CrockPot Coconut Cake Recipe

Day 175.

I'm excited about this cake. I recieved a request from Giabella to make a coconut cake in the crockpot, and I had the perfect opportunity this weekend to test it out. We had some family events to attend, and house guests---everybody who had the opportunity to try this cake loved it. Cooking cake (especially a gluten free cake) in the crock ensures a moist cake every time. I used a store-bought cake mix to save valuable flour mixing time, but if you have a favorite secret cake recipe, go ahead and use it.

The Ingredients.

--cake mix (gluten free cake mixes make a ONE layer cake, that is what I used, but if you want a thicker, more traditional cake, use two boxes)
--the ingredients the box tells you to use (butter, oil, eggs, etc.)--use the quantity the box tells you to
--can of coconut milk
--1 t. coconut extract

for use after baking:
--2 T powdered sugar
--sweetened shredded coconut
--cream cheese frosting (optional)

The Directions.

I used a round 4qt crockpot for this recipe.

Follow the directions on the box for the amount of eggs and oil used. Instead of using milk or water for the liquid, use coconut milk. Make sure to shake the can really well, to mix the cream.
Add 1 tsp of coconut extract to the batter.
Save the rest of the can of coconut milk, we're going to use it later.

Spray your crockpot with cooking spray, and pour in batter. Cover and cook on high for 2-4 hours, or until a toothpick comes out clean. I did NOT vent the lid with a chopstick this time, because I was interested in seeing if it would cook without being vented. Our cake cooked perfectly in 2.5 hours on high. If you see a bunch of condensation on the lid, or if you'd prefer to vent, go for it. But I think it will take longer to cook, because a lot of the heat will escape through the lid-gap.

When the cake is finished, mix 1/2 cup of the reserved coconut milk with 2 T of powdered sugar. Poke holes in the hot cake with a skewer and pour the sweetened coconut milk over the top of the cake. If you are not going to frost, sprinkle on shredded coconut. If you are going to frost, save the coconut for later.

Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for about an hour, or for as long as you can stand it.

If frosting, now is the time to do it. I thought I was going to frost the cake, but I completely forgot. It was sweet enough without the frosting, but I am one who thinks cakes need frosting. It's your choice.

Serve the chilled cake right out of the crockpot.

The Verdict.

We have a new favorite cake! I loved this, and so did the rest of the family. Thank you to Giabella Designs for the awesome idea!

CrockPot Honey Cake Recipe

Day 273.

Rosh Hashanah starts at sundown tonight. Last week, Brenda emailed me ask if I've ever made a honey cake in the crockpot. I hadn't. After I called my friend, Jennifer (yes, I realize all my friends are named Jennifer), I learned that honey cake is usually pretty dry and dense. She said "I don't like it, I won't eat it. But my dad does."

I really like Jennifer's dad, and was on a mission to make a moist honey cake---the crockpot delivers moist cakes.

Unless you burn it.

I messed this up completely. The cake was rising properly, smelled delicious, and was brown and pulling away from the sides of the crock. The top was still pretty jiggly, so I felt comfortable leaving it for 45 minutes on high while we went to swim lessons. I came home to a horrible burnt-cake smell. The top and middle was okay, but I threw the rest away.

That said! If I had taken the lid off, and watched it for about 30 minutes, I think this would have been wonderful. I'd love to hear back if anyone tries this;I was happy with the texture and flavor of the non-burnt portions.

The Ingredients. --2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used Pamela's baking mix. I DID add the additional baking powder and soda, and would recommend doing so.)
--2 tsp baking powder
--2 tsp cinnamon
--1/2 tsp baking soda
--1/2 tsp salt
--1/2 tsp cloves
--3 eggs, room temperature
--1 cup honey
--1 cup sugar
--1 cup oil
--1/2 cup coffee
--1/4 cup water

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart round crockpot. The batter fit nicely.

Grease and flour the inside of your crockpot. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, and then add the wet.

Mix on high speed for 2 minutes. Pour into your prepared crockpot.

Cover, but vent with a chopstick or the end of a wooden spoon.

Cook on high for 2 hours, then check. When the cake is beginning to pull away from the sides of the crock, uncover and continue to cook on high, checking every 20 minutes. The cake will be moist, but a toothpick should come out clean.

The Verdict.

Other than the horribly burnt parts, this was very tasty, and I enjoyed it a lot. Jen? Sign me up for honey cake next year for your dad. I won't burn it, I promise.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was interviewed at Work It, Mom, and the interview is now live. Thank you, Nataly, for featuring A Year of CrockPotting!

CrockPot Granola Recipe

Day 315.

