My aunt brought these to our spring brunch and they disappeared instantly.

You can change the character of these little cakes just by swapping the fruit filling. Blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, or apple pie filling all work nicely; in the fall, try apple or cherry with a pinch of cinnamon sprinkled over the fruit before adding the batter.

For a citrus twist, spoon a teaspoon of lemon curd over the fruit or use lemon pie filling and finish the warm cakes with a light squeeze of fresh lemon juice before dusting with powdered sugar. If your slow cooker runs hot, check early so the cakes don’t overcook and dry out; if it runs cooler, give them an extra 15 to 20 minutes.

To make smaller bites for a big crowd, use less batter and fruit per packet and shorten the cooking time slightly, checking early. You can also line the bottom of the slow cooker with a layer of crumpled foil to lift the packets slightly if you’re worried about hot spots. Leftover cakes (if you’re lucky enough to have any) can be cooled in their foil, then stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and gently rewarmed in the slow cooker or oven the next day.