Creamy Dream: Just 5 ingredients. I make this when I want a dessert that melts in your mouth and practically cooks itself.

To keep the spirit of a 5-ingredient, nearly hands-off dessert, I like to treat extras as optional add-ons rather than built-in requirements. For a cinnamon-kissed version, dust the top of the soaked cake with ground cinnamon before you put the lid on the slow cooker. If you want a bit of texture, scatter toasted coconut flakes or finely chopped toasted nuts over each serving. You can also swap the plain sponge cake for a lightly flavored one—lemon or vanilla bean work especially well and still play nicely with the milky soak. For a slightly lighter feel, use 2% milk instead of whole; for an ultra-rich, almost flan-like texture, replace 1/4 cup of the whole milk with heavy cream (this technically adds another ingredient, but it’s a nice upgrade when you have it). If you need to make it ahead for a gathering, cook it fully, then chill overnight in the crock; the flavor deepens and the crumb becomes even more custardy, and you can gently rewarm individual portions in the microwave or serve it cold with fresh fruit.