None of this means that I need my sweets to be complicated. The desserts in my cookbook “The Seasoned Life” are all easy to make. This one in particular is something of a cheater recipe because it uses a box of cake mix. Still, I love this recipe because not only is it foolproof (after all, it’s pretty hard to mess up a boxed mix), but it’s a good trick to have when you need to make a dessert and are pressed for time.

The finished product is like an upside-down cake served right-side up.

Cast-Iron ‘Fruit Cake’

Makes 1 (10-inch) cake

This image released by Voracious shows the cookbook “The Seasoned Life” by Ayesha Curry. Voracious via AP

Ingredients

1 box favorite yellow cake mix (I like Duncan Hines), plus any ingredients needed for the mix

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ packed cup dark brown sugar

1 pint blackberries

1 cup diced pineapple

Leaves from 2 thyme sprigs

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Prepare the cake mix batter as directed on the package and set aside.

In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and stir in the brown sugar. When the sugar has dissolved, stir in the berries, pineapple, and thyme. Mix until the brown sugar begins to bubble, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat.

Pour the cake batter into the skillet and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Scoop the cake directly from the pan while still warm and serve with vanilla ice cream.