Grandma Ruth made this when we wanted something bright and cozy, and it disappeared before it even cooled.

To make this feel a little more special without adding much work, you can sprinkle 1/2 to 1 cup of shredded sweetened coconut or sliced almonds over the dry cake mix before adding the butter for a toasty, bakery-style top. If you like extra tart lemon, stir 1–2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and a bit of lemon zest into the pie filling before spreading it in the dish. For a slightly lighter version, you can use 6 tablespoons of butter instead of a full stick and a half, or swap half the butter for 1/4 cup of neutral oil; the top will be a bit less rich but still golden. A gluten-free yellow cake mix works well here if you need to avoid gluten—just keep an eye on the baking time, as some gluten-free mixes brown a little faster. Around the holidays, you can add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the pie filling and a light dusting of powdered sugar over the cooled cake for a cozy, almost cobbler-like dessert. And if you’re cooking for a smaller group, bake half the recipe in an 8×8-inch dish; start checking for doneness around 25–30 minutes.