Summer Comfort: Just 3 ingredients. I make it when I want dessert handled hours ahead with absolutely zero fuss.

This little slow cooker dessert is what I lean on when the weather is warm, company is coming, and I want the sweet part of the meal handled hours ahead with no fuss at all. It reminds me of the easy bakes my mother used to put together on hot July Sundays, when turning on the big oven just felt wrong. Three pantry ingredients melt together into a pale, blonde, toffee-toned pudding cake with a sticky, molten sauce that pools at the bottom of the crock. It’s the sort of Midwest comfort that feels old-fashioned in the best way: simple, cozy, and kind to a busy or tired cook.

Serve this warm right from the slow cooker, spooned into small bowls so everyone gets some of the soft cake and some of the toffee sauce from the bottom. A scoop of vanilla ice cream, frozen custard, or a spoonful of whipped cream melts into the hot pudding and makes it extra special. In the summer, I like to add a few fresh berries or sliced peaches on the side to brighten things up. Coffee, iced or hot, is a natural partner, and if you’re serving a big family meal, this works beautifully after grilled burgers, brats, or a simple roast chicken.

Servings: 6-8

1 box (15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix

Lightly grease the inside of a medium slow cooker (about 4 to 5 quarts) with a little butter or nonstick spray so the pudding doesn’t stick too much.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry yellow cake mix and the melted butter until the mixture looks like soft, slightly crumbly cookie dough and no dry patches of mix remain.

Scoop this buttery cake mixture into the greased slow cooker and gently press it into an even layer on the bottom. It does not need to be packed hard—just spread so it covers the base.

Slowly pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top of the cake layer. Do not stir. Let it sit as a thick, glossy layer; this is what will sink down and turn into the sticky toffee-like sauce as it cooks.

Cover the slow cooker with its lid. Cook on LOW for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until the edges of the cake are set and lightly golden and the center is puffed but still soft, with a bubbling, molten, toffee-colored sauce pooling around the edges and underneath.

Turn off the slow cooker and let the pudding bake rest, covered, for about 10 to 15 minutes. This allows the hot sugar to settle a bit while still staying gooey and molten.

To serve, spoon down through the pale blonde cake layer to the rich, sticky sauce at the bottom so each serving has both cake and toffee. Serve warm straight from the crock, with ice cream or whipped cream if you like.

For a deeper caramel flavor, you can brown the butter before mixing it with the cake mix: melt it in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until it turns golden and smells nutty, then cool slightly before using. If you prefer things less sweet, serve smaller portions and pair with unsweetened whipped cream or plain Greek yogurt to balance the richness. A pinch of kosher salt or a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt over the top just before serving turns this into a simple salted-toffee dessert. For a little warmth, stir 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon into the dry cake mix before adding the butter. You can also scatter a small handful of chopped pecans or walnuts over the cake layer before pouring on the condensed milk for a bit of crunch, though that will technically add a fourth ingredient. Food safety tips: Make sure your slow cooker is in good working order and that the lid fits well so the dessert reaches and maintains a safe temperature while cooking. Do not leave the cooked pudding sitting on the WARM setting for more than 2 hours; after that, cool leftovers promptly. Transfer any leftovers to a shallow container, cool to room temperature within 2 hours, then refrigerate and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat portions gently in the microwave or on LOW in the slow cooker until hot all the way through.