m so anxious to make it, but I was not able to read parts.

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