The Vintage '70s Cake That Took Dessert Tables By Storm

Although some recipes might seem timeless, many foods are strongly tied to trends and ingredients that were popular during a particular decade or period. A perfect example is the colorfully named Sock-It-To-Me Cake, which could be seen on dessert tables in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Decades later, it's still a delicious — if lesser-known — option for lovers of tasty, simple baked goods.

If the very existence of this dessert comes as a surprise, here's a quick overview. It's a buttery Bundt-style cake that will likely satisfy any sweet tooth. What sets it apart from similar creations is a ribbon of streusel flavored with brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. This tantalizing mixture is layered within the batter before baking, creating a hidden delight underneath the moist cake and quick icing. Sock-It-To-Me Cake's exact origin isn't known, but it was partly popularized by food maker Duncan Hines, which included the recipe on the back of cake mix boxes for years.

The cake's memorable name is one of the most obvious ways to date its popularity. The phrase "sock it to me," which uses the term "sock" to mean "hit" or "give," has been around since at least the 1860s. However, it didn't become an everyday term until a century later. That change can partly be attributed to the dual influences of Aretha Franklin's 1967 hit "Respect," which featured backup singers repeating the phrase, and the TV show "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In," which often used it as a punchline or gag after its 1968 debut.

To be sure, original versions of Sock-It-To-Me Cake relied on boxed cake mixes, much like many culinary traditions of the era. However, it's also remarkably simple to make from scratch with our Sock-It-To-Me Cake recipe, which relies primarily on common pantry and fridge ingredients and comes together in just 15 minutes of prep time, plus an hour in the oven.

Plenty of cakes and other desserts have come and gone in the half-century since Sock-It-To-Me Cake was at its most popular. Still, it's hard to argue that it doesn't belong among the ranks of retro recipes that deserve to make a comeback.