Pour this 1 mixture over crushed pineapple into a slow cooker for a springtime dessert you'll be dreaming about for days

This slow cooker honey butter carrot cake is a playful mash-up of carrot cake, pineapple upside-down cake, and dump cake—without the fuss. You make one simple batter with shredded carrots, honey, melted butter, eggs, and a box of spice cake mix, then pour it over a bed of crushed pineapple right in the slow cooker. A few hours later, you lift the lid to a moist, spoonable springtime dessert that tastes like it came from a bakery but feels as relaxed as a Sunday potluck. It’s a great option when you don’t want to heat up the oven or you need countertop dessert space for a gathering.

Serve this warm, scooped straight from the slow cooker into small bowls. A dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream plays nicely with the honey and spice notes. For a brunch table, pair it with strong coffee or black tea and something savory like a frittata or smoked salmon platter to balance the sweetness. If you’re serving it after dinner, a crisp, lightly sweet white wine or a cup of chai makes a cozy pairing.

Servings: 8

1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

Lightly grease the inside of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or a thin layer of butter to help prevent sticking.

Pour the entire can of crushed pineapple, including all the juice, into the bottom of the greased slow cooker. Spread it into an even layer so it fully covers the base.

In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded carrots, melted butter, honey, and eggs. Whisk or stir until the mixture is well combined and the eggs are fully incorporated.

Sprinkle the dry spice cake mix over the carrot-honey mixture. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold and stir until you have a thick, fairly smooth batter with no visible dry pockets of cake mix. It will be dense—this is expected.

Carefully pour this one combined carrot-honey-butter-egg-and-spice-cake mixture evenly over the crushed pineapple in the slow cooker. Use a spatula to nudge the batter to the edges so the pineapple is fully covered, but do not stir the pineapple into the batter.

Cover the slow cooker with its lid. Cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, until the top is set, the edges pull slightly away from the sides, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake portion comes out mostly clean (a bit of moist crumb is fine).

Turn off the slow cooker and let the cake rest, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes. This helps the pineapple layer settle and makes scooping neater.

Scoop the warm cake straight from the slow cooker, making sure to dig down to get some of the pineapple from the bottom in each serving. Top with whipped cream, ice cream, or toasted nuts if you like, and serve.

Cool any leftovers completely, then cover the slow cooker insert or transfer the cake to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days and rewarm individual portions gently in the microwave or enjoy chilled.

For a nuttier version, fold 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans into the batter with the spice cake mix. If you like extra texture and a nod to classic carrot cake, add 1/3 cup raisins or golden raisins to the carrot mixture before stirring in the cake mix. To lean into citrusy spring flavors, stir 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest into the wet ingredients and replace 2 tablespoons of the honey with orange juice. You can also swap part of the honey for maple syrup for a deeper, caramel-like sweetness. If you only have yellow or white cake mix on hand, use it and add 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, and a pinch of nutmeg to mimic a spice cake profile. For a lighter finish, skip ice cream and serve with Greek yogurt sweetened with a touch of honey. If your slow cooker tends to run hot around the edges, place a clean kitchen towel under the lid (keeping it away from the heating element) to absorb excess condensation and prevent the top of the cake from becoming soggy. Finally, for a more sliceable presentation, line the slow cooker with a parchment sling before adding the pineapple so you can lift the cooled cake out and cut it into squares.