The Ultimate Lemon Blueberry Loaf: A Moist & Zesty Recipe
Estimated reading time: 7-9 minutes | Prep time: 20 minutes | Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Key Takeaways
- Unbelievably Moist & Flavorful: This recipe creates an incredibly moist and tender crumb, bursting with bright, zesty lemon flavor and juicy pockets of fresh blueberries. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
- Beginner-Friendly & Simple: A straightforward, simple recipe that delivers impressive, bakery-quality results from scratch. No complicated techniques needed!
- Perfect for Making Ahead: This loaf is freezer-friendly and stores beautifully, making it an ideal make-ahead dessert for holidays, brunches, or a quick treat anytime.
- Versatile & Crowd-Pleasing: Serve it as a delightful companion to your morning coffee, a sophisticated afternoon tea cake, or a light, family-friendly dessert that everyone will love.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Blueberry Loaf Recipe
Welcome to the only recipe you’ll ever need for a truly spectacular Lemon Blueberry Loaf. If you’ve been searching for that perfect balance of a moist, buttery crumb, a bright burst of citrus, and sweet pops of juicy blueberries, you’ve found it. This homemade loaf cake is a classic for a reason—it’s comforting, elegant, and surprisingly easy to make. It’s the kind of simple recipe that fills your kitchen with an irresistible aroma and delivers a dessert that feels special enough for a celebration but is simple enough for a weekday treat.
What sets this recipe apart is its foolproof method for achieving the perfect texture. We focus on techniques like creaming the butter and sugar properly to incorporate air, using room temperature ingredients for a smooth batter, and a special trick to prevent the blueberries from sinking. The result is a consistently tender, light loaf that’s never dry or dense. Topped with a tangy two-ingredient lemon glaze, every slice is a slice of sunshine. Whether you’re baking for a weekend brunch, a family gathering, or just to satisfy a craving, this Lemon Blueberry Loaf is guaranteed to become a cherished favorite.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Using high-quality, room-temperature ingredients is the first step to creating the perfect Lemon Blueberry Loaf. Here’s what you’ll need to gather:
For the Lemon Blueberry Loaf:
- All-Purpose Flour: 1 1/2 cups (180g), plus 1 tablespoon for tossing with the blueberries. This provides the structure for our loaf.
- Baking Powder: 1 1/2 teaspoons. The leavening agent that helps the loaf rise and become light.
- Salt: 1/2 teaspoon. Balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors.
- Unsalted Butter: 1/2 cup (113g), softened to room temperature. Essential for a moist, tender crumb.
- Granulated Sugar: 1 cup (200g). Provides sweetness, moisture, and a soft texture.
- Large Eggs: 2, at room temperature. They bind the ingredients and add richness.
- Lemon Zest & Juice: 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from ~2 lemons) and 2 tablespoons (30ml) fresh lemon juice for the batter. Fresh is always best!
- Milk or Buttermilk: 1/2 cup (120ml), at room temperature. Adds moisture and creates a tender crumb. Buttermilk will add a slight tang.
- Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon. Complements the lemon and adds depth of flavor.
- Blueberries: 1 cup (150g), fresh or frozen. If using frozen, do not thaw them.
For the Simple Lemon Glaze:
- Powdered Sugar: 1 cup (120g), sifted to remove lumps.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: 2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml). Provides the tangy flavor and thinning agent for the glaze.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Prep Oven and Pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan with butter or non-stick spray. Line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the two longer sides to create “handles” for easy removal later.
- Step 2: Whisk Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. This combines everything evenly and aerates the flour. Set it aside.
- Step 3: Coat the Blueberries. In a separate small bowl, gently toss the blueberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour until lightly coated. This simple but critical step helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of your beautiful loaf.
- Step 4: Cream Butter, Sugar & Zest. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and fresh lemon zest on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes. The mixture should become very pale, light, and fluffy. This step is key for a tender cake.
- Step 5: Add Eggs & Wet Ingredients. Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. The batter might look a bit curdled, which is completely normal.
- Step 6: Alternate Flour and Milk. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk in two parts, starting and ending with the dry ingredients (Flour -> Milk -> Flour -> Milk -> Flour). Mix only until just combined—do not overmix!
- Step 7: Fold in Blueberries. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold the flour-coated blueberries into the batter until they are evenly distributed. Be careful not to crush the berries.
