With Mother’s Day coming up in a few days I wanted to share a recipe that would be perfect for your brunch table on Sunday. I found this recipe on Pinterest and like all things from that crazily-addicting website, it was all based on looks – specifically the evenly spaced blueberries and beautiful yellow color in the photo. Sweet Pea’s Kitchen did a fantastic job making this bread look amazing, so I pinned it, printed the recipe, and pulled it out of my oven not too long after. Turns out Pinterest is good for a lot more than just wasting time – this bread was delicious! Okay, maybe it’s more “cake” than bread, but with all the lemon and blueberries, you could probably convince yourself that it’s an appropriate dish to eat before noon, especially in celebration of Mom!
Sometimes I get nervous baking loaves because they can get dried out easily, but this recipe yielded an insanely moist cake with great lemon flavor thanks to the lemon syrup bath after the cake is baked. I loved the lemon flavor in this and blueberries are always a great addition to anything lemon flavored. It’s a light and bright flavor combination perfect for this time of year. Between this bread and the Sunflower Cupcakes from 2 weeks ago, can you tell I’m ready for warmer weather?? I’ve been in Boston for the week spending time at the children’s hospital dental program but unfortunately the sun hasn’t been out very much since I’ve been here. I’m still enjoying the city and pretending to be a real city-slicker commuting on public transportation and all, but I’m definitely looking forward to the sunnier weather predicted for the weekend and some time with my Mom back in CT.
Hope you enjoy the recipe and find it as pin-worthy as I did. And if you’re not already following me on Pinterest, please come on over to my boards to see what other goodies I’m eyeing! Happy Mother’s Day!
Print Recipe
Save RecipeLemon Blueberry Bread
Ingredients:
for the bread
1-1/2 cups + 1 tbsp all purpose flour, divided
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
for the lemon syrup
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
for the lemon glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x5" loaf pan, dust with flour, and tap out excess.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla, and oil.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. In a separate bowl mix the blueberries with the 1 tbsp of flour and then gently fold them into the mixed batter.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake 50-55 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.
Let bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the loaf is cooling, combine the lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until sugar is dissolved, and then continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf and brush with the lemon syrup. Continue to brush the loaf until all of the syrup is added.
To make the lemon glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice and pour over the top of the loaf. Let the lemon glaze harden before serving.
Oh my, that looks super good. I kind of want to bite into my computer screen right now. :)
This looks delicious! Blueberry and lemon is one of my all-time favorite combinations. I’ve been looking for a good blueberry-lemon loaf recipe for awhile, so I will definitely be trying this one out!
I always used to think blueberry and lemon was such a weird combo but after seeing your amazing drool worthy pictures I’m not desperate to give this a go, it looks so delicious! I love your matching purple serviette in the top picture! great styling!
This looks divine!
gorgeous cake and even moreso that i love the flavors in this! blueberry and lemon is definitely a great spring treat!
I have probably bookmarked every lemon blueberry bread I have come across but this one looks too good to continue putting it off.
oh yum! I’m loving the glaze on top too!
I love lemon and blueberry together, this looks wonderful!
Mal @ The Chic Geek
I was just looking for a lemon blueberry recipe! Cannot wait to try it!
Oh my deliciousness! I love lemons and blueberries together. This sounds amazing, especially with the glaze on top!
I adore lemon bread and the addition of blueberries seems perfect for spring…and a mother’s day brunch.
I am making it right now. Delicious!! Thank you.
One change is I leave sugar out of everything and use organic Aguava nector. Its natural, organic and taste better then sugar. It also does not affect blood sugar levels or your liver like sugar! Try it its a delicious taste in this bread.
Looks incredibly yummy!
I’ve made this several times and it will never cease to please…I hardly care for lemon flavoring in my desserts, but this made me a believer :)
making this now, and it’s taking an extra long time to bake :( smells amazing, tho!
Thank you for sharing this super yummy recipe. I made a loaf two days ago, and now I’m onto my second loaf to take to a BBQ tonight. LOVE it! My two year old can’t get enough!
I made this and it is absolutely delicious. The only problem I had is that the blueberries all settled at the bottom, what can I do to suspend them throughout the loaf? Perhaps thicken up the batter with more flour? Thank you for sharing such a yummy treat!
Anonymous — July 25th, 2012 @ 10:52 pm
I always wait and sprinkle the blueberries ontop after I put the batter in the pans. Sometimes this causes a reverse affect and all your blueberries are towards the top, but usually they are evenly dispersed and sink a little during baking, but anyway I’d prefer them towards the top if I had a choice.
It’s best to roll the blueberries in a bit of flour before mixing them so they don’t sink as much. Hope that helps!
can you substitute yogurt as sour cream?
Thank you for sharing this. I made is yesterday and it was out of this world. It was very moist and was not over powering with lemon.
I made this recipe and the bread was very moist and good consistency but the lemon was very overpowering of the blueberries. The second time I made it I made a few modifications. First I omitted the lemon zest in the batter. Second I kept the lemon simple syrup as directed then I omitted the lemon in the glaze. The flavors really balanced out quite nicely neither one overpowering the other.
