Name: Sock It To Me Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups all purpose flour; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon baking soda; 1 cup unsalted butter, softened; 2 ½ cups granulated sugar; 6 large eggs; 1 cup sour cream; 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract; 1 cup toasted chopped pecans; ⅓ cup brown sugar; 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon; 2 ½ cups powdered sugar; 3 Tablespoons milk

Jump to Recipe

You’ll swoon over this vintage Bundt cake recipe that’s rich, buttery, and swirled with a hidden streusel that’s full of cinnamon, brown sugar, and pecans. Top this Sock It To Me Cake with a sweet glaze before enjoying a slice of this scrumptious dessert.

This made-from-scratch classic cake recipe is the perfect dessert to make for special occasions. Actually, I’d make it anytime (and I do!) because it’s an indulgent cake that’s perfect as a sweet treat at breakfast to go with my coffee. The family loves it as dessert and it’s a great cake to serve when you have house guests.

If you love the richness and density of pound cake, you’ll adore this Sock It To Me Cake! It up-levels a basic pound cake with a delectably sweet and crunchy ribbon of cinnamon, sugar, and nuts on the inside. It’s the scrumptious combination of pound cake and cinnamon coffee cake that you’ll ever make!

Ingredients Needed

For The Cake
Flour – all purpose is fine
Baking soda – to help the cake rise as it bakes
Salt – for seasoning
Butter – use unsalted and set it out to soften so that it creams easily
Sugar – use white granulated for the cake batter
Eggs – set them out to come to room temperature
Sour cream – I like to use the full fat for extra richness
Vanilla Extract – to flavor the cake batter

For The Streusel
Pecans – chopped and toasted
Brown sugar – sweetener
Ground cinnamon – spice

For The Glaze
Powdered sugar – sweetener
Milk – mix with the powdered sugar and help thicken or thin the glaze

How To Make The Sock It To Me Cake

Note: This is a summary of the recipe steps. For complete instructions, see the recipe card down below.

STEP 1: Prep The Bundt Cake Pan. Spray it generously with non-stick spray and then add a light dusting of flour. Set aside.
STEP 2: Make The Cake Batter. Combine the dry ingredients and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar together before adding in the eggs. Slowly add the dry ingredients, vanilla and sour cream and mix until combined.
STEP 3: Make The Streusel. In a separate bowl, stir together chopped pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.
STEP 4: Pour The Cake. To the prepared Bundt pan, pour in half of the cake batter. Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly on top of the batter. Pour the remaining cake batter over the streusel mixture.
STEP 5: Bake The Cake. Bake for 65-75 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
STEP 6: Cool The Cake. Cool the cake in the pan for 10-15 minutes, and then turn it upside down on a wire rack to remove the cake and finish cooling on the rack.
STEP 7: Glaze The Cake. Once the cake has cooled completely, make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and milk. Drizzle it over the top of the cake.

Pro Tips

While I love using Bundt pans that have all those intricate designs and crevices in them, this is one cake where a standard gently curved Bundt pan works best. You want it to come out easily without any cracks on the top, even though you’re adding a glaze to it.
To ensure the cake releases easily, spray the pan generously with non-stick spray, and be sure and add a dusting of flour to the pan, as well.

How Did This Cake Get Its Name?

There are several opinions about how this delightful cake came to be known as the Sock It To Me Cake. Because this is a retro recipe from the 1960s and 1970s, the most popular theory is that it was named after a catchphrase of the time, “Sock It To Me.” The phrase was used in TV comedy shows, songs, and even ad campaigns. It means “Give it to me now.” Once you make this cake and taste it, you’ll be able to appreciate why this cake received this unusual name!

Variations

For The Sour Cream: You can substitute plain Greek Yogurt for the sour cream, or even buttermilk.
For The Nuts: You can substitute chopped walnuts for the pecans, or, if you have a nut allergy, leave them out altogether and double up on the cinnamon and brown sugar, instead.
For The Glaze: I love the glaze by itself, but you can also add a garnish of finely chopped pecans on top of the glaze for some extra nuttiness. You can skip the glaze altogether and top it with a dusting of just powdered sugar.

How Do I Release The Cake From The Bundt Pan?

Once you’ve let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, place a wire rack over the top of the cake pan, and using oven mitts or a towel if the pan is still too warm to handle, invert the cake pan with the wire rack on top so that both are upside down. The wire rack is now on the bottom, with the cake pan on top. Place them on the counter and carefully lift the cake pan so that the cake slides out evenly onto the wire rack to finish cooling.

Storage

Store on either the countertop or in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, or in a cake keeper. It will keep for up to 4 days.

You can also freeze individual slices, for up to 3 months, wrapped in plastic wrap and then put in a freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge or on the counter.

More Delicious Bundt Cake Recipes

Lemon Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
White Chocolate Cranberry Bundt Cake
Christmas Bundt Cake
Brown Butter Bundt Cake
Pineapple Bundt Poke Bake
Halloween Bundt Cake
Carrot Banana Bundt Cake
15 Sensational Bundt Cakes

Nettie is a wife and mother who is passionate about cooking and baking. With 5 children, Nettie insists that all meals, snacks, and desserts come together quickly! You will find a wide variety of easy yet scrumptious recipes on her viral website Moore or Less Cooking

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Serves: 12

Sock It To Me Cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Vintage Bundt cake recipe that's rich, buttery and swirled with a hidden streusel that's full of cinnamon, brown sugar and pecans. Top this Sock It To Me Cake with a sweet glaze before enjoying a slice of this scrumptious dessert.

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons milk

Instructions

Gather all of the ingredients.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare your bundt pan by spraying generously with non-stick spray and also giving it a good dusting with flour.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter for 2-3 minutes, until smooth. Slowly add granulated sugar, mixing well to combine.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
Slowly add in the flour mixture, mixing well, until everything is incorporated.
Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until just combined.
In a separate bowl, stir together chopped pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
Sprinkle the brown sugar pecan mixture over the cake batter evenly.
Pour the remaining batter into the bundt pan.
Bake for 65-75 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the cake in the pan for 10-15 minutes, and then turn it upside down on a wire rack to remove the cake and finish cooling on the rack.
For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar and milk, and drizzle over top of the cooled cake.
Enjoy!

Notes

Pro Tips

While I love using Bundt pans that have all those intricate designs and crevices in them, this is one cake where a standard gently curved Bundt pan works best. The goal is to have the cake come out easily from the pan without any cracks on the top, even though you're adding a glaze to it. ( that covers any cracks and imperfections!! )
To ensure the cake releases easily, spray the pan generously with non-stick spray, and be sure and add a dusting of flour to the pan, as well.