Holiday Sweetness: Only 4 ingredients. I make it when I want dessert handled hours ahead without heating up the kitchen.

This 4-ingredient slow cooker Independence Day Garnet Swirl is my answer to wanting a pretty, crowd-pleasing dessert that basically makes itself while I’m outside with the kids. It turns into a bubbling, glossy mix of deep garnet cherry filling and pearlescent, craggy cake on top—almost like a cobbler and lava cake had a holiday baby. I lean on pantry ingredients so I can throw it together in five minutes in the morning, then let it simmer away without heating up the kitchen, which is a blessing on hot July days.

Serve this warm right out of the slow cooker, spooned into bowls. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream really shows off the contrast between the hot, garnet fruit and the cool, creamy topping. For a festive Independence Day touch, I like to sprinkle a few fresh blueberries over each bowl for a red, white, and blue look. It’s sweet enough to stand alone, but it also pairs nicely with grilled burgers or brats as a simple finish to a backyard cookout.

Servings: 8

2 cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling

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

Pour the cherry pie filling into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it into an even layer. The glossy, deep garnet color will become the molten base of your dessert.

In a medium bowl, stir the dry white cake mix and vanilla extract together just until the vanilla is evenly distributed throughout the mix. Do not add eggs, oil, or water—the cake mix should stay dry and sandy.

Sprinkle the vanilla-scented dry cake mix evenly over the cherry pie filling, trying to cover the fruit completely. It’s okay if some cherries peek through; those spots will create pretty, bubbling garnet pools.

Slowly drizzle the melted butter evenly over the surface of the dry cake mix. Aim to moisten as much of the mix as possible, but don’t worry if a few dry patches remain; they’ll bake into a craggy, pearlescent crumb.

Cover the slow cooker with its lid. Cook on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or on LOW for 4 to 4 1/2 hours, until the top is mostly set with golden, caramelized edges and the cherry filling is thick, bubbling, and glossy around the sides.

Once cooked, turn off the slow cooker and let the dessert sit, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes. This rest helps the molten cherry layer thicken slightly while keeping that luscious, spoonable texture.

To serve, spoon the warm garnet swirl into bowls, making sure to scoop down to get both the glossy cherry layer and the craggy, pearly cake topping in each serving.

For a more pronounced Independence Day look, you can scatter 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries over the cherry pie filling before adding the cake mix, keeping the total ingredient count the same by omitting the vanilla extract if you prefer. If your family loves extra crunch, sprinkle a small handful of chopped pecans or sliced almonds over the top halfway through cooking (just know this technically adds another ingredient). For a slightly less sweet version, use one can of cherry pie filling and one can of tart cherries in juice (drained well), then taste and stir a tablespoon or two of sugar into the fruit if needed before adding the cake mix. Picky eaters who aren’t big on cherry can swap in apple or mixed berry pie filling while keeping the same basic method. If your slow cooker tends to run hot, check the dessert about 30 minutes earlier than the suggested time so the edges don’t scorch; every slow cooker is a little different. For food safety, make sure canned fillings are not expired and the cans are undamaged, melt butter just until liquid (not browned or smoking), and keep the lid on during cooking so the dessert stays at a safe temperature. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of serving in a shallow container, and reheat individual portions in the microwave until piping hot before eating.