by Diana Rattray
I saw a sock-it-to-me cake in the NYT Cooking newsletter recently, and I remembered that I had a recipe for this delicious cake in my files. The cake is filled with a mixture of brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon. It’s a delicious cake to make as a coffee cake or dessert, and in my version, a cake mix makes it super easy to fix and bake. Sock-it-to-me cake is usually baked in a Bundt or fluted cake pan or tube cake pan.
If you were around in the 60s, you might be familiar with the cake and the phrase. The cake has been a favorite since the 1960s, when the show Laugh-In popularized the phrase “sock it to me” on the comedy television show, “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.” The phrase was also used in Aretha Franklin’s 1967 song, “Respect.” Richard Nixon even used the phrase when he appeared on Laugh-In in 1968.
Take this delicious sock-it-to-me cake along to an office meeting, potluck, or party, or make it for a family treat.
Preparation Notes
Heat the oven and generously grease and flour a 12-cup fluted cake pan.
REmove 2 tablespoons of the dry cake mix to a small bowl; add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Mix well and set it aside.
Combine the remaining cake mix in a mixing bowl with the buttermilk, oil, and eggs. Beat until smooth and well blended.
Add half of the batter to the pan and top evenly with the dry cinnamon-pecan mixture. Top with the remaining cake batter.
Bake the cake in the preheated oven until a skewer comes out clean.
Cool the cake on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert it onto the rack. When cooled completely, transfer it to a cake plate or leave it on the rack.
Combine the confectioners’ sugar and milk. You should have a thick but pourable glaze. Spoon over the cake, letting excess drip down the sides.
Tips
Most Bundt and fluted cake pans are nonstick but some are better than others. Make sure you get all the nooks and crannies when you grease and flour the cake pan.
If the cake is stuck in the pan, steam could help loosen it. King Arthur recommends steam and a towel “nest” in the sink. Fashion a nest with a heavy towel and fill the sink with a few inches of steaming hot water. Cover the cake with foil to keep it dry and rest it in the towel “nest.” Cover the top of the sink with a towel to trap the steam. Let the cake stand for 15 minutes, then try inverting it onto a rack.
How to Serve Sock-It-To-Me Cake
Whether glazed or plain, the cake makes a fantastic coffee cake or dessert cake. Feel free to gussy it up for a special occasion. Here are a few serving ideas.
- Serve the cake on dessert plates with a scoop of ice cream.
- Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar over the glaze before it hardens.
- Sprinkle rainbow sprinkles or colorful sugar over the vanilla glaze before it hardens.
- Cube the cake and arrange them in a trifle dish, alternating layers with vanilla custard or pudding, fresh fruit, and freshly whipped cream.
How to Store Sock-It-To-Me-Cake
Keep the cake in a covered container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days or store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To freeze, place the whole cake or individual slices on a tray and freeze. Wrap the whole cake or individual slices in plastic wrap and foil. Label with the name and date and freeze for up to 3 months.
Sock-It-To-Me-Cake Variations
- Instead of using a cake mix, make your cake from scratch. Use your favorite 2-layer gold or white cake recipe and follow the recipe for layering the cinnamon-pecan mixture and glazing.
- Replace the pecans with chopped walnuts.
- Instead of nuts, use coconut in the filling.
- Replace half of the nuts with raisins or chocolate chips.
- Swap sour cream for the buttermilk.
Sock-It-To-Me Cake
A cake mix makes this popular sock-it-to-me cake easy to make and bake for any occasion or meal: breakfast, snack, or dessert!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Cake Mix, Cakes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 box (15.25-ounce) cake mix, divided (yellow, butter, or vanilla)
- 2 rounded teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
- 1 cup chopped pecans
For the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 F. Generously grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt cake pan or spray it with nonstick spray and dust with flour.
- Put 2 tablespoons of the cake mix in a small bowl; add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans. Set aside.
- Put the remaining cake mix in a mixing bowl. Add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, and eggs.
- Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and well blended.
- Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan; smooth it then sprinkle the reserved pecan mixture evenly over the layer.
- Top with the remaining cake batter and gently spread to cover. Tap the pan on the counter to release any trapped air.
- Bake the cake until it is set and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Carefully invert it onto a rack that is set over a sheet of foil or baking sheet. Let it cool while you make the glaze.
- For the glaze, sift the confectioners’ sugar into a medium bowl; add 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla and 2 teaspoons of milk; mix, adding more milk if too thick to drizzle.
- Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake.
