This year, in my attempt to purge some of my unhealthier vices, I gave up drinking hard liquor for Lent. However, I didn’t say anything about eating foods with liquor in them. I know it may sound like I’m bending the rules, but if the worst of my sins is munching on cake that packs a little buzz, then I think I’m doing pretty good in the world, right?
I first experienced “Sock-It-To Me” cake via my mother’s first cookbook, Church Ladies’ Divine Desserts: Heavenly Recipes and Sweet Recollections. It is one of the moistest, most delicious cakes I’ve ever had. This not-quite-from-scratch take on it is SUPER easy to make and even easier to create interesting variations with because the base can change based on what type of box cake you choose and what you choose to fill it with. I came up with this one when I started to search for Bailey’s cake recipes. The standard Sock-It-To-Me cake is made like a bundt cake but I made my adaptation of this classic Church Lady recipe with layers instead. I also substituted the standard brown sugar and nut crumble for cookie bits…
INGREDIENTS
- 1 (2 layer) package yellow cake mix
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup Bailey’s Mint Chocolate Irish Cream
- 4 large eggs
- 1 3-oz package instant vanilla pudding
- 2 sleeves mint flavored sandwich cookies, finely crushed*
* NOTE: The mint flavored sandwich cookie can be substituted for Thin Mints or Keebler Grasshoppers. You can also substitute chocolate cake and pudding mix.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine the cake mix, water, oil, sour cream, eggs, Bailey’s and pudding mix well. Spoon the batter into 2 greased and floured layer cake pans.
- Sprinkle the tops of each pan of batter with one sleeve of the crumbled cookie bits.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes, then test for doneness with a wooden toothpick.
- Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack fro about 15 minutes.
- Turn one layer of the cake onto a serving platter.
- Frost top and sides with Bailey’s Cream Cheese frosting. (See below for recipe)
- Turn the other layer on top of the first frosted layer.
- Frost top and sides with Bailey’s Cream Cheese frosting.
- Sprinkle top and sides of frosted cake with crumbled cookie bits.
Bailey’s Cream Cheese Frosting
INGREDIENTS
- 1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
- 1 stick butter or margarine
- 1 16-ounce package powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream (For this recipe, I used Bailey’s Mint Chocolate Irish Cream)
- Cream the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar until well mixed.
- Slowly stir in the Bailey’s and beat until desired consistency.
