Bursting with bright and citrusy lemon, this easy and delicious Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake has tangy blueberries in every bite, and is topped with a an irresistibly yummy lemon glaze. Enjoy this moist and flavourful cake/bread for breakfast, as a snack, or for dessert!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Baking is one of my favourite things to do to relax and wind down. I love filling up my home with the aroma of freshly baked treats and sharing them with my loved ones - and there's nothing easier and tastier than this irresistible Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake.
If you're new to baking - don't worry. This is great for beginner bakers. It comes together in minutes with just a bowl and spatula, so you don't need any fancy mixers. All you need is a loaf pan and an oven!
Ingredients
Please see recipe card below for exact quantities.
- Oat flour - I use this as a healthier alternative to regular all-purpose white flour. You can also use whole wheat flour, almond flour, or other flour of your choice.
- Baking powder and soda - to help provide leavening and fluffiness.
- Sugar - use regular white sugar, or opt to use your own choice of sweetener - honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar all make fine substitutes.
- Salt - just a pinch to help bring the flavours out.
- Lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon extract - to create our bold and rich lemon flavour.
- Avocado oil - I use this as my choice of healthy fat, as a healthier alternative to butter. You can also use coconut oil or olive oil.
- Eggs - you can also use a flax egg as a Vegan substitute. See notes below to learn how!
- Greek yogurt - to help boost the moisture and tenderness of the cake.
- Blueberries - a tangy and delicious twist on the classic lemon loaf. Fresh or frozen blueberries work great - or swap with cranberries!
- Vanilla extract - for a pop of yummy vanilla flavour.
- Powdered confectionary sugar - combined with lemon juice, this will create our yummy lemon glaze!
Instructions
STEP 1: Prep and combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
STEP 2: Add wet ingredients into bowl with dry ingredients, then stir into a smooth batter.
STEP 3: Combine blueberries and 1 tablespoon of flour in a separate bowl until berries are covered.
STEP 4: Add the blueberries to the mixture, and stir to fold the ingredients in.
STEP 5: Grease a loaf pan (9x5) with cooking spray, and line with a sheet of parchment paper for easy removal.
STEP 6: Pour batter into greased loaf pan. Sprinkle extra blueberries on top of batter if you wish (optional).
STEP 7: Bake in oven at 350F / 177C for 50-55 mins. All ovens are different, so cooking times may vary.
STEP 8: After it's done baking, pierce the center of the loaf with a toothpick to check for doneness. If it comes out clean it's ready, otherwise bake for an extra 5-10 minutes.
STEP 9: Remove cake from loaf pan, and let it cool down for 10-15 minutes.
STEP 10: While it's cooling down, prepare lemon glaze topping by mixing together confectionary sugar with 2 tablespoon of lemon juice until smooth and syrupy.
STEP 11: Drizzle lemon glaze on top of lemon loaf to cover, then let it cool down until the lemon glaze is hardened.
STEP 12: Cut into slices and enjoy!
Equipment
I really enjoy using my Breville Smart Oven for this recipe and all my baking projects. It heats up quickly, cooks evenly, and consistently produces perfectly baked results.
For this banana bread and other loaf cakes, I recommend a 9x5 loaf pan. This size fits perfectly in my Smart Oven and is ideal for this recipe.
Meal Prep and Storage
This Lemon Blueberry Loaf yields roughly 8 generous slices, making it perfect for prepping breakfast, snacks, and desserts in advance. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to keep them moist. It will last in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. For meal prep, I particularly like using Rubbermaid containers, as they come in various sizes and are great for storing loaf cake leftovers.
Toasty's Tips
Prevent blueberries from sinking - make sure to coat the blueberries with flour until they're well coated before mixing them in. This will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom during baking!
Opt for healthier choices - making lemon loaf (and loaf cakes in general) healthier is easy with your choice of flour (oat flour instead of white flour), fats (coconut oil instead of butter), and sugar (honey or maple syrup instead of white sugar).
Add-ins and toppings - customize your loaf cake with your favourite mix-ins to enhance both flavour and nutrition - I've used blueberries, but you can feel free to mix it up with poppyseed, crushed almonds or walnuts, cranberries, or coconut flakes. Feel free to experiment beyond the blueberries I've used!
Substitute for egg - for a vegan option, replace the eggs with flax eggs. To make a flax egg, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water (double it to replace the 2 eggs for this recipe). Let it sit for a few minutes until it thickens.
