Maybe this blog should be called The Epicurious Cake Blog, because this is the third post in a row featuring a cake recipe from the site.

It actually wouldn’t be such a bad idea–blogging through Epicurious’s cakes Julie Powell-style.  In fact, I’m adding it to our list of future blogs, along with Stalking George Washington (in which Alex and I record our visits to George Washington sites across the nation) and Dinner Salads (self-explanatory).

This was yet another birthday cake, and yet another roaring success.  The toasted coconut was just subtle enough and the texture was so creamy and soft.  The fresh strawberries added both refreshment and flavor.  And the crust?  Oh my goodness!  Adding coconut to a graham cracker crust is positively brilliant.

Speaking of brilliant, you may notice that the style of two of our photos today (the solo slice shots) are slightly different than what we usually post.  This is because our (not-so) humble cheesecake had the honor of being photographed by renowned photojournalist Peter van Agtmael, who is also our roommate/my cousin.  That puts our blog right up there with the New York Times Magazine for publications featuring Peter’s photos this weekend.  TFA + NYT = sames.

So again, here’s the recipe, reposted with our baby modifications below.

Ingredients:
(crust)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted, cooled
1/4 cup sugar

(filling)
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 large eggs
1 cup canned sweetened cream of coconut (we used Coco López as recommended)
1/4 cup coconut rum (we used Malibu as recommended)

(topping)
1/4 cup seedless strawberry jam
2 tablespoons water
1-pint containers strawberries, stemmed, sliced

We are so redeemed right now.

Alex’s Caesar salad is one of his classics — it’s perfect. The recipe, a secret until now, has been passed down in his family for at least one generation. We’d made it a few times before, but this time we added balsamic-marinated portabello mushrooms to balance tangy lemon dressing with a touch of sweetness. All of the components are important — the chicken, mushroom and crutons, but the beauty of this recipe is in the dressing. Keep tweaking until you love it.

This recipe is absolutely one of our best. We feel much better now. And much fuller. I’ve divided the recipe into its components here, and recommend making the baking the croûtons first, then making the dressing and leaving it in the bowl. Toss in the lettuce in with the dressing before you serve, and top with everything!

Ingredients/Instructions:
(croûtons)
1 french roll
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
salt

Cut up the roll into small chunks. Drizzle the olive oil over it and toss, adding in crushed garlic and salt. Roast on a baking sheet at 325 for about 20 minutes.


(dressing)
2 tbsp light mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic
2 lemons
worchester sauce
salt and pepper

In a large wooden salad bowl, crush two cloves of garlic into kosher salt and rub it all over the bowl. Then, dump it all out. Put in the mayonnaise and squeeze the juice of two lemons over it and wisk it together. Add a few dashes of worchester sauce and season with salt and pepper. You can also add anchovy paste here if you want.

(sautéed chicken and portabellos)
4 chicken cutlets
3 portabello mushrooms
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Wash the portabellos and slice them. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over them, and let them sit. Meanwhile, sprinkle salt and pepper on the chicken and cut and sauté it in a pan. We used non-stick spray instead of olive oil. Transfer to a plate, let cool, and slice. Then, sauté the portabellos.

(greens)
3 heads of romaine
Parmesan cheese

Cut up and toss into dressing, sprinkle with cheese!