Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Lemon and blueberry is one of my favourite cake flavours, and I love an easy loaf cake recipe too (or you might know them as pound cakes), so this Lemon & Blueberry Loaf Cake is a perfect bake! It's a light sponge flavoured with lemon zest and packed with juicy blueberries, and drizzled with a zingy lemon juice icing. It's a simple, yet impressive bake that is sure to go down well with any crowd!

This post may contain affiliate links. I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
I used a baking spread for the cake, but you can use unsalted butter too.
You will need a 2lb loaf tin for this recipe (you can test the size of your loaf tin by seeing how much water the tin can hold, 2lb will hold about 2 pints/1100ml of water). If you have a 1lb loaf tin, simply halve the ingredient amounts.
For easy lining of the tin, use a loaf cake tin liner.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Lemon & Blueberry Loaf Cake

To make the sponge, mix the butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Then whisk in eggs and milk.

Next whisk in the flour, then gently fold in the lemon zest. Put a layer of the cake batter, about 1cm thick into the base of the tin. This is to prevent the blueberries from sinking. Then mix the blueberries into the remaining cake batter and put the mixture into the lined loaf tin.

Bake for 1 hour, or until a thin skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool fully. To make the icing, mix the icing sugar and lemon juice together, then drizzle it all over the cake. If you like you can add some fresh blueberries and lemon zest to decorate.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How long does the loaf cake last for and can it be frozen?

The loaf cake will last for 3-4 days in an airtight container in a cool place. You can freeze the cake undecorated. To freeze it, wrap the cake well in cling film or put it in an airtight container. Or slice it up and freeze in slices with pieces of baking paper between each slice so they don't stick together.

Can you make this loaf cake with plain/all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 2 teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

Can this loaf cake be made gluten or dairy free?

Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 2 teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add ¼ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread and dairy free milk for the cake. Please check the labels of everything you use if serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

How do you stop the blueberries from sinking?

The blueberries in this cake will sink for one simple reason - gravity. It is hard to completely stop all of them from making a hasty retreat to the bottom of the cake, but there are a couple of things you can do to limit this! Firstly, try and pick blueberries on the smaller side to add to this cake. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Secondly, toss the blueberries in flour. Measure out the flour for this cake, then take a spoonful of it and mix it into the blueberries to coat them with flour. It's a little bit of an old wives tale as to whether this works or not, but I'd rather do it than not. Thirdly, before you add the blueberries to the cake batter, spread some cake batter into the base of the pan. You want it to be about 1cm deep. Then mix the blueberries into the remaining batter and add it to the tin. I've found this third tip the best way of preventing sinkage, but I like to do all three for maximum effect.

Can this cake be made into cupcakes or mini loaf cakes?

Yes, you can split the mixture into cupcake cases in a cupcake tin, or mini loaf cases in a mini loaf tin. I would recommend using two cupcake/mini loaf tins as this recipe will make around 16-18 cupcakes. Or you can halve this recipe to make less. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden, risen and a thin skewer or cocktail stick inserted in the centre of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.

More tips for making the Lemon & Blueberry Loaf Cake:

I've decorated the cake with a lemon icing, you could leave it plain or decorate with a lemon buttercream instead

Troubleshooting

My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

Recommended equipment & ingredients

I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!

More lemon and blueberry recipes...