Irresistibly Moist Lemon Loaf Cake with Vibrant Blueberry Glaze: Your Ultimate Summer Baking Recipe

Get ready to embrace the flavors of summer with this truly exceptional Lemon Loaf Cake with Blueberry Glaze. Imagine a perfectly tender and incredibly moist lemon-infused cake, crowned with a shimmering, naturally purple glaze made from sweet, ripe blueberries. This isn’t just a dessert; it’s a celebration of two quintessential summer ingredients – zesty lemons and juicy blueberries – coming together in a harmonious blend that will captivate your senses.

As the days grow longer and the sunshine beckons, my cravings for fresh, vibrant flavors intensify. That’s where this lemon blueberry loaf cake steps in, delivering a burst of tart lemon flavor perfectly balanced by the sweet, rich notes of a homemade blueberry glaze. This recipe isn’t just about taste; it’s an experience. The stunning blueberry glaze, with its almost mirror-like finish and gorgeous purple hue, transforms a simple loaf cake into a showstopper. It’s the kind of dessert that makes heads turn at any gathering, from a casual Memorial Day barbecue to an elegant brunch. Prepare yourself for compliments – this cake is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!

So, clear your counter space, gather those luscious blueberries, and fire up your stand mixer. It’s time to whip up this summer-ready lemon loaf cake with its unforgettable blueberry glaze. This recipe promises not only an explosion of flavor but also a visually stunning treat that’s surprisingly simple to create.

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Why You’ll Fall in Love with This Lemon Loaf Cake with Blueberry Glaze

1. Aesthetically Pleasing: I truly can’t emphasize this enough – the blueberry glaze is a visual masterpiece. Its vibrant, almost jewel-toned purple hue, coupled with its glossy finish, makes this loaf cake stand out from any other. If you’re looking for a dessert that tastes incredible and looks like it came straight from a gourmet bakery, this glaze alone is reason enough to bake this cake. It’s truly Instagram-worthy!
2. The Perfect Flavor Balance: This recipe achieves an exquisite equilibrium between flavors. The bright, tangy notes of fresh lemon in the cake are beautifully complemented by the natural sweetness and slight tartness of the blueberries in the glaze. They don’t just coexist; they enhance each other, creating a complex and satisfying taste profile that’s neither too sweet nor too sour – it’s simply perfect.
3. Surprisingly Easy-to-Make: Despite its impressive appearance and gourmet taste, this lemon loaf cake is incredibly straightforward to prepare. While many recipes might stick to a basic lemon glaze, I love to elevate things. This recipe keeps the process simple while delivering a showstopping result, making it accessible for bakers of all skill levels.
4. Unbeatable Texture: Thanks to the inclusion of sour cream in the batter and the rich blueberry glaze drizzled over the top, this cake boasts an unbelievably moist and tender crumb. Each bite melts in your mouth, offering a delightful contrast between the soft cake and the slightly firm, flavorful glaze. It’s a textural dream!
5. Wonderful Extra Blueberry Glaze: One of the best perks of this recipe is the option to easily double the glaze. If you do, you’ll have extra on hand for other treats! I often store leftover glaze in a squeeze bottle in the fridge and use it to elevate plain Greek yogurt, pancakes, or even ice cream for a quick, delicious, and fun treat. It’s a versatile bonus you’ll love!

Key Ingredients for Your Delicious Lemon Loaf Cake

This section highlights some of the star ingredients that make this loaf cake truly special. For a comprehensive list of all wet and dry ingredients, along with precise measurements, please refer to the detailed recipe card conveniently located at the bottom of this page!

• Full-Fat Sour Cream: This is a game-changer for moisture and texture. Opting for full-fat sour cream (or even full-fat Greek yogurt as an alternative) will lend an incredibly tender, rich, and thick crumb to your loaf cake, ensuring every slice is wonderfully soft and decadent.
• All-Purpose Flour: The backbone of our cake’s structure. While cake flour can be used if you’re in a pinch and prefer a slightly finer crumb, all-purpose flour is typically what I recommend and always keep stocked for consistent, reliable baking results in recipes like this.
• Fresh Blueberries: The heart of our glaze and a delightful inclusion in the cake. While frozen blueberries can certainly be used (and are often a good substitute when fresh aren’t available), for the most vibrant flavor and texture, I always suggest using fresh blueberries for both the cake batter and, especially, for that stunning glaze. They burst with natural sweetness!
• Lemon Extract, Zest, and Juice: To achieve that unmistakable, bright, and intensely summery lemon flavor, we employ a triple threat! Lemon extract provides a concentrated citrus punch, while plenty of fresh lemon zest infuses the sugar with aromatic oils, and fresh lemon juice is essential for activating the flavors in our blueberry glaze. This combination ensures a truly lemony sensation.

