Slow Cooker Apple Pudding Cake

Soft cake, tender apples, and a pudding-like apple sauce all baked up with the convenience of your slow cooker crockpot? Sure thing! ... When it's Slow Cooker Apple Pudding Cake!

It's apple time! And as much as I cook with apples, I realized in looking through my recipe index that I haven't shared all that many apple recipes with you. So today I've decided to take at least one small step toward fixing that ... by sharing one apple recipe with you. And, oh, this Slow Cooker Apple Pudding Cake is a great one!

Now when I'm peeling apples to cook with I like to play a little game with myself. Oh come on, I know I can't be the only one! ...
Yes, I like to see if I can peel the entire apple with keeping the peel in one big long strip.

I usually can't.

But sometimes I do really good! Like this one ...

I almost made it all the way to the end of the apple before the peel strip broke. Pretty good, huh? But getting that laaaaast little bit of the apple peeled with the peel strip still intact just isn't easy.

I know, I know ... I'm just a big kid at heart. But admit it ... you play with food, too, don't you?

Well making this Slow Cooker Apple Pudding Cake is way easier than peeling an apple in one big strip.

All you have to do is put a few simple ingredients in a slow cooker ... layering them in without stirring ... and let them cook for about 2 1/2 hours. That's it. The cake batter part cooks up into a nice tender cake, and the liquid part cooks up into a pudding-like sauce.

The first layer to go into the slow cooker crockpot is a simple cake batter, which then gets topped with chopped apples.

Next pour in a mixture of apple cider {or apple juice}, honey, melted butter, and cinnamon ... don't stir!

Then turn the crockpot on and let it go.

The cake will bake up puffy, with tender apples on top, and a slightly-thickened 'pudding' sauce on the bottom.

The 'pudding' sauce may be a bit thin when the cake is piping hot, but it thickens up a tad as it cools.

Spoon the yummy apple-y cake out, top it with a scoop of 'pudding' sauce, and add a dollop of whipped cream.

And then dig in, as fast as you can. 'Cause you just won't want to wait.

See? Waaaaay easier than peeling an entire apple in one long strip.

Slow Cooker Apple Pudding Cake

Source: Adapted from Taste of Home Christmas, 2011
(Printable recipe)

Ingredients
For the cake batter:

2 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. granulated sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. cold butter, cut in small cubes
1 c. milk
2 medium-sized Granny Smith apples {or other tart apples}, peeled and chopped

For the pudding mixture:

1 1/2 c. apple cider or apple juice
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1/3 c. honey
1/4 c. granulated sugar
2 T. butter, melted
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
whipped cream {optional}

Directions

CAKE BATTER: In a mixing bowl, combine flour 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut butter in with a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk until just moistened. Spray a 4-quart or 5-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Spread batter into the bottom of the slow cooker; sprinkle chopped apples evenly over batter.
PUDDING MIXTURE: In a small bowl, combine apple cider, honey, melted butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Pour over apples and cake batter. Do not stir.
Cover and cook on high setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until apples are tender.
Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream.

Note I warm leftovers up in the microwave ... it works just fine.

Enjoy!

Please enjoy these other apple sweet treats from ...