Slow Cooker Chocolate Cake

When it comes to cake, my kids will take the icing any day over the actual cake. Until now.

This dessert is the most moist chocolate cake I have ever eaten. The taste is so rich, there's no need for any icing on this baby.

I was a little wary about making a cake in a slow cooker, but I've been wanting to make a treat like this ever since I saw this recipe in Allrecipes magazine last summer.

I must say it was easier than I thought and definitely worth the 3 1/2 hour wait.

Here are a few other reasons my boys and I love this cake:

• It stays moist, wrapped in plastic wrap, up to 4 days (by then it was all gone.)
• The cake is firm enough to pack in school lunches.
• It is delicious with ice cream and/or with fresh fruit (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries.)

I hope you like this chocolate dessert as much as we do!

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Crock Pot Chocolate Cake

Cooking spray
1 to 2 cups sugar (I used 1 cup)
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Do not use Dutch-process cocoa)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup apple sauce
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup butterscotch chips (optional)

Generously spray insert of a 5-to-6 quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients: sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, apple sauce and vanilla. Add boiling water and mix well.

Add wet ingredients into dry and mix well. Add chocolate and butterscotch chips if using and mix well.

Pour batter into prepared slow cooker insert.

Cover and cook on low until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 2.5 or 3 hours. Cake will be starting to pull away from sides of insert at this time. It should look like this:

Turn off slow cooker and allow cake to rest for about 30 minutes. Let cake cool with the cover on if you want a more pudding-like consistency. Take the cover off for resting (which is what I did) for a cakey-er texture.

Run a wooden or rubber spatula around the edges of cake to loosen it. Cut pieces and serve directly from the slow cooker.

Lift leftovers out of insert and wrap in plastic wrap. Store at room temperature up to 4 days.