Springtime Magic: My grandma shared this sweet and tart classic using just 3 ingredients. Get a perfectly warm dessert in no time

This slow cooker 3-ingredient strawberry rhubarb cake is pure springtime magic and straight from my grandma’s handwritten recipe box. She used to throw this together on busy Sundays when the rhubarb patch was going wild and a carton of strawberries was sitting on the counter. It’s that perfect balance of sweet and tart, with a golden, buttery cake top that bakes right over a bubbly red strawberry-rhubarb filling. Because it all happens in the slow cooker, it’s a low-effort, mostly hands-off dessert you can set up after work or during naptime and come back to a warm, spoonable cake that tastes like you fussed over it all afternoon.

Serve this warm right out of the slow cooker, spooned into bowls so you catch some of the golden cake and plenty of that bright red, jammy strawberry-rhubarb filling. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream melts into the soft, fluffy crumb and sticky sweet juices in the best way. It’s lovely with a cup of coffee after dinner, or paired with hot tea on a cool spring evening. For a brunch spread, you can keep the slow cooker on warm and let everyone help themselves for an easy, cozy buffet-style dessert.

Servings: 6-8

4 cups sliced rhubarb, fresh or frozen (about 1 pound, cut into 1/2-inch pieces)

Lightly grease the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray or a thin layer of butter so the cake releases easily and the edges don’t stick.

Add the sliced rhubarb and strawberries directly to the slow cooker. If you’re using frozen fruit, there’s no need to thaw—just break up any large clumps so they spread in an even layer.

Use a spoon or clean hands to gently toss the strawberries and rhubarb together so the colors and textures are mixed and you get both in every scoop of cake later.

Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix evenly over the fruit mixture, covering it completely from edge to edge. Do not stir; you want the cake mix sitting on top so it bakes into a golden, crumbly crust while the fruit bubbles underneath.

Use your hand or the back of a spoon to gently pat the cake mix down so it makes good contact with the fruit. This helps the juices from the strawberries and rhubarb soak up into the mix as it cooks, creating a soft, fluffy crumb with sticky sweet pockets of fruit.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, or on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, until the top looks set and lightly golden and you can see bright red, bubbling fruit peeking up around the edges.

Once the cake is done, turn the slow cooker to WARM and let it sit, covered, for about 10 to 15 minutes. This rest time helps the juices thicken slightly while still staying saucy enough to spoon over the cake.

Serve the cake warm, scooping down through the golden, buttery cake layer to grab plenty of the bubbling strawberry-rhubarb filling from underneath. Enjoy straight from the bowl or with ice cream or whipped cream on top.

If your strawberries are very sweet and your rhubarb is mild, you can add a squeeze of lemon juice over the fruit before topping with cake mix to bump up the tartness a bit while still keeping the recipe to three ingredients. For a slightly different flavor, use white cake mix instead of yellow for a lighter, more delicate crumb. If you like more texture on top, sprinkle a small handful of extra dry cake mix over just the center before cooking to create a thicker, more crumbly crust that breaks into golden chunks over the bright red filling. To prep ahead on a busy workday, slice the strawberries and rhubarb the night before and store them together in the fridge; in the morning, all you have to do is pour them into the slow cooker, sprinkle with cake mix, and turn it on so dessert is ready by dinnertime. Leftovers reheat well: just scoop into a microwave-safe bowl, cover loosely, and warm until the cake is soft and the juices are bubbling again.