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Yes you can bake in your crockpot! This apple coffee cake is a great place to start.
Crockpot Cake Baking
Bet you didn’t think you could bake in your crockpot, did you?
I always used to think that too. For me, slow cooker cooking meant stews and soups and the like. However, my sister uses her crockpot for a lot of things you would never think of doing in there. And yes, she bakes in it. Makes a super banana bread in there. I have to admit that if you want a nice, moist cake, a crockpot coffee cake is perfect. I’ve done my sister’s banana bread and even made lemon bars in mine.
This crockpot coffee cake is another perfect cake to make in your slow cooker. Let it cool a bit and slice it like a cake. It can also be served in a bowl warm as a dessert!
Doctoring The Cake Mix
I discovered years ago that the secret to getting a mix to taste almost homemade was using evaporated milk as the liquid. There’s also some sour cream and spice, but those are minor additions.
You may like to substitute another flavor cake mix for the yellow. I used a “butter recipe” mix and it worked out fine. Spice cake mix would probably work too.
This could probably be done with chocolate cake mix and cherry pie filling for a Black Forest type of cake. If you try that, let me know how it came out since I have not done that–yet.
Crockpot Size
This recipe calls for a rather small-size crockpot–4Q/4L. I’m pretty sure this size isn’t that popular anymore. Most of my friends have 6-7 quart models. I’m sure it can be made in a large one, but it will bake in far less time. I would check on it in half the given time in the recipe. You’d probably be pretty safe with a standard 5Q/5L model without any real reduction in time.
The “toothpick” test works with slow cooker baking, so make sure to check it that way to be sure.
The Recipe
Crockpot Apple Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbs soft butter
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1 can apple pie filling 20 oz size
- 3 tbs brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Coat the insert of a 4-qt slow cooker with non-stick pray. Cut a piece of parchment to fit the bottom of the cooker and put it in place at the bottom
- In a medium bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, butter and sour cream until smooth. Add the milk gradually then beat for 2 minutes on high speed. Stir in the 1/2 tsp cinnamon and the nutmeg. Set aside.
- Using a food processor, sharp knife or potato masher, crush the pie filling to make smaller pieces. Stir in the cinnamon and brown sugar.
- Spoon half the pie filling mixture in an even layer at the bottom of the slow cooker then top with half the cake batter. Spoon the remaining pie filling on top then the remaining batter, smoothing the top.
- Cover and cook on hight for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the insert and lid and cool for 15 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter.
