I’m totally loving this coconut custard pie recipe. Various versions of this classic pie have been around for a while, but when testing them, I was a little disappointed. The textures were funky, they were over the top on the shredded coconut, or the eggs scrambled. There was rarely much “custard” to be found and they weren’t something I’d bake again. They definitely didn’t meet the idea I had in my head.

I decided to take a page from my honey pie recipe and partially cook the custard on the stove, before finishing it in the oven. So this recipe actually begins with that honey pie recipe, with some changes, of course. If you’ve ever made that pie – and you should, it’s one of my absolute favorites – then you know that the texture of this pie is amazing. This is a true custard-based pie with coconut flavor that’s not too much, and shredded coconut that complements the custard, rather than taking it over. It’s so good and is the new way you should make coconut custard pie.

There is SO much variation between brownie recipes, it’s crazy. I have various brownies on my site that all work well in their own ways for their specific recipes. As far as a plain (but not at all boring) brownie, I’ve always loved my Like-A-Box-Mix Brownies above all else. It’s a little cakier and lighter and truly delicious.

However, I’ve been working on the perfect fudgy brownie for some time. I love my blondie recipe so very much, that I actually started there. What I love about the final brownie recipe is that they are super easy to make, have that signature crackly top and fudgy center, are made with just cocoa powder and chocolate chips (no melted chocolate in the brownie batter). Plus they aren’t too sweet, or too bitter. Getting just the right flavor and texture is tough, but these brownies totally achieve it. They are rich and fudgy and stay nice for several days.

I have lots of great strawberry cakes on my site, including my homemade strawberry cake, strawberry shortcake cake and my strawberry crunchy layer cake. But I’m often asked in the comments of my fresh strawberry cupcakes recipe if those cupcakes can be turned into a cake. That recipe is a little different than my others because strawberries aren’t pureed and added to the cake batter, or just layered between cake layers, they are chopped and baked into the cupcakes.

Since I’ve gotten that question quite a bit, and simply increasing that cupcake recipe and baking a cake turns out quite dense, I decided to work on a cake version. It took a little bit of time and I came back to it a few different times, making it better and better each time. So much so that the hubs declared it the best cake I’ve ever made. Quite a thing to say after all these years of making cake!

So, this recipe is derived from the cupcakes, but has been adjusted for the ideal cake texture. It still has fresh berries baked right into it. No need to bother with purees or making a reduction – just pure strawberry flavor with a little less fuss.

That said, I did do the puree and reduction for the buttercream. This is meant to be a FRESH strawberry cake, after all, and that’s how the frosting is for the original cupcakes. But if you really want to avoid that, you can replace the strawberry puree with ground up freeze-dried strawberries. Check out my strawberry frosting recipe to see how to go about that.

I really enjoy a good lemon meringue pie. The tart, but also sweet, lemon filling with the light meringue and the crisp, buttery crust is a heavenly combination. But meringue can be finicky and is the defining piece that determines a great pie, or a soupy pie. I did alllll the testing so that you can have it turn out right every time!

This pie uses the more traditional French meringue topping, but it is fully baked. While French meringue can be finicky and will eventually begin to weep a bit, if done correctly it can actually hold up really well for several days. The key to a stable meringue that doesn’t immediately weep is to use cream of tartar, a little cornstarch, and to cook it fully.

And if you want a truly reliable meringue that won’t weep at all, you can go with a Swiss meringue. It’s what I use on my Lemon Meringue Cheesecake. It’s delicious and I love it, but it has more of a marshmallow-y flavor to it, which I personally think can overpower this pie a bit. But it is super reliable!