Get out your slow cooker. It is time to bake!

Yes, you read that correctly—bake in your slow cooker.  Fall means it is time to get in the kitchen and bake! And we will show you how–with recipes galore and mixes for those that prefer.  Best of all, the cake you bake will taste wonderful!

Our new cookbook is filled with delicious and easy desserts that are ideal for fall baking. One of my favorites is the Cider Glazed Apple Walnut Cake.  Then again, there are bread puddings–warm from the slow cooker and topped with sauce. Or maybe this is the weekend for a warm and gooey fondue or a Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake.  It is all in the book –making it hard to choose which to try first.  And slow cooker cakes are moist–so they freeze beautifully, which means you can get a jump on holiday baking.  The cookbook is available at your local bookstore, or all of those on-line sources, like Amazon.  A link to the on-line sources is here.

If you and your friends are going to War Eagle (the huge craft fair in northern Arkansas) next weekend, Oct. 15-18, please stop by our booth. We would love to talk about baking in a slow cooker with you.  We will have the book on hand and would be happy to autograph it for you. What a great gift that would make!

What else will be in our booth? It will be well stocked with all of our new Slow Cooker Cake Mixes. We will be sharing samples and believe us when we say—tasting is believing!

We are thrilled to announce three new flavors of our Slow Cooker Cake Mixes for this fall.
• Key Lime Cheesecake
• Banoffee Bread—banana bread flavored with chocolate and toffee
• Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake

Plus our original flavors:
• Classic Vanilla Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache
• Ultimate Carrot Cake

So, how do you bake a cake in a Crock Pot? Easy, and the method is the same whether you choose to bake one of the mixes or one of the cake recipes from our new book.

First—just do it! Amazing desserts await you!

Select a large slow cooker. Round or oval, 5, 6 or 7 quarts.

Then, get a pan. Baking in a pan makes beautiful cakes! You can easily lift them in and out of the slow cookers and they are perfect for serving. No, you do not need a pan for fondue, candy, or pudding recipes, but we recommend a pan for the cakes and cheesecakes.

A 7-inch springfrom pan fits in all large round or oval slow cookers and works beautifully with any of the cake recipes or any of the mixes. An 8½ x 4½ inch loaf pan fits in the large oval slow cookers and is great for banoffee bread, triple chocolate fudge cake and carrot cake but is not recommended for cheesecakes.  (Purchase the pan at your local kitchen shop or from us –at the fair or on line.)

Do not put water in the Crock Pot. Shape a ring out of aluminum foil and place the ring in the slow cooker.

Just prepare the recipe from the cookbook or the mix as directed on the back of the package. For the mixes, you will need to add the eggs, fresh dairy and oil—just like regular cake mixes.

For added easy, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper or waxed paper. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan.

Set the filled pan on the aluminum foil ring. Cover and bake—often about 2 to 3 hours on high.

A few tips:

Slow cookers vary by brand; some are hotter and bake more quickly while some bake more slowly. Those purchased in the last 10 years or so are generally hotter and are ideal for baking.

The volume of 7-inch springform pans and 8½ x 4½ loaf pans vary by brand. Double check that the pan you are using fits into your slow cooker before mixing up the batter.  If a small amount of cake flows over the top, no need to worry, just trim it off with a sharp knife. If desired, remove 1 to 2 tablespoons of batter from the Banoffee bread prior to baking to insure that it does not over fill the loaf pan.

To remove the baked cake from the pan, run the tip of a table knife around the edges, then remove from the pan.

If your slow cooker bakes more slowly, you may find that occasionally foam or bubbles rise to the top of the carrot cake as it bakes. After the recommended baking time, it may not appear done, but if tested with a wooden pick it comes out clean and is done. Remove the baked cake from the slow cooker, and if desired, gently use a table knife to scrape off the foam.

If you can’t go to War Eagle…..think about ordering our book or the  slow cooker cake mixes online and begin creating dessert masterpieces just in time for the holidays! Both would make a great gift.  The cakes bake up moist and freeze perfectly, so you can start baking now for the holidays to come. Have a cake ready to serve—or give a baked cake to friends and neighbors as a welcome gift.

So, get started baking in a slow cooker. For more information on the cookbook, visit here, or on the cake mixes, visit here.  Either way, you will have great desserts in your future.