Packed with blueberries and lemon flavors this blueberry lemon loaf cake is perfect as dessert with a little ice cream or in the morning with a cup of coffee. This light and flavorful cake works well as both dessert or a morning treat.

There is nothing better than a good lemon and blueberry cake. both light and flavorful you can really never go wrong. This kind of cake is what I would bring to work regularly. They are perfect for an office gathering for those that like something a little sweet in the morning or someone like myself as a great way to end a meal.

In this recipe

The blueberries and lemon are the big flavors in this dish. This recipe can use fresh or frozen blueberries, however if you use frozen blueberries the time to cook will be longer. The brown sugar will add some caramel like flavors to the cake but it will also Make the cake turn darker brown when cooking. Instead of light golden brown you may find that this cake is a deeper brown and that is ok. If you want a lighter colored cake then use all granulated sugar.

You don't need a stand mixer

On of my favorite things about this recipe is that you only need two bowls to make it. One of the things that comes with using bowls is that you want to make sure you don’t over mix. In the larger bowl you will want to whisk the flour, salt and baking powder. Then in the smaller bowl rub the sugars together with the lemon zest. This helps draw out the oils in the zest that intensify the lemon flavor. Once that is done you can add that to the rest of the dry ingredients. Then use the small bowl and whisk the liquid ingredients.

Folding in blueberries

One of the things that you will want to do is fold in the blueberries gently. If you are using frozen blueberries then that will not be as much of an issue since they will still be nice and firm. However if you are using fresh blueberries this can present a little bit more of a challenge. A little trick to help keep the blueberries suspended in the batter is to toss them in flour first. This will create a small barrier that help keep them from sinking to the bottom.

Cooling it down

Due to it’s thickness this cake will take a while for it to cool down. You will want to let it sit in its baking dish for at least 15 minutes before trying to remove it. If you try and take it out too quickly the cake will break and fall apart. This is because when the cake is cooling the gluten is settling and when it is warm it is quite fragile. The other reason is that when hot the icing will absorb into the cake and will make soft and mushy.

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Blueberry Lemon Loaf Cake

Sean

A loaf cake with fresh blueberries, lemon zest and lemon juice topped with a lemon glaze.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 25

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 413 kcal

Equipment

Mixing bowls
Whisk
Spatula
8½ x4½ inch loaf pan

Ingredients

For the blueberry lemon cake:

1½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp baking powder
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar packed
3 tbsp lemon zest zest form 3 lemons
¾ cup buttermilk
½ cup canola oil or another flavor neutral oil
2 large eggs
1 tbsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen

For the lemon glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice fresh squeezed

Instructions

Making the cake

Preheat oven to 350° F, 177C, or gas mark 4. Spray a 8 ½ x 4 ½ loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a small bowl mix the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and lemon zest together. Use a spatula to press the sugar against the sides or use your fingers to rub the sugar and zest together. The sugar will start to smell like lemon.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Once combined add the the sugar and lemon mixture.
In the smaller bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Whisk until evenly mixed. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and gently mix until everything has combined. Gently fold in the blueberries and pour into the loaf pan.
Bake for 70-80 minutes, or until toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean. You may need to cover the cake with foil halfway through baking if the top is starting to brown too quickly.
Let the cake cool in the baking dish on a cooling rake for 15 minutes before gently removing and cooling completely on a cooling rack.

Making the glaze

While the cake is cooling, in a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle the glaze of the cooled loaf cake. The cake needs to be cool before adding the icing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 413kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 203mgPotassium: 114mgFiber: 1gSugar: 44gVitamin A: 108IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition Disclaimer*

Keyword Blueberry, Icing, Lemon, Loaf cake

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