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
Can you use buttermilk in place of the milk?
Hi Misi, unfortunately, I don't have experience using buttermilk for this recipe so I can't say with complete certainty that this substitution will work.
Delicious! I've made it twice in the last week and plan to make another loaf this week. Followed recipe exactly except cooking time. Baked for ~65 minutes.
That's awesome! This is one of my all-time favourite recipes and I'm happy that you enjoy it too. I understand about having to bake longer since bake times can be tricky due to a variety of factors (e.g. altitude, true oven temp, type of baking pan, size of blueberries) so I'm glad that you found the right cook time for you! 🙂 Thank you for commenting, Jen!
Well aside from the fact that this looks perfect in every way, I love the history behind it. The best recipes are mums and the ones that mum got from somewhere way back when. Heartwarming and delicious all at once 🙂
Aww.. thanks Marie! It's a recipe that I will make forever.
Hi there! I was wondering if I would be able to substitute the baking powder for baking soda? And if so would the measurements for the recipe remain the same?
Thanks Marie! From: Camila
Hi Camila, I wouldn't recommend substituting with baking soda as it acts differently in the baking process, which can affect the overall flavour and texture.
Made this tonight fantastic recipe
Thank you Vicky! I'm happy to hear you liked it! 🙂
Hi, I made this for a staff going away party. I added 2 tablespoon of lemon juice. I changed the glazed to 1.5 c powdered sugar, 1 tablesson of melted butter, 3 tablespoon of lemon juice and a 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract. Mix this all together. Poke holes in the loaf and pour glaze in. However the extra lemon juice makes the loaf really moist and it didn't last long. Thank you, your recipe is a keeper.
Thanks so much Emily! That glaze sounds fantastic! I'm happy to hear that you and your colleagues enjoyed this loaf cake.
Wonderful! I made for my grandkids and cooked it in Mason jars. This gave them a somewhat healthy treat and a jar for catching lightning bugs. Thanks for sharing.
That's awesome! I've never thought to bake them in mason jars. What a fantastic idea!
I made this yesterday. It came out perfect and it was awesome. My son loves it.
Thank you
Denise
You're welcome Denise! 🙂 Thank you for the kind words!
My cake come out amazing! Tasted great... My only question is that my cake batter curdled for the first time after adding milk. How can I prevent that
Thank you in advance
You're welcome Nikita!
My best guess is that if you softened your butter in the microwave first, the heat of the butter might have reacted with the milk causing it to curdle. Sometimes if ingredients vary in temperature too much (like having eggs that are too cold), it can also cause curdling.
I'm happy to hear that it turned it well! Hope this helps.
Hi! Question can I make this cake and covered in foundant? Will hold the shape? Thanks!!
This cake is really fluffy and moist. I don't think that it will hold its shape if wrapped in fondant.
Great recipe. it was moist and delicious. I added shredded coconuts to it and it turned out great! Thanks.
Thanks for trying out this recipe! Love the addition of shredded coconut too.
Would you say it is best served warm or the next day? Gonna make it this weekend while in in-laws are in town - can make today or get up a little earlier tomorrow.
I would actually serve this bread cooled (at room temperature) as it is a quite a soft cake. Making this bread the day before or morning of would work, but closer to serving is always preferred as it is most fresh.
Hope this helps and enjoy this loaf cake!
I made this last night. It was absolutely delicious! Except, I put too much blueberries in. I had a small handful of blueberries left and I didn't want it to go to waste, so I threw them in the batter. Unless you like your loaf a little soggier, then put them in. Love this recipe. Will be making it again.
Thanks Cara! I'm happy that you liked it! I made this loaf cake a couple days ago as it's one of my personal favs. I totally add extra blueberries too especially on top of the loaf!
Can you use frozen blueberries or do they have to be fresh?
I really prefer fresh blueberries for this recipe, however people have made it using frozen blueberries. Here are two tips:
- Don't thaw the blueberries; if you do, the blueberries may bleed and turn the entire batter blue!
- 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. The additional water of frozen blueberries may cause the blueberries to sink and doing this trick can help that prevent from happening.
what sugar do you use?
Hi Megan! I use white granulated sugar.
Would golden granulated work? Xx
I've never made this loaf cake using golden sugar before so I can't tell you for sure if it'll work. I think it will make the cake very sweet so if you decide to bake with it, you may want to cut the amount of sugar you use. Let me know how it goes!