Step-by-Step Guide for Lemon Loaf Cake with Blueberry Glaze

Ready to bake this incredible loaf cake? Here’s a concise, summarized overview of the steps involved. For a complete, detailed recipe card with exact measurements for all ingredients and full instructions, please scroll down to the bottom of the page!

• Preparation: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease and flour (or use cooking spray) a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, ensuring it’s ready for your batter.
• Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together your all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. This ensures even distribution of leavening agents.
• Cream Wet Ingredients: In the bowl of your stand mixer, rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar with your fingertips until it’s fragrant and the sugar is infused with lemon oils. Add the room temperature unsalted butter and beat until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color.
• Incorporate Eggs and Extract: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated. Finish by mixing in the lemon extract for an extra burst of citrus flavor.
• Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add half of your whisked flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by the buttermilk and sour cream. Mix on low speed until just combined. Then, add the remaining flour mixture and continue mixing on low until the batter is smooth with only a few streaks of flour visible. Avoid overmixing.
• Fold in Blueberries: In a small bowl, gently toss your fresh blueberries with a tablespoon or two of flour. This crucial step helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake during baking. Carefully fold the floured blueberries into the batter using a spatula.
• Bake: Pour the prepared cake batter into your loaf pan. Bake for approximately 50-55 minutes, or until the top is beautifully golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. If it browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil.
• Cool the Cake: Allow the freshly baked cake to cool in its pan for about 10-15 minutes. This gives it time to set before you carefully transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Prepare the Glaze: While your cake cools, combine blueberries, fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries burst and release their juices (about 5-7 minutes). Strain this vibrant mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing the solids to extract all the flavorful liquid.
• Glaze the Cake: Once the cake is completely cool, whisk the powdered sugar into your strained blueberry liquid until smooth and free of lumps. Drizzle this gorgeous, naturally purple glaze generously over the top of the cooled loaf cake. Let the glaze set for a bit before slicing and serving your masterpiece.

Expert Tips for Making the Perfect Lemon Loaf Cake with Blueberry Glaze

Achieving baking perfection is all about the details! Here are some invaluable tips to ensure your Lemon Loaf Cake turns out flawlessly every time. For the complete recipe with ingredient quantities and instructions, please consult the recipe card below.

• Always Use Room Temperature Ingredients: This is a golden rule in baking! Ensure your butter, eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream are all at room temperature before you start. This allows them to emulsify properly, creating a smooth, uniform batter that bakes evenly and results in a lighter, more tender cake.
• Zest Like a Pro: When zesting your lemons, be meticulous. Only remove the bright yellow part of the skin, avoiding the white pith underneath. The pith is bitter and can impart an undesirable flavor to your cake. A microplane zester is perfect for this task.
• Infuse the Sugar with Lemon: Don’t skip this step! Taking a moment to really rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar with your fingertips before adding the butter will release the lemon’s essential oils, deeply infusing the sugar with intense citrus flavor and aroma.
• Measure Flour Correctly (Spoon & Level): Accuracy in flour measurement is crucial for cake texture. Instead of scooping flour directly with your measuring cup (which can compact it), spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level it off with the back of a knife or a straight edge. This prevents adding too much flour, which can lead to a dry, dense cake.
• Do Not Overmix the Batter: Once you’ve added the flour, mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined and a few streaks of flour remain. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, resulting in a tough, chewy cake rather than a tender one.
• Prevent Blueberries from Sinking: A common baking dilemma! To ensure your blueberries are evenly distributed throughout the cake (and don’t all sink to the bottom), toss them lightly in a tablespoon or two of flour before folding them into the batter. The flour coating helps them suspend in the batter.
• The Toothpick Test is Your Best Friend: Always use a wooden toothpick or a dedicated cake tester to check for doneness. Insert it into the very center of the loaf cake; if it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached, your cake is perfectly baked. If there’s wet batter, give it a few more minutes.
• Allow Initial Cooling in the Pan: Resist the urge to immediately flip your cake out of the pan. Letting it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes allows the cake to firm up slightly, preventing it from crumbling or breaking when you transfer it to a wire rack for complete cooling.
• Cool Completely Before Glazing: Patience is key for a beautiful glaze! Make absolutely sure your loaf cake is entirely cool before you drizzle the blueberry glaze over it. If the cake is still warm, the glaze will simply melt and run off, creating a messy rather than a glossy finish.

