I scaled this recipe down (from the original 12 to 9), which was the perfect amount to make 12 standard size cupcakes. I baked them at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes and they turned out great - just make sure to bake until the tops are dry, although the cake will seem firm when the top is still sticky. I'm a pastry chef and I work for a cupcake exclusive bakery in Austin, TX so I suppose this is kind of my specialty. As for the cake mix, if you don't have a box of cake mix then you can always make your own using "Cake Mixes from Scratch" recipe on this site. Half of that recipe will be just enough. As for the icing, it is absolutely divine, but it needs to be refrigerated for 10-15 minutes before you use it. Toasting the coconut was a lot less complicated that it's made out to be. I put it on medium heat and just kept the coconut moving the entire time, and then I poured it out of the pan onto a paper plate with some napkins. Make sure your cakes are completely cooled before you try to ice them, as cream cheese icing is notorious for melting easily. If you get impatient, then just throw them in the fridge for a while like I did - you definitely do NOT have to worry about these drying out. I think the pudding is really the key to all the great moisture, but it makes the texture a bit heavier than a regular cake. Either way, it's a wonderful recipe and a great deviation from the standard variety of cakes.

Reviewed On: Nov. 19, 2007

I used this recipe because it seemed like it had the best ratings/reviews. However, I don't have a bread machine so I had to do all this by hand. Be advised - it is HARD! The dough is so dense that the kneading is like torture. Also, it's a really dry dough so it was hard to get the holes in the bagels to widen even though I swung them around on my fingers for several minutes. I thought this recipe would end up in disaster while I was making it, but I figured I had already gone so far that I might as well finish it. The end result was actually pretty good. I put a mixture of cream cheese, cinnamon sugar, and fresh blueberries on top - which was really good. The only change I might make is to cut the salt in half and perhaps use a little less flour.

Reviewed On: Jun. 30, 2007

I made this crust and pre-baked it (350 degrees for 15-20 minutes) for the Coconut Cream Meringue Pie recipe and it turned out great! I think I over-handled the dough quite a bit while rolling it out to get it to fit my pie pan, but it still turned out wonderful. This recipe makes exactly enough to line a 9" pie pan, so you have to roll it out in a good circle to get full coverage. I rolled it out between two pieces of plastic wrap, which made forming it to my pie pan a lot easier. It soaked up just the right amount of the cream pie filling overnight and the whole thing turned out delicious!

Reviewed On: Jun. 30, 2007