Moist Lemon Blueberry Loaf
Moist, lemony and bursting with juicy blueberries, this Lemon Blueberry Loaf is perfect for a tea, shower or brunch.
I froze a few leftover slices after we devoured most of the loaf. Mostly to keep my husband from polishing them off. A few days later, I was looking for something to satisfy my after-dinner sweet tooth craving and pulled out the frozen slices. Too impatient to wait until they defrosted, I microwaved them for 20 seconds and inadvertently discovered that Lemon-Blueberry Loaf warmed-up is sublime!
My inspiration for this lemon blueberry loaf was my interest in making something a bit lighter to serve after a big Thai meal.
I searched for recipes and found 3 very similar ones by Ina Garten, Jo Cooks and Nagi from TinEats. All 3 recipes did not require a stand mixer or hand mixer – just mix with a whisk. The recipe below is a close version of the 3 recipes with a couple of minor tweaks.
The end result is a simple, delicious super moist cake that is easy to make and full of blueberry and lemon flavor. Not super low cal, but not bad as desserts go. So grab a cup of coffee and get baking 🙂
Tailor To Your Taste
- To reduce calories in the loaf.
- The recipe has an option for a lemon syrup which adds extra moistness and lemon taste, but you can leave that step out if you want. Or alternatively, use the syrup and leave out the glaze.
- Substitute Greek yogurt or plain [lower fat] yogurt for the sour cream.
- Just eat half a slice 🙂
- Try blackberries or raspberries instead of blueberries.
- Leave out the blueberries (but of course you will then have to call it Lemon Loaf! )
Tips for Lemon Blueberry Loaf
- Be sure to toss the blueberries in flour before adding to the batter. This will ensure they don’t all sink to the bottom.
- If the glaze is too thick, add a bit more lemon juice or water. If it’s too thin, add a bit more icing sugar.
- The loaf is delicious warmed in the microwave for a few seconds.
Make Ahead
- Store in a sealed container or ziploc bag at room temperature or in the fridge.
- It also freezes well, well wrapped, for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Other fruit based cakes you might like
- Super moist banana bread (also no equipment needed)
- Best banana cake with chocolate icing (my fave)
- Apple cake recipe with bourbon caramel sauce
- Carrot and pineapple cake
- Peach tarte titin (for beginners)
How to make moist blueberry lemon loaf
Moist Lemon Blueberry Loaf
Moist, lemony and bursting with blueberries, this Lemon Blueberry Loaf is perfect for a tea, shower or brunch.
Servings: 12 slices
Ingredients
For Loaf
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sour cream or plain or Greek yoghurt
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (or frozen), dusted in 1 tablespoon flour flour will prevent them from sinking to bottom of the pan
For Optional Lemon Syrup
- juice of 1 lemon mixed with 2-3 teaspoons sugar
For Simple Lemon Glaze
- 1/2 cup icing sugar also called confectioners' sugar or powdered sugar
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- dash of pure vanilla extract
- Optional: Lemon zest to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- GET ORGANIZED: Preheat oven temperature to 350F/176.7C. Spray an 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inch loaf pan (21 x 11 x 6 cm) with cooking oil (or grease with butter) and dust with flour. Zest two lemons and set aside.
- COMBINE DRY INGREDIENTS: (except sugar) Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in large mixing bowl.
- COMBINE WET INGREDIENTS AND SUGAR: In a medium separate bowl, mix together sour cream eggs, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla and oil.
- COMBINE INGREDIENTS FROM BOTH BOWLS: Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and combine with whisk. Gently fold in the blueberries mixed with flour.
- BAKE: Pour batter into greased/floured prepared pan. Bake on middle rack for about 50-70 minutes. Since ovens vary, start checking at 50 minutes. If toothpick or tester inserted into center of loaf comes out clean, it's done. Rest cake for 10 minutes on rack, then remove cake from loaf pan and place it on rack over a pan or cutting board (something to catch any drips).
- MAKE AND ADD LEMON SYRUP (OPTIONAL): For an even moister, more lemony loaf, poke holes in top of cake with tester or toothpick. Pour on lemon syrup to soak in. Let loaf cool on a wire rack.
- MAKE AND ADD GLAZE: Mix together icing sugar and fresh lemon juice in a small bowl. After the loaf cools, drizzle glaze over cake. Sprinkle with lemon zest if desired. Slice and serve.
Notes
- Variations
- To reduce calories in the loaf.
- The recipe has an option for a lemon syrup which adds extra moistness and lemon taste, but you can leave that step out if you want. Or alternatively, use the syrup and leave out the glaze.
- Substitute Greek yogurt or plain [lower fat] yogurt for the sour cream.
- Just eat half a slice 🙂
- Try blackberries or raspberries instead of blueberries.
- Leave out the blueberries (but of course you will then have to call it Lemon Loaf! )
- To reduce calories in the loaf.
- Make Ahead: Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge. It also freezes well, well wrapped in plastic wrap, tin foil or a ziplock bag, for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Moist Lemon Blueberry Loaf
Amount Per Serving
Calories 205
Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 51mg17%
Sodium 199mg9%
Potassium 75mg2%
Carbohydrates 37g12%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 24g27%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 189IU4%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 71mg7%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?We'd love you to rate it above under 'rate this recipe' or in the comment section below. Thanks!
Lemon Blueberry loaf, originally published in 2018, has been updated for our readers.
Wow, this is great, very moist and a big hit, thanks for sharing
Thanks for leaving a comment Dianne. Much appreciated 🙂
I made this a few weeks ago and everyone LOVED it. My mother asked me to make this again for Easter. As I text this…it’s in the oven getting ready for tomorrow. God Bless.
