5 Cakes You Can Make in a Slow Cooker That Require Very Little Effort

VICTOR PROTASIO

By now you're well aware that your trusty slow cooker can make anything from pulled-pork tacos to chicken congee, but it's also quite a star when it comes to whipping up dessert. In fact, since slow cookers work by generating steam from heat, which helps retain moisture during the cooking process, sweet treats made in a slow cooker are often more moist and evenly cooked than those baked in a standard oven.

When it comes to making a cake in a slow cooker, you often need to construct a homemade rack that prevents the cake pan from sitting directly on the bottom of the insert, but trust us when we tell you that this is much easier than it sounds—all you need is some aluminum foil. (Pro-tip: This aluminum foil structure also works if you need to make a homemade steamer basket for your slow cooker.)

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Another trick that helps yield perfectly baked slow-cooker cakes involves placing a taught towel underneath the slow cooker lid. This helps absorb any droplets of condensation created by the steam, and is an easy way to safeguard the top of your cake so it's picture-perfect.

Now that you're armed with some helpful slow-cooker cake hacks, let's get to the sweets!

Slow-Cooker Angel Food Cake

Believe it or not, baking an angel food cake in a slow cooker actually gives it that super light consistency that can be tricky to master. Just make sure you use the cream of tartar called for in this recipe, as it helps stabilize the egg whites, which is crucial in a slow-baked dessert. And if you've got a dull metal loaf pan lying around, use it to help bring this cake to life. That pan's distinct shape helps keep the cake tall and airy.

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Slow Cooker Apple Spice Cake

While this cake is packed with beloved fall flavors, it's suitable for any time of year. And since this dessert spends nearly three hours in the slow cooker, you can rest assured that the end result is moist, flavorful, and downright delicious. To really impress your guests, dust the finished product with powdered sugar, or drizzle some homemade caramel sauce on top.

Slow-Cooker Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

There's nothing worse than biting into a dry slice of carrot cake. Luckily, once you master this recipe for slow-cooker carrot cake, you'll never have to worry about the texture of your dessert again. The tasty cake cooks entirely in the slow-cooker, then once it's baked and has cooled, you can split it into two layers and decorate it with the cream cheese frosting. Easy enough, right?

Slow-Cooker Chocolate Pudding Cake

If you're looking for a scrumptious cake you can set and forget, this is it. In other words, once you mix the ingredients together, all you have to do is toss everything into a slow cooker and let it bake for about three hours. And if you let the cake finish "cooking" outside of the slow cooker, you'll be treated to a pudding-like center that's gooey, fudgy, and impossible to resist.

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Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This cake calls for canned pineapple slices along with several baking staples, such as dark brown sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. While making the cake in a slow cooker is no problem, inverting it so the picturesque pineapple slices are on top might present a slight challenge. We suggest grabbing an extra pair of hands to help out. Serve this classic cake with some unsweetened whipped cream, which will complement the intense sweetness of the pineapple.