This 4-ingredient slow cooker spiced amber cake is one of those back-pocket desserts I lean on when company is already on the way and I have about five minutes to pull something together. It bakes itself in the slow cooker into a tender, slightly fibrous crumb, while a gelatinous, glossy spiced top forms from a simple pour-over mixture.
The idea borrows from old-fashioned pudding cakes and dump cakes popular in Midwestern potlucks: minimal ingredients, maximum comfort. The result is a warmly spiced, amber-toned cake that looks like it took all afternoon, but in reality you just stir, pour, and let the slow cooker do the work.
