Sock It to Me Cake Is the World’s Best Coffee Cake

If you love coffee cake, you’ll immediately fall for this buttery, tender bundt cake that’s hiding a sweet brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecan swirl inside. It’s an impressive-looking dessert that couldn’t be easier to make, thanks to… boxed cake mix! Doctoring up the grocery store convenience transforms it into a truly show-stopping treat.  

Sock it to me cake originated in the late 1960s, when the term "sock it to me" became popular. The catchphrase meant "give it to me" or “lay it on me,” which was used as a punch line in the comedy show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In and featured in the song Respect by Aretha Franklin. 

We can thank Duncan Hines for the creation of the recipe, as the company published its version on the back of its boxed cake mixes in the 1970s and it quickly took off from there. 

Tips for Making Sock It To Me Cake

• Layering the brown sugar pecan mixture in between the batter helps achieve a more intricate and dispersed swirl. When adding it, leave a border between the edges of the pan and mixture to ensure that you won’t see the filling along the sides of the cake. 
• For a citrusy twist, try adding a little freshly grated orange zest to the pecan mixture.
• You can make the glaze up to 2 days ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it. Just give it a good whisk before drizzling it over the cake.

Bundt Bonanza

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• Ciambellone
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Preheat oven to 350°F.

Generously coat a 15-cup Bundt pan with baking spray; set aside.

Make the pecan mixture:

Stir the pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt together in a small bowl until combined; set aside.

Make the batter:

Whisk the eggs, sour cream, canola oil, granulated sugar, milk, vanilla, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl until combined. Add the cake mix and fold in until just incorporated.

Assemble the cake:

Spoon about 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon half of the pecan mixture into the center of the batter in the pan, leaving a 1/2-inch border on both sides. Spoon and gently spread another 1/3 of the batter over the pecan mixture (it’s okay if the pecan mixture mixes with the batter). Spoon the remaining pecan mixture over the batter, leaving a 1/2-inch border on both sides. Spoon and spread the remaining 1/3 of the batter over the pecan mixture.

Bake:

Bake until golden brown, set, and a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack, remove the pan, and let cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Make the icing:

Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt together in a medium bowl until smooth. Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake and top with pecans. 

Any leftovers can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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