I found oats! yay! They were hiding out at the fancy-pants grocery store.

We were all quite pleased with this granola, and have eaten almost all of it already. The kids and Adam ate a bunch warm, right out of the pot. I'm making some more today.

There's no right or wrong way to make granola. Feel free to switch around ingredients depending on your family's tastes/wishes.

The Ingredients.

- 5 cups oats (if gluten free, make sure the oats are certified GF.)
- 1/4 cup honey * (see note below)
- 1/4 cup melted butter * (see note below)
- 1 T flax seeds
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup dried fruit (I used raisins and cranberries)

The Directions.

Put all the dry ingredients into your crockpot. You'll need at least a 4 quart.

Melt the butter in the microwave, and add. Add the honey. Toss well.

*note: if you add this amount of honey and butter, the granola will be cereal-like, and not trail-mix like. If you'd rather the granola clump together in pieces, you'll need to add more honey and butter. I tried it with the honey and butter doubled (1/2 cup each) and it still didn't clump much--so if you'd prefer your granola that way, you'll need to add at least 3/4 cup of honey. I didn't want that much sugar, and my kids are cool with eating it like this.

Cover, but vent with a chopstick. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, stirring every so often.

If you can smell the granola cooking, go stir. It will burn if you don't keep an eye on it. But it won't burn as quickly as it does in the oven!

(ask me how many batches of granola I've had to throw out after burning in the oven. go ahead, ask. )

7. at least 7. I am no good with the oven.

Dump out on some parchment paper and let cool. Eat with milk like cereal, warmed with milk like oatmeal, or as is. Seal well in an air-tight container or in a ziplock. Granola freezes well.

The Verdict.

This is one of the only times I haven't burnt granola, and my kids have been eating it non-stop since the first batch came out of the crock. I'm going to go have some more right now.

The Thanksgiving recipes start tomorrow! I'm so excited.

Drop In and Decorate---Cookies for Donation

I first heard of this fantastic organization about a year ago. I was smack dab in the end-of-the-year craziness in the slow cooking challenge, and instead of jumping in to help, I merely bookmarked the website.

This year is different. This year I look forward to making a bunch of plain cookies, and working with our Girl Scout Troop to decorate them for a good cause. I used to run a child care center that served homeless families, and I'm looking forward to bundling our cookies up to bring to some very deserving children and families.

There are very few rules, which is why I really, really like this project. You don't need to bake (unless you want to). You don't need to make your own icing (unless you want to). All you need is a few of your favorite friends, and an open and giving heart.

My friend, Lydia, started Drop in and Decorate in 2007. It has grown phenomenally. Here's a bit of background on this not-for-profit organization:

Drop In & Decorate is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization.

Founded by food writer Lydia Walshin of The Perfect Pantry. The idea behind Drop In & Decorate is simple: bake some cookies; gather a group of family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, your worship group or book group to decorate the cookies together; donate the cookies to a nonprofit agency serving basic human needs in your own community.

It’s a simple idea in a complicated world, and something anyone can do.

If you’d like to host your own Drop In & Decorate® event, Pillsbury and Wilton would like to help.

Pillsbury has donated 50 VIP coupons, worth $3.00 each, off any Pillsbury product -- including sugar cookie mix and icing -- to be distributed, first come, first served, while supply lasts, to anyone who plans to host a Drop In & Decorate event (max. 5 coupons per person). And we'll include a Comfort Grip cookie cutter, donated by Wilton, to people who plan to host cookies-for-donation events.

Write to lydia AT ninecooks DOT com for more info on how to get your free coupons and cookie cutters.

My girls are quite excited to participate in this event. While I type this, they're looking over my shoulder and would like to do it twice---once with the girl scouts, and again with friends and family.

Thank you to Lydia for this fantastic way to give back to the local community, and for providing a beautiful opportunity to make a difference while creating family memories.

PS. Today (November 15) at 5pm pacific, the $200 Best Buy Gift Card give-away over on my review blog will finally end. It's your last chance to throw your name in the pot.

xoxo steph

Slow Cooker Peanut Butter Cup Cake Recipe

Hold on to your hats--this is a good one!

In my mind, there is no better pairing than peanut butter and chocolate. I have perfected the eating of the peanut butter cup---I take my time and eat all the chocolate first, and then eat the naked lump of peanut butter.

It's the little things make me happy. This pudding cake makes me happy!
So you should make it.
The directions sound complicated, but I know you can do it.

