Sock It to Me Cake

1 day ago 3

A close-up of a sliced Sock it to me cake with a cinnamon swirl inside and white icing drizzled over the top, displayed on a white plate—an irresistible bundt cake perfect for any cake recipe collection.

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Bake a Sock It To Me Cake that’s buttery, sweet, and perfectly spiced. An easy Bundt cake recipe that feels like a warm hug in dessert form.

Know Before You Scroll

Servings: 12

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, sour cream, milk, vanilla extract, light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, pecans, powdered sugar.

Soft, buttery cake with a cinnamon-pecan swirl running through the middle and a sweet vanilla glaze on top. Warm, cozy, and totally nostalgic.

Easy. A little layering action is required, but nothing difficult.

10–12 cup Bundt pan, electric mixer, mixing bowls, whisk, spatula, cooling rack.

Grease and flour that Bundt pan like your life depends on it. Get into every little groove to prevent sticking.

This cake actually tastes even better the next day once the flavors settle in.

Not into pecans? Swap with walnuts or leave the nuts out completely—the cinnamon-sugar swirl still shines.

A sliced Sock it to me cake with white icing sits on a white plate. The bundt cake reveals a swirl of nuts and chocolate inside. In the background, a fork and another plate hold a piece of this delicious cake.

The Bundt Cake That Feels Like Home

Whenever I think of Sock It To Me Cake, I’m reminded of my childhood neighbor, Mrs. Baxter. She was Southern, warm, and always had something baking that made her whole house smell amazing. One of those bakes was Sock It To Me Cake — a soft, buttery Bundt cake with a surprise cinnamon swirl in the middle and a sweet glaze on top. She told us it was called Sock It To Me Cake because it was so good that after one bite, people would say, “Well, sock it to me!” I’ve tested plenty of versions while developing this recipe — less sour cream (too dry), no nuts (missing that little crunch), extra filling (way too heavy) — and this is the one that stuck. Tender, nostalgic, and just like the slices I loved sneaking as a kid.

A close-up of a slice of Sock it to me cake with a swirl of chocolate inside and a white glaze on top, served on a white plate with a fork. More cake and a white cup are visible in the background.

A Little History of Sock It To Me Cake

Sock It To Me Cake first hit the scene in the late 1960s and 70s, when Duncan Hines put the recipe on the back of their cake mix boxes. The name came straight out of pop culture — “Sock it to me!” was a big catchphrase at the time, especially from the TV show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. Basically, it meant “bring it on” or “give it to me,” which feels about right for a cake this good.

Even though it started as a marketing recipe, it quickly became a Southern staple. Home bakers made it their own — swapping the boxed mix for scratch-made batters, playing with the cinnamon-pecan swirl, and adding their own family touches. That’s probably why the cake stuck around for so long: it’s simple, cozy, and just one of those recipes that feels like it belongs at every holiday table or potluck.

Ingredient Notes

A variety of baking ingredients on a white surface, including eggs, flour, milk, butter, sugar, pecans, vanilla extract, salt, brown sugar, and cream—perfect essentials for your favorite cake recipe or a classic Sock it to me cake.

Standard unbleached all-purpose flour, fine table salt, and fresh unopened containers of baking powder and baking soda.

Use cake flour for a lighter texture (avoid bread flour—it’s too heavy). Swap in kosher salt, but use a bit more due to its larger crystals. Don’t substitute baking powder for baking soda; stick to the listed amounts.

Unsalted butter at room temperature, large room-temperature eggs, full-fat sour cream, whole or 2% milk, granulated sugar, and pure vanilla extract.

Salted butter works if you reduce the added salt slightly. Full-fat Greek yogurt can replace sour cream. Non-dairy milk (like oat or almond) works in place of dairy milk, and vanilla bean paste gives a stronger vanilla punch.

Light brown sugar, fresh ground cinnamon, chopped pecans, and a little melted unsalted butter.

Dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses flavor. Pumpkin pie spice can stand in for cinnamon if you want a warmer flavor. Pecans can be swapped with walnuts, almonds, or left out entirely. Coconut oil can be used instead of melted butter in a pinch.

Powdered sugar, whole or 2% milk, and pure vanilla extract.

Non-dairy milk works well for the glaze. Almond extract is a fun swap for vanilla if you want a slightly nutty flavor.

You can find the full, printable recipe at the top of this post, but you can read the detailed instructions with photos for each step below.

How To Make Sock It To Me Cake

Prep The Pan

Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C. Grab a Bundt pan, give it a really good coat of butter or baking spray, and dust with flour. Make sure to get into all those grooves so the cake slides out perfectly later.

Top-down view of a bundt cake pan with a swirled, spiral design and a central tube, perfect for baking a classic Sock it to me cake, shown empty against a white background.

Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together two and a half cups of flour, half a teaspoon of baking powder, one teaspoon of baking soda, and half a teaspoon of salt. Then set it aside.

A glass bowl filled with flour mixture sits on a white surface. A metal whisk with a wooden handle rests inside the bowl, partially covered in the flour—perfect for starting your favorite Sock it to me cake recipe.

Make The Batter

In a larger bowl, beat three-quarters cup of softened butter with one and a half cups of sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Add two eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Stir in one cup of sour cream, a quarter cup of milk, and one and a half teaspoons of vanilla. Finally, fold in your dry ingredients just until combined. The batter should be thick but spreadable.

the left holds a fluffy, yellow sock it to me cake batter, while the right contains a smoother, creamy yellow batter. Both sit on a white background.