Add protein powder - boost the protein content by adding a scoop of protein powder to the batter. I prefer unsweetened, unflavoured protein powder to not interfere with the flavours of the recipe.
Adjust sweetness - tailor the sweetness to your liking by adjusting the amount of sugar (or your choice of sweetener) used in the recipe. This allows you to achieve just the right level of sweetness to suit your preferences.
FAQ
My blueberries sunk to the bottom after baking. What did I do wrong?
No worries! Next time, make sure to coat the 1 cup of blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour in a bowl until they're well coated before mixing them in. This will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom during baking!
My loaf cake seems undercooked. What do I do?
To ensure your loaf cake is baked through, follow these steps:
- Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf.
- If it comes out clean, without any batter sticking, your cake is ready to eat.
- If there’s batter on the toothpick, continue baking for another 5-10 minutes.
- Check again with the toothpick to confirm doneness.
I'm vegan. Can I use something other than an egg?
Absolutely! A "flax egg" is an excellent vegan substitute for traditional eggs. Here's how to make one:
- In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. You’ll need to double this to replace the 2 eggs in the banana bread recipe.
- Stir well and let the mixture sit until it thickens.
This flax egg mixture works as a replacement for one large egg in baking recipes, helping to bind ingredients and add moisture, just like a regular egg. It's a versatile option for vegan baking!
Other Recipes to Try
Looking for other delicious and healthy baked recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Lemon Blueberry Loaf
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1.5 cups oat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest - grated from 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon lemon extract
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 3 eggs - whisked
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix-Ins
- 1 cup blueberries - fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon oat flour
Lemon glaze
- 1 cup confectionary sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Prep and combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Add wet ingredients into bowl with dry ingredients, then stir into a smooth batter.
- Combine blueberries and 1 tablespoon of flour in a separate bowl until berries are covered.
- Add the blueberries to the mixture, and stir to fold the ingredients in.
- Grease a loaf pan (9x5) with cooking spray, and line with a sheet of parchment paper for easy removal.
- Pour batter into greased loaf pan. Sprinkle extra blueberries on top of batter if you wish (optional).
- Bake in oven at 350F / 177C for 50-55 mins. All ovens are different, so cooking times may vary.
- After it's done baking, pierce the center of the loaf with a toothpick to check for doneness. If it comes out clean it's ready, otherwise bake for an extra 5-10 minutes.
- Remove cake from loaf pan, and let it cool down for 10-15 minutes.
- While it's cooling down, prepare lemon glaze topping by mixing together confectionary sugar with 2 tablespoon of lemon juice until smooth and syrupy.
- Drizzle lemon glaze on top of lemon loaf to cover, then let it cool down until the lemon glaze is hardened.
- Cut into slices and enjoy!
Notes
- Watch the step-by-step video tutorial here.
- Prevent blueberries from sinking - make sure to cover blueberries with flour until they're well coated before mixing them in. This will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom during baking!
- Opt for healthier choices - making lemon loaf (and loaf cakes in general) healthier is easy with your choice of flour (oat flour instead of white flour), fats (coconut oil instead of butter), and sugar (honey or maple syrup instead of white sugar).
- Add-ins and toppings - customize your loaf cake with your favourite mix-ins to enhance both flavour and nutrition - I've used blueberries, but you can feel free to mix it up with poppyseed, crushed almonds or walnuts, cranberries, or coconut flakes. Feel free to experiment beyond the blueberries I've used!
- Substitute for egg - for a vegan option, replace the eggs with flax eggs. To make a flax egg, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water (double it to replace the 2 eggs for this recipe). Let it sit for a few minutes until it thickens.
- Add protein powder - boost the protein content by adding a scoop of protein powder to the batter. I prefer unsweetened, unflavoured protein powder to not interfere with the flavours of the recipe.
- Adjust sweetness - tailor the sweetness to your liking by adjusting the amount of sugar (or your choice of sweetener) used in the recipe. This allows you to achieve just the right level of sweetness to suit your preferences.
STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO
You can find step-by-step video tutorials for all of my recipes on my YouTube Channel. There you'll find many more tips and tricks to help you along!
Nutrition
Note: Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
rob says
Hi there! If I decided to add unflavored protein powder do I need to adjust any flours or any liquids in the original recipe?
Toasty says
Hey there! It depends on how much protein powder you decide to add, and may require a bit of experimentation. I'd say if you're adding a scoop or so it should be okay without extra liquid. But if you find it too try you can certainly adjust with a splash of milk, yogurt or oil.