Classic Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake
I love lemons. I say when you get a big bag of lemons, you make as many sweet and savoury lemon recipes as you can! This includes that best blueberry lemon loaf cake I've ever had.
I have made this recipe multiple times and have gotten the seal of approval each time! The original lemon loaf recipe is actually from a 30+ year old community cookbook from a small town in Manitoba where my mother-in-law grew up.
I need to thank her for lending me this (and other cookbooks) because they are full of gems (and oddities) that I've enjoyed reading and testing out. From jello salads with vegetables in it (I'm not sure if I would like it - have you tried a recipe like this?) to Greek Moussaka (so delicious), old cookbooks are a great source of inspiration.
Back to the delicious loaf cake - it is so tender, it just melts in your mouth and it's so full of bright, tart lemon and sweet blueberry flavour!
I love the look of the blueberry swirls that form as the loaf bakes so each slice is a little different.
The simple lemon glaze on top gives the loaf a thin crust with that extra lemon zing! Why not eat a slice or two with a cup of coffee or tea?
All the ingredients for this loaf cake! Full ingredient amounts and ingredients available in the recipe card down below.
In the pan ready to be baked. Dot the top of the loaf with blueberries.
Baked! The outside is so golden-brown! I used a fork to poke holes on top before pouring on the simple lemon glaze.
Updated Tips Based on Reader's Comments!
How do you zest the lemon?
- I used a microplane zester/grater; it's my preferred kitchen tool to do this.
- Alternately, you can use the finest side of a box grater or a vegetable peeler to remove the yellow skin (try not to peel the white pith underneath as it's bitter) and then finely mince the skin with a sharp knife into tiny pieces.
My blueberries sink to a mash at the bottom of cakes. How do I prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the pan?
Please note that I don't use this baker's trick for this recipe, but have had people try this method successfully.
- A baker's trick is to toss the blueberries with a tablespoon of flour before folding it into the batter. The flour should be taken from the recipe so that the flour amount stays the same. Also, after filling the loaf pan, remember to top the loaf with more blueberries before baking.
The loaf cake looks golden-brown on top, but is still underdone in the centre.
- When extra baking time is required, I typically will cover it with aluminum foil to seal in the heat and prevent the crust from becoming overdone. Check the loaf every couple minutes for doneness using a wooden skewer or cake tester.
After the loaf cake is mostly cooled down, remove from the pan and cut into slices. Look how moist and fluffy it looks and the pretty blueberries throughout.
Serve it with some coffee (or tea or milk) for breakfast or dessert! Enjoy!
Got extra blueberries? Check out these recipes using blueberries!
- Quick Cherry Blueberry Oat Crisp
- Fresh Berries with Honey Lemon Mascarpone Cream
- Blueberry Lime Yogurt Smoothies
- Grilled Peach Blueberry Spinach Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
Did you make this lemon blueberry loaf cake recipe? Please leave me a rating and comment down below or tag me on any of my social media. I'm @yay_for_food on Instagram. I'll love a picture!
Classic Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake
A classic family favourite recipe! This delicious Blueberry Lemon Loaf Cake is sweet, tart, wonderfully moist and fluffy, and so easy to make!
Ingredients
For the loaf cake:
- ½ cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter, soften
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 lemon, zest
- ½ cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup (8 oz.) fresh blueberries
For the glaze:
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 lemon (¼ cup), juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line a 8x4 (or 9x5) loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Using a whisk or electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Add the milk and eggs then mix until combined.
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt together and then slowly add to the batter in batches, whisking in between, until well incorporated and the batter is smooth. Using a spatula, gently fold in most of the blueberries, reserving a small handful of blueberries.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle the remaining blueberries on top. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until a wooden skewer comes out clean in the center.
- In a small bowl, mix together the glaze ingredients until the sugar dissolves into the lemon juice. Take a fork or toothpick and poke holes over the top of the loaf before pouring the glaze over the top of the hot loaf. Let it cool before removing from the pan. Slice and serve.
Notes
- Store cooled loaf cake tightly wrapped with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- For additional baking tips, refer to the section "Updated Tips...," which includes "How do I prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the pan?"
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 160Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 131mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 0gSugar: 21gProtein: 3g
So. Stinking. Gorgeous. And obviously mind blowingly delicious as well- I think I could eat the whole loaf in one sitting!
Thank you Karly!
How do you zest the lemon in this?
Hi Lauren! I used a microplane zester/grater. If you don't have one, you can use a box grater (the finest side), or a vegetable peel to remove the yellow skin (try not to peel the white pith underneath) and then finely mince it with a knife to get tiny pieces so that it melts into the loaf cake when it bakes. Let me know if you have anymore questions!
