Sock-It-to-Me Cake

Recipe by: Gina Neely, Pat Neely | from Down Home with the Neelys: A Southern Family Cookbook

Cookstr

Course: Dessert

Total Time: Under 1 Hour

Skill Level: Moderate

Cost: Moderate

Photo by: Joseph De Leo

Gina: This is Momma Neely’s calling card (and when Momma Neely comes calling, people answer). It’s a traditional Southern butter cake filled with pecans and cinnamon and finished with a light sugar glaze. At the restaurant, this dessert rules the house!

You can serve it with ice cream at the end of a meal, or for breakfast with coffee to start your day. When Patrick gets to the restaurant early in the morning, it’s the first thing he reaches for. Our recipe yields an extremely moist and delicious yellow cake. It will knock your socks off!

Yield: Makes ones 13 X 9-inch cake

INGREDIENTS

Nonstick cooking spray

streusel filling:

2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

yellow cake:

¼ cups cake flour
1½ cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 large eggs unbeaten

glaze:

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Coat a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

To make the streusel filling, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans in a small bowl, and set aside.

To make the cake, sift the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the oil, ¾ cup of the milk, the vanilla, and lemon juice, and, using the paddle attachment, beat for 2 minutes at high speed.

Add the remaining ¼ cup milk and the eggs; beat for 2 minutes longer. Pour two-thirds of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the batter evenly with the streusel filling, then spoon the remaining batter evenly over the filling. Bake for 28 to 33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. The cake will bounce back when lightly touched with a finger. Allow the cake to cool for 25 minutes in the pan. Run a knife around the edges, invert onto serving plate or cooling rack, and cool completely.

To make the glaze, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Nutrients per serving (% daily value)

This recipe serves 16.

Calories 230kcal (12%)

Calcium 84mg (8%)

Vitamin C 1mg (2%)

Vitamin A 17mcg RAE (1%)

Potassium 69mg

Magnesium 12mg

Protein 2g

Sugar 25g

Fiber 1g