Dumping dry boxed cake mix onto canned cherry pie filling, alongside 2 other ingredients, into slow cooker for a dessert that's the one everyone asks for

This slow cooker cherry chocolate lava cake is the kind of dessert that makes people wander into the kitchen, lift the lid, and ask, “What on earth smells so good?” It’s a true Midwestern-style church-supper shortcut: you just dump canned cherry pie filling into the slow cooker, sprinkle a dry boxed cake mix over the top, add two simple pantry ingredients, and let the slow cooker do its work. I first tasted a version of this at a county 4-H potluck back in the late 1970s, when slow cookers were the new miracle on the counter. Over the years I pared it down to four ingredients you can keep on hand, so when company drops by or the grandkids want something special, dessert is never more than a few hours away. It bakes up with jammy cherries on the bottom, a fudgy, lava-like chocolate layer in the middle, and a tender cake on top—no fussing, no mixers, just honest comfort in a spoon.

Serve this cherry chocolate lava cake warm right out of the slow cooker, scooped into bowls so you get both the gooey cherry bottom and the soft cake top in every serving. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream melts into the warm chocolate and cherries and makes it feel like a diner-style sundae. For a simple weeknight treat, just pour a little cold milk or half-and-half over each bowl. It’s rich, so small portions go a long way; pair it with coffee after Sunday dinner, or set the slow cooker on the counter at a potluck with a stack of bowls and let folks help themselves.

Servings: 8

2 cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling

Lightly grease the inside of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray or a thin swipe of butter to help prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.

Spoon the cherry pie filling into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it into an even layer, covering the entire bottom so every scoop later gets plenty of cherries.

Sprinkle the dry chocolate cake mix evenly over the cherry pie filling. Do not stir. You want a fairly even blanket of dry mix covering the cherries; use your hands to gently shake or tap the slow cooker if needed to level it out.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the dry cake mix, letting them sit right on top. Again, do not stir; they will melt down into the cake as it cooks and help create that lava-like middle.

Slowly drizzle the melted butter evenly over the surface of the dry cake mix and chocolate chips, trying to cover as much of the dry mix as you can. It will look a bit patchy, and that’s fine—steam from the cherries will moisten the rest as it cooks.

Cover the slow cooker with its lid. Cook on HIGH for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or on LOW for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the top looks set and mostly dry but the cake still feels soft and a little gooey in spots when you gently press it with the back of a spoon.

Turn off the slow cooker and let the dessert sit, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes to thicken slightly. The cherries will still be saucy and the middle will have a lava-like texture.

Serve warm, scooping down through the cake layer to the cherries on the bottom so each serving has a bit of everything. Store any leftovers, cooled to room temperature, covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and reheat gently in the microwave or on LOW in the slow cooker.

For a deeper chocolate flavor, use a dark chocolate cake mix instead of regular chocolate. If you prefer a milder taste, a devil’s food mix works nicely too. You can swap the semisweet chocolate chips for milk chocolate, white chocolate, or even a mix, depending on what you have on hand. If your family loves nuts, sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts over the chocolate chips before drizzling on the butter for a bit of crunch. You can also change the fruit: blueberry or mixed berry pie filling pairs well with chocolate, though the classic cherries give that old-fashioned Black Forest feeling. If your slow cooker tends to run hot, start checking 30 minutes earlier so the edges don’t overcook; every appliance is a little different. For food safety, always use canned pie filling (not home-canned unless you are certain it was processed safely) and keep the dessert refrigerated once it has cooled to room temperature. Do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours, especially in warm weather or at potlucks. Reheat leftovers until steaming hot before serving. If you’re cooking with children or grandchildren, let them help with dumping and sprinkling, but handle the hot slow cooker and melted butter yourself to avoid burns.