Pour lemon cake mix and these 4 ingredients in slow cooker for a bright dessert people keep coming back for

Out here in the country, we’ve always had a soft spot for those humble, no-fuss desserts that you can stir together in a few minutes and let them take care of themselves. This slow cooker lemon pudding cake is a cousin to the old-fashioned ‘magic cakes’ my mother used to make, where one batter bakes into both a tender cake and a silky pudding underneath. In the 1960s and ’70s, when boxed mixes really started showing up in every Midwestern pantry, home cooks quickly learned how to stretch them, doctor them, and turn them into something that tasted like it came from Grandma’s recipe box. This recipe follows in that tradition: just five ingredients, a bright lemony flavor that cuts through the chill of a long winter, and the comfort of a warm dessert waiting on the counter. It’s the sort of thing you make when family is coming over after church, or when you want something sweet without fussing with the oven—just plug in the slow cooker and let it quietly fill the house with the smell of Sunday supper at Grandma’s.

This lemon pudding cake is lovely served warm right out of the slow cooker, spooned into small bowls so you get a bit of the fluffy cake and the soft pudding in every bite. A dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream melts into the warm lemon and makes it feel like a special-occasion dessert, even on an ordinary weeknight. If you have fresh berries—blueberries, raspberries, or sliced strawberries—they add a nice splash of color and a little tartness that plays well with the sweet citrus. For a simple Midwestern-style dessert spread, pair it with a pot of hot coffee, or in the summer, a pitcher of iced tea. It also sits comfortably next to a casual meal like pot roast, meatloaf, or baked chicken, rounding out the kind of meat-and-potatoes supper many of us grew up on.

Servings: 8 servings

1 (15.25-ounce) box lemon cake mix
1 (3.4-ounce) box instant lemon pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk (whole or 2%)
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (plus a little extra for greasing the slow cooker)

Lightly grease the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with butter to help prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon cake mix and 3/4 cup of the milk just until smooth and no dry streaks remain. The batter will be fairly thick.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared slow cooker and spread it into an even layer with a spatula.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon pudding mix, the remaining 3/4 cup milk, the 1 1/2 cups water, and the melted butter until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened.

Gently pour the pudding mixture over the cake batter in the slow cooker. Do not stir; the two layers will trade places as they cook, forming a soft cake on top and a pudding-like sauce underneath.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or on LOW for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the top is set and springs back lightly when touched, but the bottom is still soft and saucy.

Once done, turn off the slow cooker and let the cake rest, covered, for about 10 minutes to allow the pudding layer to thicken slightly.

To serve, spoon the warm lemon pudding cake into bowls, making sure to scoop down to the bottom so each serving has both cake and pudding. Serve plain or with whipped cream or ice cream.

If you grew up in a farmhouse kitchen, you know that recipes like this are meant to bend a little with what you have on hand. For extra lemon punch, stir 1 to 2 teaspoons of grated lemon zest into the cake batter or pudding mixture, or drizzle the finished warm cake with a simple glaze made from powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice. If you prefer a slightly richer dessert, use half-and-half in place of some of the milk, or add an extra tablespoon of melted butter to the pudding mixture. For a berry-lemon version, scatter 1 to 1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries over the cake batter before pouring on the pudding layer; they’ll sink into the sauce and give little pockets of fruit. You can also swap the lemon cake mix for a white or yellow cake mix and keep the lemon pudding for a gentler citrus flavor. For smaller households, you can cut the recipe in half and use a 3-quart slow cooker, checking for doneness a bit earlier. To prevent condensation from dripping onto the cake, you can lay a clean kitchen towel under the lid during cooking, which is an old trick many church-basement cooks used when they needed a dessert to look its best on the potluck table.