I used a 4-quart slow cooker, and the batter fit perfectly, and I was really happy with how thick the cake turned out. If you only have a 6-quart, I'd put an oven-safe casserole dish all the way into your slow cooker, and load the ingredients into it. If the cake puffs up and overflows a bit while cooking (I don't think it will), it's okay, because the goo will stay in your slow cooker.

The Ingredients.
serves 8

1 cup all-purpose flour (I used Pamela's Baking Mix)
1 cup sugar (divided. this is important, don't just start dumping, read on!)
1 teaspoon baking powder (even though Pamela's has baking powder in it, I used this amount)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (unless you're a rebel. then use chunky)
1/2 cup milk (I used fat free cow's. to keep it light. HA!)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker coated well with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt.
In the microwave, melt peanut butter for about 30 seconds, and then add to the mix along with milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir really well to combine.
Spread this mixture into the bottom of your slow cooker.

In a separate bowl, mix together cocoa powder, the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, and 1 cup boiling water (be careful!) Pour this evenly over the peanut butter batter in your cooker.

Cover and cook on high for 2-4 hours, or until the top has set and an inserted toothpick (into the cake--underneath the cake is molten chocolate) comes out clean. Let the cake sit uncovered in an unplugged crockpot for about 20 minutes, then serve warm in dessert bowls.

The Verdict.

If you like peanut butter with your chocolate, or chocolate with your peanut butter (best ad campaign EVER), you will love this cake. The peanut butter cake floats to the top (totally trippy), leaving a layer of molten chocolate gooeyness underneath.


like peanut butter?

peanut butter brownies
peanut butter pork
peanut (not brittle) candy not peanut butter. but SO tasty.
peanut butter fondue
African Peanut Soup
chocolate frito candy to die for.

Roasted Garlic Spoonbread Slow Cooker Recipe

Hello, there! I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. We sure did----we laid kind of low and played in the backyard and went to the park. The weather finally cooperated long enough for me to get some vegetables into the ground, and my fingers are crossed that I actually remember to water them this year.

Adam barbecued on Saturday (because it would be un-American to not barbecue during Memorial Day weekend!), and I played around with a spoonbread recipe I was given and made a really savory and delicious side dish in the crockpot.

There's a LOT Of garlic in here---enough to ward off a pack of vampires.

The Ingredients.
serves 4-6

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
4 eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used the stuff in the can)
1 head garlic, cloves peeled but intact (about 15 cloves)

The Directions.

Use a 2-quart slow cooker (1.5 quarts is fine, just cook a bit longer---I used one of the sections of the crockpot trio).
In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, sugar, pepper, milk, melted butter, and eggs until you've got a nice batter. No need to use a mixer---just whisk it together until there aren't any big lumps. Stir in Parmesan cheese and garlic cloves. Pour the batter into a greased slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or on high for 2 to 3. Your spoonbread is finished when the center is set and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

We had ours alongside salmon patties (frozen, from Costco--no filler, totally gluten free, yay!) Adam barbecued. It'd pair nicely with roasted chicken or pork chops, too.

The Verdict.

The garlic roasts inside the cornbread, creating a moist and savory side dish. The girls picked the garlic out (they were huge cloves, and a bit much for them), but ate all the cornbread. I liked the tiny hint of spice from the cayenne. I sprinkled paprika on for the picture. In retrospect, I should have used smoked paprika---it would have added a nice hint of smokiness.

super good.

On a side note:

I wrote an article on Village of Moms about Slow Cooker freezer meals and TV Dinners.

also, the $125 Visa Gift Card is still up for grabs over on my review blog. I'd love to get some more comments/entries. The more entries, the more likely bigger and better stuff comes my way to share with you!

and, I'm thinking of doing a summer book club, if you're interested. At first I thought I could swing a book a month (3 books), but I think that's too much. Maybe 2--and discuss on twitter in mid-July and then the end of August? I'm not sure---just thinking/typing out loud...
if you have any ideas for good books, I'd love to hear them!

only 8 more days of school!!

Apple Coffee Cake-- made in the Slow Cooker

It's the Bunnykens dish set again! (side note: I really should take a run to the dollar store and get more unmatched dishes so I can post food pictures on the Internet.)

I really like baking in the slow cooker. I get it that this perhaps sounds a bit odd---- why should I bake something in the crockpot for 2 to 3 hours, when I can easily throw a pan in the oven and have coffee cake in only 30 minutes?

I'll tell you why. I'm bonkers.

