Sock-it-to-Me Cake

I don’t know about you, but this has been a rough week for me. The continual display of senseless harassment and killings of my brothers and sisters has placed another gray cloud over this Spring. The saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers.” Well I think our people have definitely waited long enough to receive the flowers we deserve and then some.

As you know baking has always served as an outlet for my stress and emotional demands. After this week kicked my butt I most certainly needed something to channel all my anger and frustration into. I wanted to make something that not only helped me but also served a purpose as a political statement. I pondered what recipe could serve duel function as a proclamation and a piquant dessert.

After some cooling off and thinking, the perfect recipe came to mind. In the 1960s the US was again filled with civil unrest and social unjust. Aretha Franklin with her powerful pipes took a stance and demanded, ” R-E-S-P-E-C-T…Oh( sock it to me, sock it to me)..” Here it is 60 years later and the requisition remains the same, RESPECT!

Check out my recipe and complete step-by-step video for Sock-it-to-Me Cake below.

Ingredients

Sock it to Me Cake

Cake:

1 cup of butter, room temperature

1 ¾ cups of sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. of salt

5 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup of greek yogurt or sour cream

1 cup of unsweetened almond creamer or milk

1 ½ tsp .of vanilla extract

½  tsp. of almond extract

Filling:

1 cup of pecans or raw almonds

½ cup of brown sugar

2 tbsp. ground cinnamon

Glaze:

2 cups of confectioner’s sugar

3 tbsp. milk or almond creamer

1 tsp. of vanilla extract

Directions

Butter and flour bundt pan.

Using a food processor, pulse pecans until pecans are finely chopped. In a small bowl add brown sugar and cinnamon to pecans. Mix until combined. Set small bowl aside.

In another medium sized bowl, combine together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Using a stand mixture, cream butter and sugar in a large bowl for approximately 10 minutes. (Combine until butter and sugar is light and fluffy and doubled in size.) Add eggs one at a time to the creamed mixture. Add yogurt or sour cream. Add half of flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Add creamer/milk. Combine last of flour mixture. Mix well until all ingredients incorporated. Stir in vanilla and almond extract. 

Pour 1/3 batter into prepared bundt pan. Sprinkle 4 tbsp. of pecan mixture over batter. Add another 1/3 of cake batter to the pan, making sure to cover up pecan mixture. Sprinkle the rest of the pecan mixture, except about 3 tbsp., over cake batter. Pour the rest of cake batter into the bundt pan. Spread cake batter evenly to cover almond mixture.

Transfer to unheated oven; bake at 325 degrees for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack in pan for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from pan, place cake on wire rack, and let cool completely.

While cake is baking, in a small bowl whisk together milk/creamer, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla until well combined. (Glaze should coat the back of a spoon). Pour glaze over completely cooled cake. Sprinkle remainder of the almond filling onto top of cake.

Devour and Enjoy!!