Mix the Filling

In a small bowl, mix a third cup of brown sugar with a tablespoon of cinnamon and three-quarters cup of chopped pecans. Stir in one tablespoon of melted butter until everything is coated and crumbly.

A glass bowl filled with chopped pecans mixed with brown sugar and spices, perfect for adding a crunchy layer to your favorite Sock it to me cake or cinnamon bundt cake, sits on a white background.

Assemble the Cake

Spread about two-thirds of the batter into your Bundt pan. Sprinkle the filling evenly over the top — don’t press it down, just let it sit there. Add the rest of the batter and gently smooth it out to cover the swirl.

Two bundt pans with cake batter are shown from above. The left pan, perfect for a Sock it to me cake or cinnamon cake recipe, has a ring of chopped nuts on top, while the right pan features plain batter with no topping.

Bake and Cool

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, checking at 45. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick comes out clean from the center, and your kitchen smells amazing. Let it cool in the pan for about 15 to 20 minutes, then carefully flip it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing. Take your time here — this is the big reveal!

A golden-brown Sock it to me cake with a swirled design sits on a round metal cooling rack against a white background, showcasing the classic bundt cake recipe.

Bake and Cool

Make The Glaze

In a small bowl, whisk together one cup of powdered sugar, one to two tablespoons of milk, and half a teaspoon of vanilla. If it’s too thick, add a drop more milk. If it’s too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. Drizzle it all over the cooled cake.

Close-up of thick, creamy white glaze being poured from a small white pitcher onto a Sock it to me cake resting on a wire cooling rack.

Serve & Enjoy

And there it is — Sock It To Me Cake! Buttery, soft, with that surprise cinnamon swirl in the middle and a sweet vanilla glaze on top. A total showstopper and guaranteed crowd favorite. Enjoy every last bite!

Close-up of slices of Sock it to me cake topped with a thick white glaze, showing a moist texture and a cinnamon ribbon inside. A fork and a glass of milk are partially visible in the background.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Cooling: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Serves 12

For the Cake:

▢ 2½ cups all-purpose flour
▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder
▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
▢ ½ teaspoon salt
▢ ¾ cup unsalted butter (1½ sticks, softened)
▢ 1½ cups granulated sugar
▢ 2 large eggs
▢ 1 cup sour cream
▢ ¼ cup milk (whole or 2%)
▢ 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Filling:

▢ ⅓ cup light brown sugar (packed)
▢ 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
▢ ¾ cup chopped pecans
▢ 1 tablespoon melted butter

For the Glaze:

▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
▢ 2 tablespoons milk
▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Prep the oven and pan:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan really well, making sure to coat all the grooves so the cake doesn’t stick.

Make the cake batter:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
Stir in the sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract.
Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. The batter will be thick but spreadable—don’t overmix.

Mix the filling:

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Stir in the melted butter until evenly coated.

Assemble the cake:

Spoon about two-thirds of the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth it out.
Sprinkle the filling evenly over the batter (don’t press it down).
Spoon the remaining batter on top and spread gently to cover the filling. Smooth the top.

Bake the cake:

Bake for 50–60 minutes, checking at 45 minutes since oven times can vary. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool:

Let the cake cool in the pan for 15–20 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

Make the glaze:

In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk, and vanilla until smooth. If it’s too thick, add a a bit more milk; if it’s too thin, add a spoonful of powdered sugar. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

Erren’s Top Tips

Room Temperature Matters: Make sure your butter, eggs, and sour cream are at room temperature before starting. It makes the batter cream together smoothly and gives you a tender cake.
Don’t Overmix: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing can make the cake dense instead of fluffy.
Pan Prep Is Key: Bundt pans are notorious for sticking. Grease and flour every nook and cranny — a baking spray with flour works wonders here.
Swirl Strategy: Don’t press the filling into the batter. Let it sit on top so it naturally bakes into a beautiful ribbon through the center.
Cool Before Glaze: If the cake is even slightly warm, the glaze will slide right off. Wait until it’s fully cooled for that pretty drizzle effect.

Variations & Add-Ins

Nut-Free: Leave out the pecans and add an extra teaspoon of cinnamon for more spice.
Extra Cozy: Swap the vanilla glaze for a cream cheese glaze for a richer finish.
Chocolate Twist: Add a handful of mini chocolate chips to the filling for a little surprise bite.
Spice Boost: Mix in a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom with the cinnamon for a warmer flavor profile.

Storage & Freezing Instructions

Room Temperature: Keep the cake covered at room temp for up to 3 days. A cake dome or airtight container works best.
Refrigerator: Store slices in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Bring to room temp before serving for the best texture.
Freezer: Wrap the whole cake (or individual slices) tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature before glazing or serving.

Sliced Sock It To Me Cake with a white glaze on top, showing a swirl of chocolate and pieces of nuts inside, arranged on a white plate.

FAQs

Why is it called Sock It To Me Cake?

The name comes from a playful 1960s catchphrase meaning “give it to me!” It was originally popularized by Duncan Hines in the 1970s, but scratch-made versions like this one are now the go-to.

Can I make Sock It To Me Cake ahead of time?

Yes! In fact, it tastes even better the next day once the flavors settle in. Bake it the night before, store it covered, and glaze it just before serving.

Do I have to use a Bundt pan?

Traditionally, yes — it gives the cake its signature look and even baking. But if you don’t have one, a 9×13-inch pan works in a pinch. Just keep an eye on the bake time (around 40–45 minutes).