Duncan Hines “Sock It To Me Cake”

“Sugar and spice and everything nice, plus a pecan streusel filling...that's what this Sock-It-To-Me Cake is made of!” - quoted from Duncan Hines web site.

When you hear the phrase sock-it-to-me you may not think of cake. Sock-it-to-me as a phrase became popularized when Aretha Franklin used it in her song "Respect" in 1967. Later, Rowan and Martin's Laugh In show further popularized it with the pail of water hitting the speaker in the face as they uttered the words Sock-It-To-Me. Duncan Hines capitalized on the humorous phrase releasing a recipe on their butter cake mix box for a Sock It To Me Cake in the 1970s. The cake's flavor is supposed to provide a 'sock-it-to-you' punch with its cinnamon and sour cream, and it thus came to be named after this effect. The Neely's of Food Network fame serve it in their barbecue restaurants and have a recipe for it on foodnetwork.com called "Mama Neely's Sock It To Me Cake."

The recipe is still popular and is a well known Back of the Box Recipe that many people have fond memories of their aunt or grandmother making. Sock It To Me Cake is a Bundt or tube pan cake with a streusel type filling. It is a popular potluck meal item for the dessert table and makes a good cake to have on hand for a quick dessert for unexpected guests.

Cake
1 18 ounce package Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Cake Mix
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar

Streusel Filling
2 tablespoons cake mix reserved
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 C. finely chopped nuts (pecans)

Glaze
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. For streusel filling combine 2 Tbsp. cake mix, brown sugar, and cinnamon in medium bowl, stir in pecans. For cake, combine remaining cake mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, water, and sugar in a bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour two-thirds of batter into pan, sprinkle streusel filling. Spoon remaining batter over filling.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 25 minutes, and invert onto a serving plate, and then cool completely.

For glaze combine confectioners’ sugar and milk in a small bowl. Stir until smooth, and then drizzle onto cake.