Recipe printed off and I am going to make 2 loafs this weekend. Thanks Marie.
Wonderful! Let me know how it goes! 🙂
I am happy to say i did make 2 lemon blueberry loaf yesterday and mine look just like yours!
I love how moist this is. The only thing i forgot to do was add blueberries on top. But still looked the same and thats always my goal lol. Thanks again!
Excellent! I'm glad that you liked the loaf and that they turned out the way you wanted!
Classic blueberry and lemon flavors are always the best! and your loaf looks so moist and delicious, will definitely try it!
Thanks Veronika!
My kind of loaf! And I definitely eat it for breakfast 🙂 . So moist and yummy!
Thank you! It is definitely one of our favourite loaf cakes to bake and eat! 🙂
I love the combination of lemon and blueberry and can believe it would be fabulous in this bread!! Beautiful photos! This bread looks so delicious!
One of my favourite fruity combinations! Thanks Elaine!
My mom + grandmother both have tons of those community cookbooks on their shelves. I love paging through them looking at the recipes. It's always so interesting to see the food trends in them - like jello salads and aspics. I've found some real gems in there, too.
This loaf cake looks so good - I think it will be perfect for a lazy Sunday morning breakfast with a hot cup of coffee!
I agree! It is so much fun looking through older cookbooks! The food trends are definitely interesting! Thanks Megan!
I am eager to try your Blueberry and Lemon loaf but have always had trouble with the blueberries sinking to a mush at the bottom of cakes. How do you stop this happening please.
Thank you
Carole
Hello Carole! Good question!
A baker's trick to prevent sunken berries is to toss the blueberries in a tablespoon of flour before gently folding into the batter. The flour should be from the recipe to keep the amounts the same. Please note that I do not typically do this step for this recipe, but have had people try this to success.
Also, after filling the loaf pan, add some blueberries to the top of the batter just prior to baking. Let me know if you have anymore questions!
Hi there,
Do you think I could use frozen blueberries with this recipe?
Hi Allison! You can use frozen blueberries in this recipe. Just don't thaw the blueberries; if you do, the blueberries may bleed and turn the entire batter blue!
Just tried this recipe and I'm having a hard time getting it to bake all the way through. The loaf looks just like yours, but the middle is not done. I followed the recipe to the T. I didn't realize it was not baked all the way through until I cut into it. I've put it back in the oven twice (it's actually in there for the second time), hoping it will be ok. My husband couldn't resist tasting a corner and said it is delicious. Any advice?
Hi Jackie! Thanks for giving this recipe a try.
Sounds like you did the right thing by putting the loaf back in the oven right away. For this recipe, it is important to check the loaf by sticking a wooden skewer into the center and looking to ensure the skewer comes out clean when first taking the loaf out of the oven. That way, you can let it bake longer without having to slice it first.
When extra baking time is required, I typically will cover it with aluminum foil to seal in the heat and prevent the crust from becoming overdone during the extra baking time.
One of the top reasons that can cause the loaf not to bake all the way through is the oven temperature. If the oven runs too hot or there is uneven heat, it can bake up the crust making it appear that it is completely baked though when it is not. The best way to ensure the temperature is correct is with an oven thermometer.
Another reason might be the baking pan. If the pan was too small (I used 8X4), it can lead to an undercooked centre.
I hope this helps! Let me know if your loaf cake turned out!
Just tried this recipe, altered by adding 3T lemon juice & 1T poppy seeds to batter. Absolute melt-in-your-mouth perfection!!! Thanks so much for the recipe, will definitely be a favorite to make again & again!
This is wonderful! Thank you for trying out this recipe! I need to add poppy seeds the next time I make this loaf cake! 🙂
does this freeze well
Hello lil! I've never tried to freeze this loaf cake before so I can't try you with certainty whether or not it will freeze well. If you try it, let me know how it goes.
I made this loaf cake and it was a hit! Excellent recipe, great taste! You do have to make sure you check the very center of cake to make sure it's done with wooden toothpick. I will make again! Thank you!
Thank you Joyce! I'm glad that you liked the recipe! 😊
Marie
I made the blueberry loaf and it freezes well There are only 2 of us what I did I sliced the loaf in servings then I wrapped each slice in [plastic wrap lay them on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer when they were frozen I put them in a container then put them back in the freezer, I can take out a slice when I want it
Excellent! I'm happy that it freezes well! Thank you for making this recipe. 🙂