Sock It To Me Cake Recipe From Scratch
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.
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!
Recipe Ingredients
- Yellowcake mix
- Oil
- Dark brown sugar (you can also use light brown)
- Sour cream
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Water
- Pecans
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla
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.
It will look like this.
Making the Batter
Put the remainder of the cake mix, sour cream, oil, water, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
Blend with mixer for 1 minute, scrape down sides and continue mixing for 2 more minutes on medium speed.
The batter should be thick and creamy like this.
Pour half of the batter into a greased and floured bundt pan.
Sprinkle streusel mixture over cake batter.
Pour the remaining cake batter over the streusel filling.
Spread gently to the sides of the pan.
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
Our glaze ingredients are confectioners sugar and milk.
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.
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!
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.
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:
Red Velvet Bundt Cake Recipe Sooo Good!
Lemon Angel Food Cake Roll A Heavenly Dessert
Chocolate Pound Cake with Fudge Glaze
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 package plain 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 large eggs
- 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 package plain 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 package plain yellow cake mix, 1 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar, 4 large 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
Video
Nutrition
The cake looks great, but the phrase “snow minutes” is making my day! I love it! I’ll be taking a few snow minutes today, guilt free. : )
Unfortunately, I do not have a Bundt pan. Could I use a regular cake pan , either square or oblong?
I would think the closest sub for this amount of batter would be a 9×13. Keep an eye out for bundt pans on sale sometime, they are GREAT to have! I think you’d really enjoy it 🙂
Our Goodwill store had 7 Large Bundt pans the other day when I was there, $1.99 each. Check good thrift stores for sometimes new Bundt pans. Got my 6 mini Bundt pan there for $2.59
Good Morning Cheryl! That is a great idea and great price!!! I will have to start checking there and see what I can find.
The locally owned Flea Markets are good sources to find cake pans, bundt, angelfood, etc, at reasonable prices. I have my original heavy aluminum avocado green, non- stick Nordic Ware bundt pan and have bought every kind of pan made by Nordic Wear, I think. I plan to give them away or pass down. Flea Markets or Goodwill stores are the greatest places to find beautiful-one-of-a-kind plates to serve your cake on or to give away, also, usually for a dollar each.
Fabulous idea! I find cake plates at G.W. and garage sales. For friends, I will bake them a birthday cake and tell them to keep the cake plate.
I have a question…now that they have downsized the amount in a boxed cake mix-how do you make that up? I have noticed that in using a 9×13 pan that they don’t really come out as high. Can’t wait to try the Sock It To Me…looks yummy! Thanks so much!
We just continue to use our recipes as we always have and haven’t noticed a difference in quality or taste. They may not come out as high but there isn’t much we can do about that, I’m afraid. Hopefully the sizes won’t get much smaller and the prices won’t get much higher 🙂
Which brings to mind, WHOSE bright idea was it to start packaging sugar in four pound bags?
Just curious. 😉
I don’t know, but it is frustrating isn’t it Alan?
I know you’re onto something, MB!
I noticed the difference in cake mixes back in 2012 while on vacation- smaller, flatter cakes- and a change in texture.
Less ounces in each box saves money for the manufacturer but our cake pans are the same size.
I started making my own mixes- based on recipes online that I tried.
I measure and dump the dry ingredients in a ziplock bag, seal and store.
Then when I’m ready to make a cake I add the mix and liquid ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix it up.
Not every recipe works well, but King Arthur flour has one that has become my “go to” recipe for chocolate cake mix.
It’s called “favorite fudge birthday cake” and it hasn’t let me down yet. 🙂
Unfortunately, I’m still searching for the right recipe for a yellow cake mix.
Since most yellow cakes are butter cakes, it’s more complicated than that chocolate one that you simply add eggs, oil and water.
Though I think in most cases, even “butter yellow” cake mixes tell you to add butter, so maybe I’m making it harder than it really is! 😉
Maybe I’ll try making SITM cake this weekend with a new mix recipe and tell you how it comes out… 🙂
What a great idea for making and storing your own “mixes”. I stay away from cake mixes but when I do use them, my Pure Mexican Vanilla always goes in it so it does not taste like a box cake. Is the chocolate cake recipe on the bag of King Arthur flour? Thanks for the idea!
I think some people add a few tablespoons of flour to make it bit larger.
I keep this mixed up in a mason jar:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Mix well. Add 3 ounces (or 6 tablespoons) to a 15.25 ounce cake mix. No other increases in ingredients necessary. I don’t remember where I got this from, but it works well for me. You could also store an extra boxed cake mix in a jar and use 6 tablespoons from it when you make a cake.
Hi,
I have a Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake Mix that is 16.50z. I used to make my Sour Cream Streusel Cake with the 18.50 oz. D.H. Classic Yellow Cake Mix and it was fabulous. Can you please tell me how many Tablespoons of extra cake mix or your recipe of flour, sugar, baking soda & baking powder I would need to increase to the 18.50oz? Would it be 2 T. or more?
I am so angry that the cake mix companies – Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker & Pillsbury have all changed their cake mix sizes & formulas. The cakes don’t taste the same and they don’t bake up the same as before. I do add vanilla, sour cream or buttermilk depending on the recipe. Just not the same. Some of the best recipes were made with the older sizes of cake mixes. What is more annoying is that when I wrote to the companies they just ignored my emails. So much for “Customer Service”.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Linda M
I realize you aren’t asking this of me but I just wanted to chime in that both my mother and myself haven’t modified our cake recipes at all and they all still turn out wonderful, despite the size change.
Have a great day!
Gratefully,
Christy
Hi Christy,
Thank you for your quick reply. When I recently made my Sour Cream Streusel Cake with the smaller box mix size, it came out much denser that before the reduced size box. I bake in a gas oven, so I’m not sure if that has any bearing on the baking process. Before moving I baked in an electric oven.
I’ll try the recipe again with the added cake mix to make up the 18.50 oz. and see if that makes a difference.
Recently joined your recipe site and look forward to trying your recipes.
Thank you, Linda M
Thank You for your comment on the cake box sizes. I was just going to ask the same question. I have refrained from baking several older recipes because of the difference in the box weights. Now I won’t be afraid to try them again!
You are so welcome!! Don’t be afraid to give those older recipes a try!
Hey Miss Janice! Thank you so much for the reminder to take time to refresh our spirits! I love the idea of having something ready to “pick up” and go with. And your cake serving set is gorgeous! I’ll have to make this recipe when my boys come for a visit. Thanks for sharing–have a great week!
This is a great cake to bake when you want to bake something to have on hand and to give to someone to brighten their day.
The serving plate and cake server caught my eye. They are absolutely beautiful.
Beautiful dishes like these are my weakness.
Thank you Mama Janice for reminding us that it is okay to have a “snow day” and make memories.
I just made this cake a few weeks ago. It was one of my granny’s favorite cake to make. My girls loved it.
I remember my Mother making this cake when I was still living at home it was always a hit with 6 kids it did not last long.
Thank you & have a blessed day!