Sock It To Me Cake

This Sock It To Me Cake is a delicious and moist homemade vanilla cake that features a pecan and brown sugar filling. The sweet vanilla cream glaze adds the perfect finishing touch to this classic Southern dessert. The combination of warm spices and nuts make it a crowd-pleaser that’s perfect for any occasion. It’s a scratch made dessert that will make a beautiful edible centerpiece for your breakfast, brunch or dessert table.

Ingredients to Make Sock It To Me Cake Recipe

This classic cake with the whimsical name is an all-time favorite. You may be familiar with Duncan Hines sock it to me cake using a box of yellow cake mix made popular in the 1970’s. Cake mix amounts continue to decrease, and it’s difficult to make this cake in a sheet pan unless you use 2 boxes of cake mix. It’s so much easier and flavorful to make the cake batter from scratch as in this recipe, skipping the boxed cake mix. This sour cream pound cake is a moist cake with a lovely taste and texture. Enjoy it for brunch as a coffee cake or as a special occasion dessert. Ingredients to make homemade Sock It To Me Cake: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

• Cake: Sift together all purpose flour, instant vanilla pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar for sweetness.
• Butter: One cup salted butter adds richness to the cake batter.
• Flavoring: Vanilla extract for creamy sweet floral notes.
• Whole Eggs: Large eggs binds the batter and adds flavor.
• Sour Cream: Gives the cake batter a creamy texture.
• Filling: Light brown sugar, pecans, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg.
• Glaze: Powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract.

How to Make the BEST Sock It To Me Cake Recipe

• Prepare Pan and Heat Oven – Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a large Bundt pan with baking spray.
• Toast Nuts – Spread pecans in a single layer on a sheet pan. Toast in the oven for until lightly golden. Cool, then add 1 cup pecans to a small bowl with the light brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling.
• Dry Ingredients – Use a whisk to sift together flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Creamed Ingredients – Use an electric mixer to cream the butter, then add the granulated sugar and vanilla extract. Beat on high speed to combine.
• Eggs – Lower the speed of the mixer and add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
• Combine – To the bowl add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream beginning and ending with flour. Beat until fully moistened.
• Assemble – Pour half of the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Sprinkle pecan-sugar mixture over the batter. Carefully pour the remaining cake batter over the pecan mixture.
• Oven – Place into the oven and bake per the recipe. Test the center with a toothpick or skewer until it comes back clean.
• Cool on a Wire Rack – Cool in the pan then carefully remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Make the Glaze – Whisk together the powdered sugar, cream and vanilla. Drizzle on the cooled cake. Garnish with pecans. Slice and serve.

Tips for Making Sock It To Me Cake

• Kitchen Tools You’ll Need: A large bundt pan, stand mixer or hand mixer, measuring cups and spoons, large mixing bowl, medium bowl, small bowl, sheet pan to toast the pecans, whisk and cooling rack.
• Leave Space Along the Edge: To avoid a crack developing from the streusel filling leave about a half an inch gap around the outside edge of the cake. 
• Start with Room Temperature Ingredients: If time allows bring the eggs and sour cream to room temperature to assist with the blending process.  
• Trim the Cake Slightly to Level: If the cake rises much higher than the bundt pan you can trim a little from the bottom so that it will sit flat on the plate. You don’t have to do this, but I wanted to mention it as an option.
• Check the Center for Doneness: Be sure to check the cake to ensure that it is baked all the way through. Check it at about 40 minutes and test it for doneness with a cake tester or a toothpick. Lay a piece of aluminum foil foil loosely on top to prevent over browning.
• When to Serve: This cake is very much like a coffee cake. You can enjoy it for breakfast, brunch, dessert, holiday gatherings, tea parties and entertaining.

Recipe Variations

• Sour Cream Substitutions: You can use one cup buttermilk or 8 ounces plain greek yogurt in place of sour cream for this bundt cake recipe.
• Pudding Mix: I used Jello brand instant pudding. You could use a private label store brand, if desired.
• Maple Syrup: You may also opt to add a little maple syrup to the glaze instead of the heavy cream
• Flavorings: You could add 1/2 teaspoon of butter extract and a pinch of cardamom to the glaze instead of vanilla extract.
• Pan Options: If you don’t have a bundt pan, this recipe could just as easily be done in two 8-inch loaf pans with decreased bake time. You may also opt to make it in an angel food pan or use a 13×9-inch cake pan as a sheet cake.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers: Store Sock It To Me Cake in an airtight container chilled in the fridge for up to 5 days or at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
• Freezer Instructions: This coffee cake freezes well. Wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and you can store this sour cream pound cake frozen for up to 2 months.

More Easy Cake Recipes to Make

• Lemon Butter Bundt Cake is soaked with a citrus infused syrup.
• Decadent Chocolate Turtle Bundt Cake.
• Scratch made Southern Caramel Bundt Cake.
• Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Bundt Cake is the perfect use for overripe bananas.
• White Chocolate Blueberry Pound Cake drizzled with a creamy glaze.
• Black Velvet Cake is topped with a luscious dark chocolate ganache.
• Pineapple Upside Down Bundt Cake is a riff on a classic that anyone can make.
• Chocolate Mint Swirl Cake from Betty Crocker.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Bundt Pan
• Stand Mixer
• Mixing Bowls
• Silicone Spatulas