Baking in Your Slow Cooker

Many people don’t realize they can actually bake in their slow cooker. In fact, some recipes make baking in your slow cooker easier than baking in an oven. Also on the plus side, slow cooker baking uses less energy.

Here are some recipes and ideas for baking in your slow cooker.

1. Whole Wheat Bread

Yes, you can bake bread in your slow cooker! It avoids a hot kitchen for one thing, and also uses so much less energy than heating up the large oven for just one loaf. Here’s how to make a 12-serving loaf.

First, you’ll need a deep metal bowl or even a 1-lb coffee can that fits into your slow cooker. Grease the bowl well. Then, turn your empty slow cooker on High to preheat (cover on).

In a small bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Let it sit while you combine in a bowl:

* 1 cup warm milk or buttermilk
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 2 tablespoons oil
* 2 tablespoons honey
* 1 egg
* 1/4 cup wheat germ

Mix these together, then add:

* 3 cups whole wheat flour

Knead dough until smooth and elastic – about 10 minutes. Place dough in the greased metal bowl or coffee can, and cover loosely with aluminum foil. In your preheated slow cooker, pour 1/2 cup of water and place a trivet in the bottom. If you don’t have a trivet, you can use crumbled foil. Set the bowl or can on the trivet or foil, cover the slow cooker, and bake for 3 hours. The top of your bread may or may not brown, but it will taste good!

Variation: replace 1/4 cup flour with 1/2 cup rolled oats; add oats into milk mixture.

2. Apple Cake

This serves 8 to 10, and you’ll need a bread or cake pan that fits in your slow cooker.

In a bowl, beat:

* 2 cups sugar
* 1 cup oil
* 2 eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla

Then stir in:

* 2 cups peeled, chopped apples

Sift together:

* 2 cups flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Add these dry ingredients to the apple mixture along with 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional). Stir well and pour into the greased and floured bread pan you chose. Grease a piece of tin foil and place over the top of the pan; place pan into slow cooker, cover, and bake on High 3 to 4 hours.

Let stand 5 minutes before you take the pan out of the slow cooker. Turn cake out onto a rack and allow to cool; then slice.

3. Chocolate Fudge Cake

Here’s a cake that you don’t need a separate bowl for – you bake it right in the crock of the slow cooker.

In a bowl, mix together:

* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1 cup flour
* 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir in:

* 1/2 cup milk
* 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
* 1 teaspoon vanilla

Spread this mixture over the bottom of your slow cooker. Then, mix together:

* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Sprinkle this over the batter in the slow cooker. Next, boil 1 3/4 cups water and pour over the batter. Don’t stir; just cover and cook on High 2 to 3 hours. A toothpick inserted will come out clean when it’s done.