Moist Lemon Blueberry Loaf With Sour Cream
“I made this loaf for a meeting; I received so many compliments! The loaf was moist, kept its shape when I precut slices and had a beautiful presentation” Diane
Moist, lemony and bursting with juicy blueberries, this lemon blueberry loaf is perfect for brunch, showers or a make-ahead treat with coffee and tea. It’s bright and packed with flavor without being heavy.
I first made this loaf to serve after a big Thai meal and wanted something lighter to finish.
We devoured most of the loaf, but I froze a few slices for later. A few days later, I warmed one in the microwave (too impatient to wait for defrosting) and discovered that a warmed-up lemon and blueberry loaf is even better – soft and fragrant!
The recipe below is inspired by versions from Ina Garten, Jo Cooks and Nagi from TinEats with a couple of minor tweaks.
What to expect
- No stand mixer or hand mixer needed. Just a bowl and a whisk.
- A moist, tender lemon blueberry loaf that slices cleanly.
- Bright lemon flavor balanced with juicy blueberries.
- Not low-calorie, but reasonable as desserts go and perfect with coffee or tea.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
- Cake ingredients – We start with classic loaf ingredients – flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, oil and vanilla. We add 3 more ingredients – sour cream (for extra moistness), lemon zest (for brightness), and fresh blueberries (for a juicy flavor contrast).
- Lemon syrup (optional) – a mix of lemon juice and a little sugar drizzled on the warm loaf adds extra moisture and a deeper lemon flavor.
- Lemon Glaze (optional): A simple glaze of icing sugar, lemon juice and vanilla adds a nice finish, but you can skip it if you like.
Substitutions
- Blueberries: Try blackberries or raspberries instead of blueberries. Or leave out the blueberries – but you will then have to call it lemon loaf 🙂
- Sour cream: Swap with Greek yogurt or plain lower-fat yogurt
Variations
- To make a lower-calorie loaf:
- Leave out the lemon syrup. Or alternatively, use the syrup and leave out the glaze.
- Use lower-fat sour cream or yogurt.
- Replace half the oil with applesauce (but note the texture of the loaf will be denser).
- Just eat half a slice 🙂
- Garnish the loaf with lemon zest if you like.
Step by step instructions
Tips
- To correctly measure flour in cups, scoop it into a measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. Don’t scoop directly from the bag, which can pack in too much flour and lead to a dense loaf.
- Don’t overmix: Stif just until combined. Overmixing will make the loaf dense.
- Toss the blueberries in flour before adding them to the batter. This will prevent them from all sinking to the bottom.
- Loaf pans and doneness: Glass loaf pans don’t conduct heat as well, so the loaf will take longer to bake than in a metal pan. Regardless of the pan type, insert a toothpick or cake tester in the loaf to check if it is done. If it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, your loaf is ready.
- Adjust the glaze consistency as needed: If too thick, add a bit more lemon juice or water. If too thin, add a bit more icing sugar.
- Warm it up: This lemon blueberry loaf is especially good warmed in the microwave for a few seconds.
Troubleshooting FAQs
A sunken center usually means the loaf is underbaked. Ensure you bake it until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and avoid opening the oven door.
Overmixing the batter can cause a dense loaf. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
Ensure your baking powder is fresh. Also, properly whisk the oil and sugar to incorporate enough air into the batter.
Yes, you can use frozen blueberries straight from the freezer (don’t thaw). Toss frozen blueberries in flour to prevent them from bleeding too much into the batter.
The outside of the loaf cooks at a faster rate than the inside, so the inside of the cake continues to cook and rise, cracking the top crust. You can try lowering the temperature of the oven next time (especially if using a glass loaf pan). Cracking is normal and doesn’t affect the texture.
Yes. This lemon blueberry loaf keeps well and can be made a day ahead. It also freezes nicely for longer storage.
Other fruit-based cakes you might like
- Super moist banana bread (also no equipment needed and one of our top 3 most popular recipes)
- Best banana cake with chocolate icing (my fave)
- Carrot and pineapple cake
- Berry cake (with frozen or fresh berries)
Please leave a 5 star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe, Thank you so much!
Moist Lemon Blueberry Loaf
Ingredients
For Loaf
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (Note 1)
- 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
Lemon Syrup (optional)
- juice of 1 lemon mixed with 2-3 teaspoons sugar
Simple Lemon Glaze (optional)
- 1/2 cup icing sugar also called confectioners sugar or powdered sugar
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- dash of pure vanilla extract
- Optional Garnish: Lemon zest to sprinkle on top
Video
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 spray (or grease with butter) and dust with flour. Zest one large lemon and set aside (and a zest a second lemon to sprinkle on the finished loaf if you like).
- COMBINE DRY INGREDIENTS: (except sugar) Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in large mixing bowl.1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (Note 1), 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- COMBINE WET INGREDIENTS AND SUGAR: In a medium separate bowl, whisk sour cream eggs, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla and oil until smooth.1 cup sour cream, 1 cup sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- COMBINE INGREDIENTS FROM BOTH BOWLS: Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and combine with whisk just until flour disappears. Don't overmix or the loaf will be dense. Gently fold in the blueberries dusted in flour with a spatula.
- BAKE: Pour batter into greased/floured prepared pan. Bake on middle rack for about 50-70 minutes. A glass loaf pan will take longer than metal. Since ovens vary, start checking at 50 minutes. If toothpick or tester inserted into center of loaf comes out clean, it's done. Cool cake for 10 minutes on rack, then remove cake from loaf pan and place it on rack, top facing up, over a pan or cutting board (something to catch any drips if you are add the lemon syrup).
- 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 completely 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.
Recipe Notes
- To measure flour: Scoop it into a measuring cup, then level if off with a knife. Don’t just dip the scoop into the flour as this packs it in too much.
- Variations
- Try blackberries or raspberries instead of blueberries.
- Leave out the blueberries
- 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.
- Replace half the oil with applesauce (but the loaf will be a little denser)
- Just eat half a slice 🙂
- Store, Freeze: Store leftovers 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. Microwave for a few seconds to defrost/warm it up (delish)
Nutrition
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 🙂