Oh hi, thanks for sticking around while I got a bit overwhelmed with everything. I’m not sure if in the past week or two I was buried under work and commitments or whether I was a bit grateful to take a bit of a pass on things. Either way, I’m here and Vancouver has suddenly turned into spring. I’ll take it.
Tomorrow is my birthday and I usually get excited and start planning my cake-making weeks in advance. This year, I haven’t given the whole affair much thought. To even call my birthday “an affair” makes it seem more exciting than it is. I have no plans and I think I’m okay with that. Cake will come, I’m sure of it. May will be a birthday month which is always the best kind of celebration. In the meantime, I’m going to leave you with some past birthday cake posts from the 7 years of this blog.
Let’s reminisce! Last year’s cake was especially delicious if you are looking for a traditional chocolate birthday cake. In 2009, I went on a bike n’ cake party and made 2 cakes! The previous year, I made Orangette’s amazing flourless cake (that even my vegan friend gobbled it up with extra scoops of whipped cream ). One year, I made 2 kinds of cupcakes because I like to roll like that (and yes, there were bikes involved too). The next cake is a beaut – a yellow cake filled with lemon curd and topped with chocolate ganache. Back in 2006, my husband made my cake (there’s a first for everything, apparently). I’m sure it was delicious. And my very first birthday post just contained a couple of photos (of a baked alaska & cupcakes).
I don’t want to leave you empty-handed, so please bake up a batch of these banana, coconut & lime muffins.
They are moist and so packed with flavour that it’s a great morning wake-up call. The texture isn’t gummy or dry, no way! These muffins are light and delicate (but not too delicate) and they do not disappoint. The recipe is slightly adapted from the great vegetarian cookbook,Entertaining Vegetarians (you’ll recall it’s the same book as the sesame dip that had me & so many of you mesmerized by its sheer awesomeness). So enjoy the muffin break and trust me, we’ll get to talk about cake soon. I’m sure of it.
elsewhere: Last week at Poppytalk I made up a batch of easy, eggless chocolate fudgey mocha bite cookies. Delicious. Head over for the recipe!
banana, coconut, & lime muffins
(adapted ever so slightly from Entertaining Vegetarians)
scant 2 c all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1/3 c canola oil
grated zest & juice of 2 limes
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 c plain yogurt (or 1/4 c plain + 1/4 c coconut flavoured yogurt)
1 large, ripe, mashed banana
3 T unsweetened shredded coconutGrease up 16 muffin cups (or 8 x large ones) and preheat oven to 350F.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, beat together the remaining ingredients, then fold in the flour mixture being careful not to over-mix. A few lumps is okay. Spoon batter into greased muffin cups, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch. Let cool for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack.
Print This Recipe
Happy early birthday! I hope however you choose to celebrate is just right (I personally like buying myself a giant slice of cake and eating it in bed, alone!). May really is a big birthday month.
CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE
Happy birthday! I will eat a muffin for you! 🙂
Yum yum! Great photos; tasty looking muffins.
Happy Birthday! I hope work-life settles down so you can celebrate properly!
My work-life is about to get super busy — 7 weeks in the field starts on Monday. You can follow our progress here: http://southeasternshellresearch.wordpress.com/
Cheers,
Tanya
Happy birthday chica! I know you’ll celebrate deliciously, even if it is low-key. Sometimes those kinds of birthdays are the best.
oh hi yourself!
i will take a few of these beauts.
and happy birthday!!
always look forward to all your newest creations.
Happy early birthday!
Happy birthday! Hope your day is lovely and filled with many wonderful treats! 🙂
happy birthday! this fills me with joy because it’s my birthday on thursday and i was hoping to make muffins for the occasion too – there you were with the perfect recipe. hurray!
Happy Birthday to you! A perfect muffin is way better than having the regular birthday cake! I love the feel of your blog – so light and airy – and the concept of the paper bag. Love the logo.
Happy Birthday and hurray for muffins! I hope your move went smoothly?! xo
Rachel, I love how you think. Sounds like an excellent birthday plan 🙂
Eileen, thanks so much for the cake wishes. I’ve decided that I will bake a cake this weekend so there will be CAKE CAKE CAKE!!
Thanks, MissK!
Tanya, congrats on your super busy life! Wow, exciting times indeed. Celebrations in progress 🙂
Thanks Joanne, I did have a nice low key birthday which was nice.
Shucks, thanks vanilla!
Thank you Sharyn, it was a good one.
Amanda, thank you and because I fully plan on celebrating birthday month I expect a month’s worth of treats ahead!
Happy birthday Karen!! Hope you have a great one and yes, enjoy the muffins!!
Thank you so much, Ishita 🙂
AchowLife, yes the move went well and we’re settled in and living with boxes until we can get storage. Life is good, just hectic.
Happy Birthday – enjoy your birthday month!
Happy Birthday Jeannette!! Best wishes.
Seeing all those previous birthday cakes and cupcakes in your roster has made me want to go off this low carb diet of mine. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of cake 🙂 I’m eager to see what you make this year for your birthday celebration. These muffins look so cute and spongy. I can easily eat 5 of them in one sitting.
I am always looking for ways to sneak in some coconut into my cooking – thanks for the great idea! Happy belated birthday!
Anything with banana, coconut and lime is GOOD with me! Happy birthday to you, the best thing about baking your own cake (or muffins) is that it is exactly what you wanted!
What an amazing combo! Hope you had a lovely birthday =)
These muffins taste even better on the 2nd day – so moist and limey!
Hi there. Your Coconut Lime Cake has become a family favourite! I’ve made it so many times I’ve lost track.
Now, for the Banana Coconut Lime muffins and this may be a dumb question but I have to ask….is the 1/3 cup canola oil to be include in with the wet mixture? If so, why is it listed above the dry ingredients?
Please advise.
Thank you!
Karen
Renee, thanks so much! Birthday month in full effect 🙂
Joanne, I don’t get diets, but whatever! Enjoy with your eyeballs!
Hooray for coconut, Erika! Thanks.
Piper, I agree completely!
Thanks Lucy, the birthday is all good 🙂 Phew!
Jo-Anne, uh, if they make it to a 2nd day!
Karen, there are no dumb questions. I’ve amended the recipe and moved the oil below the flour ingredients. I dunno why I did that. Oh well, I hope it all works out for you. These muffins are amazing!
Made these last night and they came out great! Just had one for second breakfast 🙂 and am trying really hard not to go grab another. Sometimes muffins all taste the same to me, but you’re right, that punch of lime is delicious – and what a great consistency!
Jennifer, that makes me so happy to hear! Glad you love the muffins with that hit of lime 🙂
I have a few ugly brown bananas that need to be used up, but I don’t want to drown in muffins! Have you tried freezing these? Would they thaw ok?
Thanks!
RE I haven’t tried freezing these, but I’m sure they’ll be fine as I’ve frozen many a baked good in my time 🙂