Honey, this Southern Sock It To Me Cake recipe is the real deal from my Mississippi big mama herself. Those other ones on the internet ain’t holding a candle to this one, just sayin. I add a cinnamon brown sugar pecan swirl to the center of a homemade sour cream cake base (none of that box mix mess) that’s super moist, buttery and tender. And let’s not forget about that delish vanilla glaze that ties it all together. This Southern cake is next level good y’all. Every slice of this sock-it-to-me cake is a piece of Southern hospitality, guaranteeing smiles and compliments galore boos.
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The south knows how to throw down on a cake recipe y’all. My big mama definitely made the best sock-it-to-me cakes in all of Mississippi. It was always so moist, buttery and tender with that undeniable crunch of the nutty filling tucked inside. When I saw folks online sharing their version (which ain’t from the South mind you), I knew I had to do the cake justice and put a recipe out that was near and dear to my heart. This is the way you make a real deal sock it to me cake boos.
What is Sock It To Me Cake?
Sock It To Me Cake is a retro cake that was super popular in the 1970’s, especially in the South. Housewives everywhere loved this cake because it was a simple recipe that proved to be extremely useful to have in your entertaining back pocket. It was traditionally a doctored cake mix which kept everything low key but this homemade version puts that version to shame, just saying boos.
The Lowdown of the Best Sock It To Me Cake Recipe
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern Comfort
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Can be made gluten-free with some substitutions
Key Flavor: Sweet and Nutty Cinnamon Swirl in a Delish Homemade Moist Pound Cake
Skill Level: Intermediate (You need a few skillz boos)
Swirl Magic
The cinnamon-nut swirl isn’t just delicious, it’s a bomb visual and textural contrast that takes the flavor over the top.
Moist & Fluffy
Sour cream is one of the essential ingredients in this cake, and it makes each bite moist, tender and light.
Ready When You Are
Perfect for make-ahead plans; it stays scrumptious whether you serve it up today or two days from now.
Crowd Pleaser
If you show up at any potlucks or family gatherings with this, just trust you will be everyone’s fave guest.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Sock It To Me Cake from Scratch
- Butter: Use unsalted and keep it room temperature. It adds so much richness and flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: This adds just a touch of sweetness to make everything nice.
- Large Eggs: These help bind all of our ingredients together giving great structure.
- Cake Flour: We sift this up to make the base of our batter. I find cake flour creates a lighter texture.
- Salt: This helps balance the sweetness in our cake enhancing the flavor.
- Baking Soda: This leavening is gonna give our cake a nice lift.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla gives us a wonderful aromatic essence.
- Sour Cream: This tangy fatty ingredient is the secret to that moist, tender crumb.
- Chopped Pecans: Get ready for a nutty crunch in every slice.
- Brown Sugar: This gives a wonderful deep, caramel goodness with that added molasses.
- Ground Cinnamon and Nutmeg: These warm spices really jazz up that swirl.
- Confectioner’s Sugar: Powdered sugar is essential for our wonderful glaze.
- Milk: This thins out our powdered sugar making a luscious glaze that drizzles perfectly.
How to Make A Sock it to Me Cake
PRO TIP: Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl as you create your batter. We want to make sure none of those ingredients hide out and not make it into our finished product.
How to Serve Southern Sock-It-To-Me Cake
- Keep it Simple: I can’t lie. I’ve probably had a slice or two of this cake with a cup of coffee or french hot chocolate for breakfast. Delish!
- A La Mode: Ain’t nothing like a slice of this homemade sock-it-to-me cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Serve the cake warm too y’all!
- Whipped Cream: I love a slice served up with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. It is so delightful boos.
- Caramel: Get your drizzle on y’all. A little homemade caramel sauce on a slice really brings out that caramelized brown sugar center.
- Southern Comfort Meal: I love ending a meal of smothered pork chops, mustard greens, candied sweet potatoes, Southern baked mac and cheese and cornbread with a slice of this.
- Family Brunch: This is a lovely addition to an easy brunch filled with drop biscuits, cheese grits, chicken and waffles and bacon quiche.
- Cookout: Definitely show up to the cookout with this sock it to me pound cake. It goes down nice after a hearty plate of rib tips, creamed corn, and potato salad boos.
Recipe Substitutions
- Butter: While I prefer using unsalted butter here, salted is fine. Just omit the salt in the recipe.
- Sour Cream: I like to substitute sour cream for Greek yogurt! It has a similar texture and thickness. You can also use buttermilk or coconut milk as a replacement.
- Cake Flour: I really believe in cake flour y’all. It changes the texture so much. If you don’t have any around but you have all-purpose flour and cornstarch, you can make your own cake flour.
- Vanilla: For more intense vanilla flavor, use vanilla bean paste. Or toss in some almond extract.
- Pecans: Almonds and walnuts are great options for replacing the pecans boos.
- Brown Sugar: If you have granulated sugar and molasses, you can make your own brown sugar.
- Ground Cinnamon and Nutmeg: Grab the apple pie spice or pumpkin spice if you ran out of these two.
- Powdered Sugar: If you don’t have confectioner’s sugar lying around, make your own powdered sugar with granulated sugar and a blender in a flash.
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Recipe Variations and Additions
- Gluten-Free: Replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 ratio gluten free baking flour. It will change the texture slightly but still taste great.
- Chocolate: Add some chocolate chips to the center of the swirl or change the batter to chocolate flavor for a remix.
- Adult Twist: Add a tablespoon of bourbon to the batter for a boozy adult touch.
- Brighten it up: Throwing some lemon, lime or orange zest into the batter can give a distinct citrus flavor.