Aww. So sweet. Happy Easter!
can i use 2 small size loaf pan are they’re the same time and temperature? thanks
Hi Susan, Converting pan sizes can be a little tricky. Here is a good article on how to convert your pans by Taste of Hone. Typically a standard loaf pan will convert to 3 mini loaf pans. I don’t know the size and material of your pans which will both affect time and temperature. So it’s best to read the article. If you want to wing it, keep a very close eye on the time (two pans will take less time) and do a cake tester test to see if they are done. Hope that helps.
I absolutely love this, made it a few times and love it more each time . Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I love to hear that! Thanks for leaving a comment Aisha.
Easy to follow recipe and instructions. I’m not sure what happened but my cake wasn’t done when I pulled it out of the oven at 50, 60 and 70 minutes. The sides were done but the middle was definitely still raw. I covered the cake with foil, put it back in the oven and baked for an additional 20-30 minutes after 70 minutes and that seemed to help cook the middle. I’m baking this cake for a friend and haven’t tasted it yet. I hope it isn’t dry. I want to try this recipe again because it’s bothering me that the middle was undercooked after 60mins.
Sorry to hear about the loaf taking so long to bake. I am wondering why since I and so many others have been successful with this recipe. There are three things that come to mind. 1) your oven temperature is off (this is very common – a cheap oven thermometer can help you determine if you’re oven is heating to the right temperature), 2) you live in a high altitude area in which case you would need to adjust (increase) the oven temperature a bit. And 3) one of your measurements changed the flour to liquid ratio by mistake. Do you think any of these apply? I hope your friend enjoyed the loaf despite the challenges.
OMG!!! This was really absolutely delicious and turned out super moist. Added some chopped glazed pecans since we like nuts. Used sour cream but will try Greek yogurt next time. Always love loaf recipes with canola oil rather than butter. Will definitely make again and again! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re very welcome Eve. Glad it was a hit!
Have you made these into muffins?
Sorry, no I haven’t. I found this lemon loaf muffin recipe, though, if that helps.
This was absolutely scrumptious. So moist and delicious. Thanks so much for the recipe you have a new fan from Alberta.
Thank you Alberta fan! Hello from Ontario! So glad you liked the recipe 🙂
This may be a silly question, but when using frozen blueberries do they need to be thawed first?
Not a silly question Joe! For baking, you shouldn’t have to thaw them. But still dust them with flour.
For pancakes, I would definitely thaw them first as the cook time is short.
Yum! My family really enjoyed this loaf. Next time I would put more lemon zest, I feel like it wasn’t strong enough for my taste. Will be making again, thanks for a delicious recipe!
Thanks Tasman! So glad the family enjoyed it. Next time you can super-zest the loaf 🙂
Can I make this recipe in the mixer? Or will it change completely?
Hi Lina, I think it should be fine in the mixer with a couple of notes: mix the wet ingredients together first in the mixer. Add the combined dry ingredients and mix in JUST until incorporated. You don’t want to over mix. And add the floured blueberries into the batter by hand (don’t mix them in the mixer) before pouring the batter into the loaf pan. Hope that helps.
Hi Cheryl, I noticed in the picture it shows butter not oil, can I use 1 stick of butter in place of the oil?
Sorry Linda. You’re absolutely right. I showed butter in the picture and oil in the list of ingredients. You can definitely substitute the oil with butter. No problem. Just melt it and cool it a bit. Many say butter tastes better but the texture with oil will be a bit lighter. Hope you will love the loaf either way. 😊
This is my second time making this. This time I doubled the recipe to be served at a family reunion. It is the most wonderful bread….almost tastes like cheesecake to me. Will definitely be making more in the future.
So glad you enjoyed it-twice! Thanks for leaving a comment.
I have made this a few times which means it’s a winner.
Although I dust the berries as indicated, too many fall to the bottom. Have you any suggestions?
Hi Debra. Glad you’re enjoying the loaf. Other than dusting the berries with flour to prevent them from sinking, one other thing you can try is to pour about 1/4-1/3 of the batter into the loaf pan without the berries, then mix the dusted berries into the remaining batter and pour that over the un-berried batter. Hope that helps.
OMG this is to die for this is a super easy recipe and I love love it Thank you for sharing My husband is a big fan of chocolate cake I asked him to taste it and I have to say he loved it he is very fussy with desserts I also tried making muffins because he loves his muffins and it was a success this is a keeper in my favourite recipes
Thanks Susan! Happy to hear your husband who is fussy about desserts liked the loaf too. A big compliment! And thanks for sharing the muffin idea with our readers.
Been my go-to recipe for months, works beautifully every time without fail! Thanks!
Happy to hear Sophie! Thanks for leaving a comment.
Delicious! I have a lemon tree and I usually have frozen blueberries, if not freshen on hand. I can see myself making this often!
Thanks Teresa. How wonderful to have a lemon tree! If you like the lemon blueberry combo, you might like these lemon blueberry pancakes too.
Forgot to give it 5 stars…Loved this recipe. Made it with fresh cranberries instead of blueberries. It was a hit with the family.
Deb, thanks for coming back to rate the recipe after leaving a comment! Really nice of you. Interesting twist with the cranberries – must have been really tangy.
Loved this recipe. Made it with fresh cranberries instead of blueberries. It was a hit with the family.
DELICIOUS!!!! BIG hit with the samplers!! Within a week I am already make it again!! Moist and I love the lemon touch!!! Definitely a keeper!! Thanks for sharing
Thanks so much for the comment Anne! So glad you liked it ?