My uncle devoured two bowls of this warm decadent dessert before dinner. It has a rich velvety center and takes just 4 ingredients to prepare.

This slow cooker 4-ingredient Irish cream lava cake is the kind of warm, over-the-top dessert that makes everyone hover around the kitchen. It bakes up into a dark, tender chocolate cake that hides a rich, velvety Irish cream–chocolate center, so every spoonful is a mix of soft cake and glossy, warm sauce. It’s inspired by classic lava cakes, but made the easy Midwestern way: in a slow cooker with pantry ingredients. If you can stir and pour, you can make this—and it’s so irresistible that my uncle actually polished off two bowls before we even sat down to dinner.

Serve this lava cake warm, scooped straight from the slow cooker into shallow bowls so you catch plenty of that thick chocolate-Irish cream sauce pooling around the cake. A small scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream melts into the warm dessert and makes the sauce extra silky. For a simple touch, you can also drizzle a little extra Irish cream over the top for the adults at the table. A cup of coffee or decaf after dinner pairs nicely with the rich chocolate, and if you’re serving kids, a cold glass of milk balances the sweetness perfectly.

Servings: 8

1 box (about 15.25 oz) chocolate cake mix

Spray the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray to keep the cake from sticking and to help it scoop out cleanly.

In a medium bowl, combine the dry chocolate cake mix with 1/2 cup of the Irish cream liqueur. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon just until the batter is evenly moistened and no dry pockets remain. The batter will be fairly thick.

Spread the cake batter evenly in the bottom of the prepared slow cooker, smoothing the top with your spatula so it reaches all the edges. This becomes the soft chocolate sponge layer.

Sprinkle the semisweet chocolate chips evenly over the top of the batter. Don’t stir them in—just let them sit on top. They will melt down into the sauce layer as the cake cooks.

In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the heavy whipping cream and the remaining 3/4 cup Irish cream liqueur until well blended. This mixture will form the rich, velvety lava sauce as it cooks.

Slowly pour the cream and Irish cream mixture over the chocolate chips and cake batter in the slow cooker. Do not stir. You should see a clear layer of liquid sitting over the batter and chips; this is exactly what you want for that glossy pool of sauce in the finished dessert.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the cake on top is set and springs back lightly when touched in the center, but you can see a thick, bubbly chocolate sauce around the edges and underneath. Avoid lifting the lid in the first 90 minutes so the cake can rise properly.

Once cooked, turn off the slow cooker and let the cake sit, covered, for about 10 minutes to thicken the sauce slightly while still keeping it warm and pourable. This rest helps create that beautiful pool of chocolate and cream under the cake.

To serve, use a large spoon to scoop down through the cake, making sure to bring up plenty of the warm chocolate-Irish cream sauce from the bottom. Spoon into bowls or onto plates so the sauce can puddle around the dark chocolate sponge, and serve immediately while everything is still hot and glossy.

For a milder flavor or if you’re serving kids, you can swap part or all of the Irish cream liqueur with whole milk or half-and-half; you’ll still get a lovely lava-style sauce, just without the alcohol. If you’d like a deeper chocolate flavor, use dark chocolate chips instead of semisweet, or stir 2–3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder into the cake mix before adding the Irish cream. For coffee lovers, replace 1/4 cup of the Irish cream in the sauce mixture with strong brewed coffee or espresso to make a mocha lava cake. If you only have a larger slow cooker, you can crumple up a ring of foil under a piece of parchment to create a smaller “well” in the center and keep the cake a bit thicker and saucier. To make cleanup easier, line the slow cooker with a parchment or slow-cooker liner before spraying. This dessert is very rich, so you can stretch it to more servings by pairing smaller scoops with extra ice cream or fresh berries. If you like a little texture, sprinkle a handful of chopped toasted hazelnuts, pecans, or almonds over the top right before serving. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and gently rewarmed in the microwave; the sauce will thicken but still tastes wonderfully fudgy.