- Top with Real Deal Caramel: Skip the icing and use my real deal caramel cake icing instead. That’s some good eatin boos.
- Sweet Potato or Pumpkin: Give a fall flavor twist by adding a bit of pureed sweet potato or pumpkin to the batter along with the sour cream.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Use room temperature ingredients: Proper baking requires softened butter and room temp eggs and sour cream. This is gonna give you a smooth even batter.
- Toast the Pecans: For an extra dose of flavor, toast the pecans in the oven. It intensifies the nutty vibes.
- Don’t Skip the Cake Flour: It makes such a difference in creating a lighter texture y’all.
- Cream that Butter and Sugar Well Y’all: This is gonna add air to the batter so it rises beautifully. Cream it until it’s super light and fluffy.
- Don’t Overmix: We don’t want no dry dense cake y’all. Once you add your dry ingredients, don’t overdo it activating the gluten too much.
- Don’t Overbake: Use the toothpick to insert into the center of your sock it to me pound cake. If it comes out with just a few crumbs, it’s all good boos. If it’s super wet, keep on baking y’all.
- Cool Completely: Don’t add the glaze until the cake has cooled completely. You don’t want it to melt and run off the cake boos.
How to Store Sock It To Me Bundt Cake
- Room Temperature: You can keep the cake on the counter in a cake keeper or wrap well in plastic wrap. This is great for short-term storage. It will last this way for up to 3 days.
- Fridge: I personally don’t believe in storing my pound cakes in the fridge. It dries them out and changes the texture.
- Freezer: If you need longer storage options, freezing is the move. Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap tightly covering all sides completely then cover in foil and label with the date. It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature when you want to serve again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yep boos, you actually can. Just use 1 box of yellow butter cake mix along with 1 cup of sour cream, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, 4 large eggs and a 1/4 cup room temperature water and stir together. Use this instead of making your cake batter from scratch. It should bake up much quicker in about 35-45 minutes.
You don’t “have” to use it but it is preferred. If you have all-purpose flour and cornstarch lying around, you can make your own or just sub all-purpose flour (at least sift) for the entire recipe. It will be denser but still good.
Just add more powdered sugar until it stiffens up some. Start with 1 tablespoon and increase until you reach a nice pourable consistency.
Yep you can boos. You can make this in a tube pan or even divide the batter between two loaf pans. Make sure you adjust your bake time if you use two pans.
Yep for sure. In fact, you can make it up to 2 days ahead and just keep on the counter. It will taste even better since you let those flavors develop.
I love to use my homemade cake release. It ensures that the cake comes out clean as a baby’s bottom boos.
More Southern Cake Recipes to Try
- 7 Up Pound Cake
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Pineapple Coconut Cake
- Sour Cream Pound Cake
- Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Coconut Pound Cake
- Buttermilk Pound Cake
- Million Dollar Pound Cake
Sock It To Me Cake
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cake Batter
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temp
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 3 cups cake flour sifted
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
For the Pecan Filling
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
For the Glaze
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 tbsp milk plus 1 tsp
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 325 F. Liberally spray a 12-cup bundt pan with non-stick baking spray or use my homemade cake release to make sure your cake doesn't stick
- In your stand mixer bowl, add butter and sugar and mix for 3-4 minutes on high speed until very pale yellow and fluffy.
- Next add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides of your bowl as needed.
- Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour into batter in two increments then add salt and baking soda. Be careful not to overbeat.
- Lastly add in sour cream and vanilla extract, scrape down sides and mix until just combined and turn off the mixer.
- Pour 2/3rds of batter into the prepared bundt pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until combined. Evenly pour the filling over the batter then add the remaining cake batter over the top. You may want to smooth out the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 1 hour and 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then invert the cake on a serving plate for at least an hour or until the cake is cool to touch.
- In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners sugar and milk. Drizzle over cake and serve.
Notes
- Room Temperature: You can keep the cake on the counter in a cake keeper or wrap well in plastic wrap. This is great for short-term storage. It will last this way for up to 3 days.
- Fridge: I personally don’t believe in storing my pound cakes in the fridge. It dries them out and changes the texture.
- Freezer: If you need longer storage options, freezing is the move. Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap tightly covering all sides completely then cover in foil and label with the date. It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature when you want to serve again.
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Awesome, good job! I so prefer making this cake from scratch rather than starting with a boxed cake mix. Thank you!
You’re so welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!
Can I use a tube pan instead of a bundt pan
Absolutely!!!
Instead of cake flour can I use all purpose flour instead
I suggest using cake flour as it creates a softer cake texture. You can even make your own: https://grandbaby-cakes.com/sock-it-to-me-cake/
I love everything about this cake
Thanks so much, doll!
I would love to try this. but as an empty nester it’s too much. Do you ever show conversions for smaller recipes?
Sometimes I need only a small bite.
You can halve this recipe and use a loaf pan to cut down the amount. Just watch your bake time since it will be significantly less.
Great recipe! My hubby’s Grandmother passed away in June and she was known for her Sock It To Me Cake. I made this cake today and I can see her giving me the side eye like “this is alright but mine is better” face.
If making this cake using the butter pound cake recipe, should I still cook it on 325 (pound cake recipe) or on 350 (sock it to me cake recipe).?
I would make it according to the butter pound cake instructions.
I finally found someone else who has heard of this cake! I have this recipe that was given to me from a recipe card, from a recipe note, from someone’s memory years ago and whenever I mention it to people, I get “huh?” LOL! It is delicious, although we did not have the nutmeg in the filling mix. I just made one for Thanksgiving, but I am going to try the nutmeg next time I make one.