Just made this and couldn’t wait for it to cool completely – already put the icing on and eating it and it is AWESOME! I used lemon yogurt and a little vanilla. YUMMAY!
Amazing!!!! Delish!
I made this a couple days ago and it is absolutely delicious! A definate keeper recipe. Thanks for sharing it!
Made this tonight. Very tasty, although I would make a few modifications the next time around. The lemon syrup made the bread a bit too moist, so I would just use less of it next time. And, as someone commented above, I think I would omit the zest in the batter, as the lemon flavor is quite strong throughout. Maybe if I just omit the lemon syrup altogether that would take care of both issues, but then maybe it will be missing something. Also, a tip…wait until the bread is cooled completely before adding the powdered sugar glaze. Mine was still warm and the glaze melted right into the bread.
has anyone had any problems with getting the bread to bake in the middle? mine has been in the oven for 55 minutes and is goopy in the middle but browning on top and on the sides…. i turned the temp down and am baking longer. any ideas on what i could have done wrong??
Jess Joseph — August 15th, 2012 @ 5:06 am
I had the same problem & I continued baking it until it was just set in the middle. The texture of the cake still turned out fine & it was still moist inside.
Anonymous — August 23rd, 2012 @ 5:02 am
maybe your bottom oven element needs replacing
This comment has been removed by the author.
Made this today, took about an hour and a half to cook! Followed the directions, waiting 10 min to take out of pan and it stuck and cracked, and the bottom was still wet! I know it tastes good, but what did i do wrong? Supposed to bring to a BBQ tonight!I used a cooking spray to grease the pan then floured it. Could this have caused it to stick?
Erica — July 30th, 2012 @ 12:32 pm
Are you sure your oven was actually at 350 degrees? I’ve realized recently that my oven’s internal thermometer is off, and I invested in an oven thermometer that made me realize my oven wasn’t as hot as I thought. I normally just use cooking spray and flour, so I’m not sure what your problem was. I’m sorry it didn’t work out!
Just made this and it is delicious!!! Like a few others said I will also leave out the lemon zest as the lemon is kinda overpowering…but overall really good and moist!
delicious! I modified slightly, as others may have by omitting the lemon syrup and cooked for only 40 minutes…turned out delicious! :)
How many days does this last? Looking for a recipe that can be made ahead for a family trip this week…
Erica — August 13th, 2012 @ 5:09 pm
Because it’s so moist, I would say it should be good for at least 2-3 days! Good luck, enjoy :)
I just made this & it’s delicious & moist. Will definitely try again. I might omit the lemon in the glaze as suggested by other reviewers.
Do you think the loaf can be frozen?
Erica — August 13th, 2012 @ 5:10 pm
Sorry, I don’t know much about freezing loaves like this, but let me know if you try it!
Do you know of any modifications if I made mini loaves? What would the baking time be? Thanks in advance. I plan on making this tomorrow.
Erica — August 20th, 2012 @ 12:38 pm
I’m not sure about the baking time exactly, I know it would be less time, but I’m not sure exactly what to tell you. Just keep your eyes on it and keep checking periodically!
Jen Merrick — August 21st, 2012 @ 12:41 pm
Thank you. Making this today. I am going to make two smaller loaves and will post what time I used. I am excited to try it!
i don’t know how to bake but i really want to try! I’ve done a few things before and my husband is the only one eating my “experiments” (I guess it’s pure love :)
Can I try this recipe without an electric whisk?
thanks!
lauchuva
Erica — August 29th, 2012 @ 1:54 am
Yes, I think you’d be fine with enough elbow grease :)
I made this cake..but mine came out very dense. Do you know why this could be? Thanks!
- Alejandra
Erica — September 10th, 2012 @ 1:31 pm
Is it possible you left it in the oven too long? Or possibly you overmixed the batter once the flour was added. It’s best to just gently fold the batter after the flour is added or sometimes the cake can be too dense. I hope this helps!
So, is this in American or English cup sizes? Looks great!
Erica — October 18th, 2012 @ 5:43 pm
American! Enjoy :)
This recipe was absolutely out of this world. Lemon and blueberries, ya just can’t beat this combination.
Hi Erica! I tried this recipe last week, and it was cooking beautifully, but needed a little more time [I waited 5 extra minutes] to bake thoroughly thru. This ended up making the the edges of the bread too dry and hard and not as moist and lovely as your picture… I’m sure my oven is not the best at evenly distributing heat, but do you think that if I had maybe taken it out even with the middle a bit damp it would have baked more just from the internal heat? I want to try it again, but hope for it to be moist :)
Also, how completely cooled was your loaf before applying your glaze? Mine did not stiffen up like yours…
thanks for any help!
Erica — October 31st, 2012 @ 4:07 pm
Hey Jena – thanks for trying the recipe! It may have something to do with your oven, but I bet if the middle was left a bit damp it would have still been okay. It’s meant to be a very moist cake. I don’t think the loaf cooled very much before applying the glaze – maybe try adding more powdered sugar to the glaze next time so it’s thicker! Good luck :)
This was simply delicious! My husband says it tasted like it came from a bakery. My own opinion is that would use fresh blueberries next time, not frozen. The frozen berries seemed a little mushy.