I don't mean this in the clinical sense (although I'm sure some could argue otherwise), I mean it in the I'm always doing too many things at once and sitting around waiting for 30 minutes for a cake to rise and bake properly just isn't going to happen.

because the doorbell rings.

or the phone.

because the baby needs changing. 

or because she plays with a bottle of vanilla extract while "sorting" the spice cabinet and some spills and she licks it up and then her mom reads the bottle and finds out it's 26% pure alcohol and maybe-just-maybe over-reacts and calls poison control and talks to a really nice man named Michael who assures her that she's JUST FINE and that NO ONE likes the way that vanilla extract tastes and she surely couldn't have ingested very much.

or something like that.

SO! That is why I like baking in my slow cooker. I like the wiggle room. I like it that I can whip up the batter, wash the dishes, and leave the house to run a few errands or pull some weeds in the garden. I like that I know that when I start to smell the baked goods, there's no need to panic---it's not going to burn to a charred brick. I like that I can hold a baby on one hip while I check the baking process without worrying that she's going to lean in and burn her hand to a singed nub.

The Ingredients.

serves 8

coffee cake:

cooking spray

2 cups Bisquick mix (NOTE: if not GF, you can use AP flour, but a mix will provide the fluffiest result--I used Pamela's Baking Mix. There is a new GF Bisquick, though, at most grocery stores)

2/3 cup applesauce

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2  apples, peeled, cored, diced (green is best, I had Fuji on hand)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

crumb topping:

1/4 Bisquick (or Pamela's, etc. see above notes)

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

The Directions.

I used a 4-quart slow cooker with the batter directly in the crock (stoneware)  insert. If you only have a large 6-quart slow cooker, that's okay---put the dough into a loaf  pan and put that into the stoneware insert. No need to add water, just put the pan in the crock.

Spray your pan or 4-quart insert with cooking spray and set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for your coffee cake. Stir with a rubber spatula--no need to break out the mixer. The batter will be thick and lumpy. Pour into your prepared stoneware insert (or baking pan).

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the crumb topping and sprinkle evenly on top of the batter. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, or until the cake browns and pulls away from the sides. Uncover the cooker and cook on high for another 30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

The Verdict.

This is a perfect coffee cake: sweet, but not too sweet, moist and crumbly. I sometimes will make the batter the night before and then scrape it into the crock to bake while I get work done around the house before the rest of the house wakes up. I also love making this during the day as an after school snack. It freezes and reheats (in the microwave) beautifully--perfect for a busy morning.

more crockpot baking magic! 

banana bread

blueberry buckle

brownies in a mug

apple dumplings

perfect baked bread

pound cake

turtle pudding

shrinky dinks

salt dough ornaments

How to Make Key Lime Pie in the Slow Cooker

I had a twitter conversation (I know. I think it's a weird way to communicate, too...) with my friend Shirley a few weeks ago about Key Lime Pie. She wondered if I had a crockpot version, and that was pretty much all I needed to go about figuring out a way to make it.

This is the recipe that works! It uses sweetened condensed milk, which as we all know, is pretty much the nectar of the gods. Gosh, I love that stuff.

The Ingredients
serves about 8 if you're disciplined. Otherwise 4.


for the crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (I use gluten free)
3 tablespoons melted salted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon lime zest

for the filling:
2 large egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 5 limes)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)

to put into the crockpot (NOT the batter!!):
1 cup warm water

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker with an inserted 1.5-quart casserole dish (like a Pyrex or Corningware). 
You are going to use the crcokpot as a bain-marie, or water bath. In a plastic bag, smash up the graham crackers to make crumbs. Mix the crumbs with the butter, brown sugar, and lime zest.
Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a casserole dish that you sprayed with cooking spray (I took a picture of the spray, but then forgot to use it. oops.)


In a large mixing bowl, use a handheld mixer or a stand mixer to whip the egg yolks, condensed milk, lime juice, and lemon juice together until it's frothy. Pour this evenly over the top of the graham cracker crumbs.

Pour 1 cup of warm water into the bottom of your slow cooker insert, then carefully lower in the baking dish, taking care to not slosh water into your pie.

Cover, and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, or until the pie is no longer shiny on the edges and the center has set (poke it with your finger. You shouldn't get a bunch of goop on it).

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) before serving. If you'd like, you can add a layer of whipped cream on top.

The Verdict.

Yeah. This is good. I was ecstatic at how limey this turned out, and how nicely the sweetened condensed milk worked and set up beautifully in the slow cooker. I slightly overcooked one of the tester batches, but it still was fantastic -- the color on top just got a bit darker than I wanted it to, but after covering it with whipped cream nobody could tell.

Make this! You'll LOVE it!!

other totally amazing crockpot desserts:
creme brulee
oreo cheesecake
chocolate mousse
tapioca pudding

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