- Step 8: Bake to Perfection. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 50-60 minutes. The loaf is done when a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. If the top is browning too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil during the last 15 minutes.
- Step 9: Cool Completely. Let the loaf cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes before using the parchment handles to lift it out. Place it directly on the wire rack to cool completely. The cake must be fully cool before you add the glaze.
- Step 10: Glaze and Serve. While the loaf cools, whisk the sifted powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth. Adjust the consistency as needed—add more juice if it’s too thick, or more powdered sugar if it’s too thin. Drizzle the glaze over the completely cooled loaf, let it set for about 20 minutes, then slice and enjoy!
Baking Tips, Variations & Substitutions
Pro Tips for the Perfect Lemon Blueberry Loaf
- Room Temperature is Non-Negotiable: For a smooth, uniform batter, your butter, eggs, and milk MUST be at room temperature. This allows them to emulsify properly, trapping air in the batter which results in a fluffy, light, and tender final product. Cold ingredients can cause the batter to split or curdle.
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: This is the most common mistake in cake baking. Once you add the flour, mix on the lowest speed and only until the last streaks of flour disappear. Overmixing develops gluten, leading to a tough, dense, and rubbery loaf cake.
- Use Fresh Lemons: The vibrant, zesty flavor of this loaf comes from fresh lemons. Bottled lemon juice simply cannot replicate the bright, aromatic taste provided by fresh zest and juice. The zest contains essential oils that are key to that authentic citrus flavor.
- Frozen vs. Fresh Blueberries: Both work perfectly! If you use frozen blueberries, add them directly to the batter from the freezer. Do not thaw them first, as this will cause them to bleed color into the batter and can make them mushy.
Easy Variations You Can Try
- Citrus Swap: Swap the lemon for lime or orange zest and juice for a different citrus twist. An orange-cranberry version in the winter is also fantastic.
- Add a Streusel Topping: Before baking, sprinkle a simple streusel topping (flour, sugar, butter, and a pinch of cinnamon) over the batter for a delightful crunchy top.
- Berry Variations: Feel free to substitute blueberries with chopped strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries. A mix of berries also works well.
- Gluten-Free Version: You can make this recipe gluten-free by using a high-quality 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour blend that includes xanthan gum. No other modifications are needed.
How to Serve & Store Your Lemon Blueberry Loaf
This delightful loaf cake is perfect on its own, served with a hot cup of coffee or tea. To elevate it, serve a warm slice with a dollop of clotted cream, a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, or a smear of cream cheese. It’s a wonderful centerpiece for a brunch spread or a simple, elegant dessert for any occasion.
Storage: To keep your Lemon Blueberry Loaf fresh, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, it will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. For the best texture, allow refrigerated cake to come to room temperature before serving. If you love this recipe, you should try our classic moist banana bread next!
Freezing: This loaf freezes exceptionally well. For best results, freeze the unglazed loaf. Once completely cool, wrap it tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight at room temperature on the counter, then prepare and add the fresh glaze before serving.
Watch: How to Make It
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this Lemon Blueberry Loaf ahead of time?
Absolutely! This loaf is perfect for making ahead. You can bake the loaf a day in advance and store it, unglazed and well-wrapped, at room temperature. Simply add the fresh glaze a few hours before you plan to serve it.
Can I freeze this recipe?
Yes, this loaf freezes beautifully. Allow the loaf to cool completely, then wrap it securely in two layers of plastic wrap and a final layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight on the counter and glaze before serving for the best taste and texture.
My blueberries always sink. How do I stop this?
The key is to toss your blueberries in one tablespoon of flour before folding them into the batter. This light coating absorbs some of the fruit’s moisture and helps the berries grip the batter, suspending them throughout the loaf as it bakes.
Can I reduce the sugar?
While you can, remember that sugar provides more than just sweetness; it also contributes to the cake’s moisture and tender structure. We don’t recommend reducing the sugar in the cake batter by more than 1/4 cup (50g), as this could result in a drier, denser loaf. The glaze can be adjusted to your taste preference.
Can I substitute other ingredients?
You can substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend containing xanthan gum. For a dairy-free version, use a plant-based butter substitute and a neutral-flavored plant-based milk like almond or soy milk. For a different flavor profile, you could also substitute the blueberries for raspberries or chopped strawberries.
