Blueberry Lemon Loaf Cake is a cake-like confection that’s boosts your mood with bright lemon flavors balanced by sweet blueberries. Moist, bursting with sunny flavor, and drizzled with a delicate lemon glaze, this recipe is a must-try.
It’s a cake, it’s a bread, it’s delicious! Lemon Blueberry Loaf is a joyful confection inspired by my favorite lemon blueberry muffins.
This blueberry Lemon Loaf recipe eats like a bright cake. The delicate lemon glaze is subtle and slightly tart. I love sweet breads and loaf cakes like my Lemon Yogurt Cake or Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread because they are easier than muffins and layer cakes!
Whether you’re hosting brunch, planning a bridal shower, or simply need a quick pick-me-up, this recipe is up to the task. So, let’s roll up our sleeves, preheat the oven, and dive into this mouthwatering recipe.
What’s Great About This Recipe
- So pretty with it’s colorful hues of purple and golden yellow.
- No special equipment – just a whisk and a bowl!
- A soft, plush crumb keeps the berries from all sinking to the bottom.
- A quick, foolproof lemon glaze for a beautiful finish!
Recipe Tip: Your cake moisture level may vary based on how juicy your blueberries are. Taste your blueberries before baking. If they seem particularly plump and juicy, consider cutting back on the milk just slightly.
Ingredients and Notes
Here are the key ingredients that ensure every bite is flavorful and rises correctly:
- Blueberries. I use fresh blueberries, but frozen will work too. If you use frozen, don't thaw them first-just add them right into the batter.
- Lemon juice and zest. For the most flavorful lemon blueberry cake, use fresh squeezed lemon juice. We add some zest before juicing them to extract all of the flavor.
- Vegetable Oil. This sweet bread is quite dense so I use oil instead of butter for a beautiful rise.
- Sour Cream. This helps achieve a luscious, creamy loaf that rises evenly.
Recipe Tip: While my lemon icing complements this cake beautifully, you can make a cream cheese frosting variation too. You can slather it on with a knife or make it pourable by putting in the microwave for about 10 seconds after making the frosting.
Recipe Tips
I have been making this particular recipe all summer long, so there are a few things I have learned as I went and I’m sharing them here.
- Line the pan with parchment paper and leave some flowing out the sides so you have handles to easily lift the whole loaf out without any worry of sticking. (photo 3) I still run a knife on the non-lined sides.
- Don’t overmix! This makes for overly dense bread that won’t rise well. A streak or some leftover flour is better than overmixing the dough.
- Fold vegetable oil in last rather than whisking it in with the other wet ingredients. Oil tends to coat the zest and can interfere with the rise process if it's added in too early.
- Using a spoon, fold blueberries into the batter, reserving half. (Photo 2) Pour batter into the loaf pan. Sprinkle the last half of the blueberries over the top of the loaf. Your blueberries will be nicely spread without all of them sinking to the bottom.
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FAQs
Frozen berries do tend to bleed more color in a cake, so it may become more muddled in coloring. However, it is perfectly fine to use frozen berries for taste and texture. I do recommend rinsing and thawing to keep the baking time consistent.
You may have read to toss the berries with a bit of flour or cornstarch before adding them to the batter. This is a myth – it does NOT work. Instead, try mix in half the blueberries and press the other half in the top of the batter after pouring or pouring a bit of empty batter into the bottoms before mixing the blueberries in.
It also freezes well, you just have to wait for it too cool completely. I like to freeze individual slices. Makes it simple to quickly thaw and satisfy a craving when it strikes.
Storage: Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap after cooling to keep it moist and in a domed cake travel carrier at room temperature. I store it in the microwave, (mostly so I don't eat the whole thing), but that's simply my personal preference. When stored properly, this cake lasts about 4 days.
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Blueberry Lemon Loaf Cake
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup all-purpose flour 192 grams
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream or greek yogurt
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries divided, thawed and patted dry if frozen
Glaze
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). line a 9"x 5" loaf pan with parchment paper (or lightly grease with butter)
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: 1.5 cup all-purpose flour2 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- In a second large bowl, cream ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs, and ½ cup sour cream together until smooth. Add ¼ cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon lemon zest and mix until well combined.
- One cup at a time, add the dry mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring after each addition. Do not overmix. Then fold or whisk in ⅓ cup vegetable oil in with a spoon.
- Using a spoon, fold half of the 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter, reserving half. Pour batter into the loaf pan. Sprinkle the last half of the blueberries over the top of the loaf.
- Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- After loaf is completely cool, whisk together 2 tablespoon lemon juice and 2 cup powdered sugar. Drizzle over the loaf.
Desiree says
Simple and delicious! I skipped the icing and it was great.
Marcia says
It was also delightfully fluffy! It still tasted great even after two days! My coworkers raved about it!
emily says
I decided to make this to have on hand for the weekend and so glad I did. Came out perfect!
Amy says
just baked it in a 8×12 pan instead of a loaf pan, changed it to 40 minutes and it was just right.
Brandi says
awesome recipe
June says
Came out great!
Linda says
This turned out great and I used frozen organic blueberries. I also took some brown sugar and sprinkled it on the top rather than making a separate frosting.