The best key lime pie I’ve ever tasted hails from the famous Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami. It’s both tart and sweet and has a ridiculously yummy buttery, sugary graham cracker crust that almost melts in your mouth. I tried my hand at the recipe and the result was bananas! It was also super easy to make. Here’s the recipe:

The Best Key Lime Pie Ever

_{Adapted from Joe’s Stone Crab}

Crust:

1/3 lb graham cracker crusts (or 1/3 of a 1lb box of graham crackers)

5 tbsp melted butter

1/3 cup sugar

Filling:

3 egg yolks

2 tsp grated lime zest

1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cups of fresh lime juice

Vanilla Whipped Cream Topping:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and then grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie dish with butter. Set aside. Now you’re ready to begin prepping your pie crust. Using a food processor, pulse the graham crackers into fine crumbs. Next add in the butter and sugar and pulse again until the ingredients combine. (If you don’t have a food processor you can place the graham crackers in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin and then combine the remaining ingredients by hand.) Take the crust mixture and firmly press down onto the bottom and sides of your pie dish. (Tip: Use the bottom of your measuring cup like I did to help you press the mixture down smoothly and evenly). Bake in the oven for approximately 8 minutes or until just golden and set. Set aside on a wire rack and be sure to leave the oven on.

Next combine the egg yolk and lemon zest and beat on high speed using the wire whisk attachment on your electric mixer until the mixture is fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Gradually add in the condensed milk and continue to beat for another 3-4 minutes until the mixture is thick. Lower the speed and gradually add in the lime juice until just combined.

Next pour the mixture into the crust and bake for about 10 minutes until the filling sets. Cool on a wire rack and then refrigerate until the pie is completely cold, then set in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes before you’re ready to serve the pie. While the pie is freezing, combine all of the ingredients for the topping and whip together until the cream is stiff. Spread the whipped cream evenly across the entire pie. Feel free to garnish with sliced lime if you wish then cut into wedges and serve.

Be prepared to be blown away by the deliciousness of this pie…It’s that good.

Earlier in the summer I had my best friend and her husband over for a visit and I made them this very decadent, very yummy coconut cake. I garnished it with freshly shaven coconut and let me tell you, this cake was insanity! Here’s the recipe:

Double Layer Coconut Cake

_{Adapted from Sweets: Soul Food Desserts & Menus by Betty Piner}

2 sticks (one cup) of unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs separated

3 cups sifted cake flower (I prefer Swan’s Down)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

3 cups confectioner’s sugar

1 cup butter

1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

Milk as needed

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of 9-inch round cake pans with butter, then lightly dust with flower. Set aside. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then alternate adding in the remaining dry ingredients and milk, a little at a time until well blended. Next stir in the coconut and vanilla. (I used store bought coconut for the cake batter, but fresh coconut for the garnish.) In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Then fold the beaten egg whites into the cake batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans, place in the center of the oven and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, approx 30-40 minutes.

Remove cakes from oven and cool on wire racks for approx 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pan and place on wire racks, tops facing up, to cool completely. While the cake cools, start working on the frosting. Simply add your butter, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and cream to a large bowl and mix until blended. Add a few drops of milk as needed until you achieve your desired consistency. If your frosting ends up too thin, simple add more confectioner’s sugar, a tablespoon at a time until perfect.

_{The crumb coat on my coconut cake}

Once your cake has cooled, you’ll want to crumb coat your cake. This is an important step to achieving a smoothly iced cake. Before icing your cake, place strips of parchment paper onto your cake stand or platter to keep it clean while icing. Now start applying the frosting on the top of the bottom layer, about a quarter inch thick. Then place your second layer on top. Then apply a thin layer of frosting all around the
top and sides  of the cake (it doesn’t have to be perfect). This is your crumb coat. It acts sort of
like a paint primer, sealing in all of the crumbs and imperfections, so
that you can add a smooth and flawless coat of frosting on top. After you’ve finished your crumb coating, place the cake in the refrigerator for approx 20-30 minutes. This will allow the crumb coat to set. Then, add the final layer of frosting to your cake, garnish the top with flaked coconut. You flip when you taste the end result. It’s that good.

Here’s me cutting the first slice of cake for my bestie.

And the aftermath the following morning. For breakfast? You guessed it! More coconut cake! Mmmmm! If you’d like to know how to prepare and shave a fresh coconut, click “continue reading” for instructions.

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