I just made this, smells soooooo good, my boyfriend is drooling over it! i did skip the syrup and lemon glaze and went with a regular vanilla glaze (3 cups powdered suger, .5 teaspoon vanilla, .5 teaspoon salt, .5 cup cold water), Ive made lemon cupcakes with lemon glaze before and did think the lemony-ness was a little too strong, im hoping the lack of lemon in the glaze will still make for an awesome bread!!!
If I want to freeze this bread, should I wait to put on the glaze? Or freeze it with the glaze? Thanks!
Erica — January 6th, 2013 @ 10:44 pm
I think it’s best to put on the glaze when the bread is warm, it tends to absorb more that way. But I’m not sure how the glaze would freeze. I would recommend freezing it without the glaze, warming it up a bit before serving, and then putting on the glaze. I hope that works, good luck!
I made this yesterday – I found the recipie on Pinterest! My husband loved it and so did I. He actually cut into it first. It’s tasty! I didn’t change your recipie at all.
I’m in the process of making this right now ! I can’t wait to taste it. i just put the lemon syprup on the cake and had a question. It says to just wisk the glaze together. Does the glaze not need any heating and do I just add it on at room temperature ?
Erica — January 17th, 2013 @ 12:28 pm
Nope, it doesn’t need any heating! Hope it came out great :)
Has anyone tried this without the lemon syrup? It looks fabulous as is, but I am trying to cut out some of the sugar. My toddler loves muffins and breakfast treats, but I try to limit the sugar. Maybe I will try agave nectar as someone else mentioned.
Mmm! This looks delicious! Over the weekend, I made a similar version – but without blueberries because they’re not in season right now. :( It was DELICIOUS, moist, and tangy nonetheless.
Thanks for this delicious recipe! It was a hit at my house!
Just on the off-chance that someone is handy right now… I’m in the middle of making it and I ran out of fresh lemon juice. I have enough for the syrup, but not the glaze. I know a number of people have suggested switching to a vanilla glaze, but my husband *loves* lemon, so I’d like to make the glaze. Can I make the glaze with lemon juice from a jar? I have some of that handy… Otherwise, I probably will go with the vanilla glaze.
Erica — February 14th, 2013 @ 9:26 pm
I think using lemon juice from a jar will be fine for the glaze. If your husband loves lemon, I say go for it! Good luck :)
Can you substitute sour cream for the yogurt? I know it might change the flavor… I have all the ingredients except yogurt! :)
Erica — February 18th, 2013 @ 7:21 pm
Hmm I can’t really say from experience, but I think that would still work! In fact, it might just be amazing :) Let me know how it turned out!
I’ve made this a few times now, substituting the sugar for splenda, and it worked beautifully. I did have to use a cream cheese glaze instead of the one listed, since we had no powdered sugar, but it still tasted amazing. Definitely a favorite recipe.
Olá Erica, gostaria de falar que fiz esta receita e minha familia, gostou muito, ela é fácil e gostosa, eu não tinha limão então coloquei raspas de laranja e ficou muito bom, direto do Sul do Brasil, nota máxima para esta receita.
Andressa
Baking this loaf right now…the batter tasted amazing, but the cake is taking a super long time to cook through, the middle is still batter after an hour and 20 mins. The edges are starting to get quite brown but the middle is gooey. Dont know what to do!
Erica — April 11th, 2013 @ 12:15 pm
I’m sorry your baking time didn’t turn out very well! Maybe next time if you run into the same problem, try tenting the cake with some tinfoil if it starts to brown so that it can bake more without burning. Good luck, hope it was still tasty!
This bread is so delicious! It tastes just like summer. I will make this again and again and again. Thank you!!!! :)
Loved this! Hubby requested Raspberries instead of Blueberries and it was such a fabulous sub! Skipped the syrup and added the glaze – instead of just lemon I added 2 1/2 tbs of Vanilla and 1 tbs of lemon juice, chopped up walnuts and some chocolate chips very finely and the glaze set the loaf off just perfect.
Has anyone tried this with gluten free flour?
For frozen blueberries, do you let them that or just leave them frozen?
Erica — May 6th, 2013 @ 12:02 pm
Thawed!
*thaw
I cannot describe how insanely tempting and moist this looks! Exactly my kinda cake! And for some reason, I think of lemon cake as summer-like, and with the addition of berries, it´s really a summer-thing! I´ll be making this very soon! :)
Hi
I was so excited to try this recipe after such great reviews however my cake sunk right after it cake out of the oven n was really dense. i m a regular baker n usually my baked goods come out good. i dont know what i did wrong :(
Made 2 loaves for a memorial, and people loved it! I just took another loaf out of the oven for my family! Can’t wait to dig into it. It does take a little time to make, although all the steps are very easy, it’s a fantastic return for your time investment…