Essential Kitchen Tools for Baking Success

Having the right tools can make all the difference in your baking experience. Here’s a list of kitchen essentials that will help you effortlessly create this delicious Lemon Loaf Cake with Blueberry Glaze:

• 9 x 5 inch Loaf Pan: The perfect size for this recipe, ensuring a beautifully shaped loaf.
• Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer: Essential for creaming butter and sugar and efficiently mixing the cake batter to the right consistency.
• Mixing Bowls:You’ll need a few various sizes for separating and combining your wet and dry ingredients.
• Whisk: Ideal for thoroughly whisking together the dry ingredients to prevent lumps.
• Spatula or Wooden Spoon: Perfect for gently folding in blueberries and scraping down the sides of your mixing bowl.
• Zester or Microplane: Indispensable for capturing that fragrant lemon zest without the bitter pith.
• Measuring Cups and Spoons: Accuracy is paramount in baking, so good quality measuring tools are a must.
• Toothpick or Cake Tester: Your simple yet reliable tool for checking if the cake is cooked through.
• Cooling Rack: Allows air to circulate around the cake, ensuring it cools evenly and prevents a soggy bottom.
• Small Saucepan: Perfect for simmering the blueberries and creating that luscious glaze.
• Fine-Mesh Sieve: Essential for straining the blueberry mixture to create a smooth, lump-free glaze.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lemon Loaf Cake with Blueberry Glaze

Storing and Freezing Your Lemon Loaf Cake

To keep your Lemon Loaf Cake with Blueberry Glaze tasting fresh, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For a longer shelf life, you can refrigerate it for up to a week. If you’re planning ahead, this cake also freezes beautifully! Wrap the cooled cake (without the glaze, as it might become watery upon thawing) securely in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw it at room temperature and prepare and add the fresh blueberry glaze just before serving for the best results.

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Recipe

Lemon Loaf Cake With Blueberry Glaze

By Molly Murphy

This delightful lemon blueberry loaf cake features an incredibly tender and moist crumb, crowned with a vibrant and simple glaze made from sweet, fresh blueberries. It’s the perfect balance of tart and sweet for any occasion.

Print Recipe
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Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Ingredients

FOR THE LOAF CAKE

• ¾ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest (reserve the juice for the blueberry glaze)
• 4 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup buttermilk (room temperature)
• ¼ cup sour cream (room temperature, or full-fat Greek yogurt)
• 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries (tossed in 2 tablespoons of flour)

FOR THE BLUEBERRY GLAZE

• ½ cup fresh blueberries
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

For the Loaf Cake:

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray (or grease and flour). Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your hands until the sugar is fragrant and lemon oils are released. Add the room temperature unsalted butter and cream together with the sugar and lemon zest until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale, which usually takes about 2 minutes.
• With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once the eggs are fully incorporated, add the lemon extract and mix until just combined.
• Add half of the dry flour mixture to the wet butter mixture, along with all of the buttermilk and sour cream. Mix on low speed until a few streaks of flour remain. Then, add the rest of the flour mixture and continue mixing on low speed until the batter is smooth and creamy, again with just a few streaks of flour left. Be careful not to overmix.
• In a separate small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. This helps prevent them from sinking. Gently fold the floured blueberries into the cake batter using a spatula or wooden spoon, ensuring they are evenly distributed without overmixing.
• Transfer the prepared batter evenly into the greased loaf pan.
• Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs remaining. If you notice the cake browning too quickly on top, you can loosely tent it with a piece of aluminum foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking.
• Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. This crucial step helps the cake set and prevents it from breaking when you remove it. After 10-15 minutes, carefully invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Blueberry Glaze:

• While the loaf cake is cooling, prepare the vibrant blueberry glaze. In a small saucepan, combine the ½ cup of blueberries, the juice of 1 lemon, and a tiny pinch of kosher salt.
• Cook this mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries burst and release their beautiful juices, creating a thick, syrupy consistency. This usually takes about 5-7 minutes.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat. Carefully strain the blueberry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium-sized bowl, using the back of a spoon to press on the solids and extract as much liquid and flavor as possible. Discard the solids.
• Gradually whisk the powdered sugar into the strained blueberry liquid until the glaze is smooth, glossy, and lump-free. Add more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze or a tiny bit more lemon juice for a thinner consistency, if desired.
• Once the loaf cake has completely cooled (this is very important!), generously drizzle the vibrant blueberry glaze over the entire top of the cake. Let it cascade down the sides for a beautiful presentation.
• Allow the glaze to set for at least 15-20 minutes at room temperature before slicing into your delicious Lemon Loaf Cake and serving. Enjoy!

Keyword lemon loaf, blueberry glaze, loaf cake, lemon blueberry, easy dessert, moist cake, summer baking

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