This easy Lemon and Blueberry Loaf Cake is soft, fluffy and bursting with fresh lemon flavour, juicy blueberries and a sharp lemon icing glaze. It’s the kind of cake that disappears much faster than expected!
There are some flavour combinations that never, ever disappoint, and lemon and blueberry is definitely one of them.
This blueberry and lemon loaf cake is soft, fluffy and properly lemony, with bursts of fresh blueberries in every slice and a sharp lemon icing glaze drizzled over the top because, well, it would feel wrong not to.
Like my classic Lemon Drizzle Cake, it’s a light and fluffy loaf cake packed full of lemon zest and juicy blueberries.
It’s the type of cake that works for any occasion – afternoon tea, a weekend bake, something to bring to a friend’s house or frankly, just for yourself, whenever you feel like a sweet treat.
I like to pour a simple icing glaze all over the top of the cold cake, but you can leave it plain if you want it a little less sweet. It’s the perfect treat for any time of day and takes approximately one hour to bake.
why you’ll love this recipe
- Soft and fluffy texture (secret ingredient?…sour cream)
- Fresh blueberries help keep the cake moist – and on day two, it tastes even better
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
- Keeps very well for a few days
ingredients for lemon blueberry loaf
- Fresh or frozen blueberries. If using frozen, you don’t need to defrost them.
- Self-Raising Flour. If you don’t have any, use plain (all-purpose) flour and 2 teaspoons baking powder. Mix them together in a small bowl before you do anything else.
- Fresh Lemons – you’ll need the zest for the cake and the juice for the icing sugar.
- Lemon Extract – optional, but adds extra zing
- Soft Butter or Baking Spread
- 3 Large Eggs, at room temperature
- Full-Fat Sour Cream
- Icing Sugar and Lemon Juice – for the icing glaze.
how to make it
Keep scrolling to the bottom of the post for a printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
1. Rub the sugar and lemon zest together until the sugar is damp and the lemon aroma is strong. Rubbing the zest into the sugar releases all the lemon oils and makes the cake taste much more lemony. It’s a tiny step that makes all the difference!
2. Add the soft butter, eggs, lemon extract if using, flour, salt and sour cream to the bowl.
3. Using an electric hand (or stand) mixer, beat the ingredients together for about 2 minutes or until you have a smooth batter.
4. Toss the blueberries in a little flour. Lightly fold them into the batter.
5. Scrape the batter into the lined loaf tin.
6. Bake for about 60 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown, risen and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake emerges clean.
7, Leave the cake in the tin to cool for about 10-15 minutes, then carefully turn it out onto a wire cooling rack.
8. To make the glaze, mix the icing sugar and lemon juice together until you have a fairly thick, pourable icing. You might need to add a tiny bit more lemon juice or sugar until you get the right consistency.
9. Pour the icing over the cold cake and let it run down the sides.
recipe tips and helpful advice
How do I prevent a tough cake?āFor a delicate, tender crumb, it’s important not to overbeat the batter. Stop mixing as soon as you have a nice smooth cake batter. And when you fold in the blueberries, keep a light hand.
How do I stop the blueberries from sinking?ā Dusting the blueberries in a little flour before adding them to the batter *may* help prevent them from sinking – but it doesn’t always work! I honestly don’t mind if they sink – the cake is no less delicious!
Can I use frozen blueberries? ā Yes – you can use frozen blueberries instead of fresh. You don’t need to defrost them first either!
how to store this blueberry lemon loaf
The loaf cake will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container. If your kitchen is very warm, it’s not a bad idea to store it in the fridge (because of the fresh blueberries). Remove the cake from the fridge and bring it to room temperature before serving.
more lemon bakes to try
Easy Lemon and Blueberry Loaf Cake
This zesty Lemon and Blueberry Loaf Cake has a beautifully tender crumb and is full of flavour. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries (no need to defrost them first!)
Ingredients
- 200g Caster Sugar
- Finely grated zest of two (or three if they're small) Unwaxed Lemons
- 200g Soft Butter or Baking Spread
- 3 Large Eggs, beaten
- 225g Self Raising Flour
- 1/4 teaspoon Fine Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Extract (optional)
- 2 tablespoons Full Fat Sour Cream
- 100g Fresh or Frozen Blueberries
- 1/2 Tablespoon Plain Flour
- 100g Icing Sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160Fan/350F/Gas Mark 4.
- Grease and line the base and sides of a 900g (2lb) loaf tin.
- Place the caster sugar in a large bowl. Add the grated lemon zest. Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until it is fragrant and damp.
- Add the soft butter, eggs, self raising flour, salt, lemon extract and sour cream. Using an electric mixer, beat everything together for 2 minutes or until the batter is smooth.
- Place the blueberries in a small bowl, sprinkle over the flour and mix together. Lightly fold the blueberries into the batter.
- Pour the mixture into the loaf tin. Bake for around 60 minutes or until risen and golden. A skewer inserted in the middle of the cake should emerge clean and the cake should immediately spring back when lightly pressed in the middle.
- Leave the cake to cool in the tin for about 10=15 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire cooling rack and let it cool completely.
- Mix the icing sugar and lemon juice together in a medium bowl until you have a smooth, thick icing. If it's too thick (it should be thick but not stiff) add a few drops of water, a tiny bit at a time.)
- Spoon the icing on top of the cold cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Leave to set before slicing and serving.
Notes
This lemon and blueberry cake will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container. If your kitchen is very warm, store the cake in the fridge. Remove from the fridge and bring it to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 470Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 591mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 1gSugar: 39gProtein: 6g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.