Happy Birthday Crockpot Cake

Crockpot Cake?!

Makes 4 servings

2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup milk

1.  Remove the round (not oval) crockpot insert and preheat the base to HIGH.
2.  Make a foil collar. (see instructions below)
3.  Make a foil sling.  (see instructions below)
4.  Spray the slow cooker and foil with nonstick cooking spray.
5.  Cream together the sugar and butter.  Beat in the egg then stir in the vanilla.  Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixtures and mix well.  Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth.  Spoon batter into prepared crockpot insert.  Spread evenly and smooth the top. 
6.  Cover and slow cooker tightly and cook on HIGH for 1 hr to 1 1/2 hrs, until toothpick inserted in the middle is clean.
7.  Remove foil collar and let the cake sit 10 minutes. 
8.  Carefully remove foil and place cake on a platter.  Frost, decorate and enjoy!

Review:
Today is my birthday!  Woo!  In celebration I decided to do something I haven’t done yet.  Attempt an actual cake (not a pudding cake or cobbler) in the slow cooker.  This was my attempt.  Although it actually doesn’t look half bad, there are just some things that you should make conventionally.  After it cooled the outside got really hard and crunchy.  It just wasn’t great.  Make it in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes and it should be fine. 
Oh, and don’t you worry.  Lest you think this is the only cake I’m having for my birthday, I’m having the Great Wall of Chocolate at PF Changs tonight.  (please don’t attempt that one in the slow cooker)
2 stars

Foil Collar and Foil Sling

• Most slow cookers have a hotter side that can cause casseroles and other dense dishes like meatloaves to burn. Line with a foil collar: Layer and fold sheets of heavy duty foil until you have a six layered foil rectangle. Press the collar into the back side of the slow cooker insert; the food will help hold the collar in place during cooking.

• For recipes that you want to lift out of the insert intact, like lasagnas, breakfast casseroles, meatloaves, some desserts make a foil sling. Line the slow cooker insert with a foil collar. Then fit two large sheets of foil into the slow cooker, perpendicular to one another, with the extra hanging over the edges of the cooker insert. Before serving, these overhanging edges can be used as handles to pull the dish out fully intact.