This slow cooker 3-ingredient Hugo Spritz dump cake is the kind of easy summer dessert my sister takes to our family pool parties, then pretends it took all afternoon. It’s inspired by the Hugo Spritz cocktail you see on patios these days—light, bubbly prosecco with elderflower and mint—but turned into a cozy Midwestern dump cake you can make without even turning on the oven. You literally dump in three ingredients, let the slow cooker do the work, and end up with a golden, crisp-topped cake over a pale yellow, elderflower-and-prosecco–kissed fruit filling. It tastes fancy enough that everyone will beg for the “secret,” but it’s as simple and practical as any church potluck cobbler I grew up with.
Serve this warm right from the slow cooker, spooned into bowls so you catch both the gooey, bubbly fruit and the crisp, golden cake on top. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream melts into the elderflower-prosecco sauce and makes it feel extra special on a hot day. Add a sprig of fresh mint on each serving to echo the Hugo Spritz flavor. It pairs nicely with light summer snacks—fresh berries, a simple cheese board, or even a bowl of salty pretzels. If you’re serving at a pool party, keep the slow cooker on the “warm” setting so guests can help themselves throughout the afternoon.
Slow Cooker 3-Ingredient Hugo Spritz Dump CakeServings: 8-10
Ingredients
2 cans (about 21 ounces each) white or yellow peach pie filling, chilled if your kitchen is very warm
1 box (15.25 ounces) lemon cake mix (dry, straight from the box)
1 cup chilled prosecco or other dry sparkling wine
Directions
Lightly grease the inside of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with butter or nonstick spray so the cake doesn’t stick too much.
Pour the peach pie filling into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it into an even layer. The fruit and syrup will form the sweet, pale yellow base that soaks up the elderflower and prosecco flavor.
Sprinkle the dry lemon cake mix evenly over the fruit filling. Do not stir. You want a dry, even blanket of cake mix covering all the fruit so it bakes into a craggy, golden topping.
Slowly drizzle the chilled prosecco evenly over the dry cake mix, trying to moisten as much of the surface as you can without stirring. The bubbles will help create that lightly crisp, tender crumble on top while keeping the inside gooey.
Cover the slow cooker with its lid. Place a clean kitchen towel or a couple of paper towels under the lid if you like; this helps catch condensation so the top of the cake stays more crisp instead of soggy.
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 and golden in spots and the fruit filling is bubbling around the edges. Every slow cooker runs a little differently, so start checking near the earliest time.
Once done, turn the slow cooker to WARM. Let the cake sit, covered, for about 15 minutes so it can settle and the textures finish setting—crispy on top, gooey underneath.
Just before serving, if you have it, scatter a few fresh mint leaves over the top for that classic Hugo Spritz touch. Spoon the warm dump cake into bowls, making sure each serving has some golden cake and plenty of bubbly fruit underneath.
Variations & Tips
To lean even more into the Hugo Spritz flavor, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of elderflower cordial or syrup to the prosecco before pouring it over the cake mix (this doesn’t change the basic 3-ingredient method, just deepens the flavor). If you can’t find peach pie filling, try canned pear or mixed fruit pie filling for a similar pale, summery look and taste. Lemon cake mix keeps things bright, but yellow or white cake mix will still bake up beautifully if that’s what you have in the pantry. For a mostly alcohol-free version, replace the prosecco with sparkling white grape juice or lemon-lime soda; just know it will be a bit sweeter and won’t taste as much like the original cocktail. If you want to cut the sweetness slightly, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the fruit before adding the cake mix. For serving a crowd at a pool party, set out bowls, spoons, and a tub of vanilla ice cream right next to the slow cooker so folks can help themselves. FOOD SAFETY TIPS: Because this dessert uses alcohol and a very hot, sugary fruit filling, keep it out of reach of children until you’ve portioned it out and cooled it slightly. The slow cooker keeps the interior very hot; always lift the lid away from you to avoid steam burns, and remind guests that the fruit layer can be hotter than it looks. If you use any leftover prosecco or sparkling juice, keep it refrigerated and use within a couple of days. Refrigerate leftover dump cake within 2 hours of serving, and reheat portions gently in the microwave or on LOW in the slow cooker until warm but not boiling.
