Eva Longoria is starting off 2014 with a maxim(um) bang…

The 38-year-old Mexican American actress and former Desperate Housewives star has been named Maxim magazine’s woman of the year.

“It’s especially awesome after how long it’s been since my first cover,” Longoria told the men’s magazine after receiving the honor.

“I’ve had a beautiful relationship with Maxim over all these years … When someone sees the cover of this issue, they’re going to say, ‘¡Que rico!’ … Say it when something is really good,” says the magazine’s January/February cover girl.

But there’s more to Longoria, a pro in the kitchen, than meets the eye…

“One thing people are usually surprised about when they get to know me is how domestic I am,” explains the three-time Maxim cover girl. “So when you see the sexy Maxim cover and then you put it against me in an apron with flour in my hair, it takes a moment to reconcile that image.”

The multi-talented actress, entertainment producer and philanthropist recently received her master’s degree and had just presented her thesis at the time of the interview.

“Back in high school I really was the chameleon, too,” she says. “I got along with the honors math club, then I would go to cheerleading practice, and then I was a band geek as well.”

Longoria took the No. 1  spot on Maxim‘s Hot 100 list in 2005 and 2006, making her the only woman to win the honour twice in a row. In 2006, she was  also the oldest Hot 100 winner in the magazine’s history.