Lemon Blueberry Loaf

This lemon blueberry loaf is bursting with fresh flavor. The lemon loaf batter is so incredibly moist and tender and whips up in a flash. It's dotted with deliciously juicy blueberries and topped with a sweet lemon icing for a loaf that rivals a bakery!

lemon blueberry quick bread

A lot of the beauty in a quick bread is the fact that it's ... well, quick! The only time consuming part is waiting for it to bake and cool - but the actual work involved in making this bread is very minimal.

This loaf is whipped up a lot like a muffin batter: whisk together wet and dry ingredients separately - then combine. It uses all oil for the batter, which not only saves time (because there's no need to bring any ingredients up to room temperature), but it also creates an unbelievably moist and spongy loaf that keeps for days!

Since we're using all oil, I also decided to use a mix of milk and sour cream in the batter to bring back some richness that we lost since we’re not including butter. The sour cream also helps make the loaf a little extra tangy and extra tender.

This recipe originally used cake flour, but I've switched it to a mix of all-purpose flour and cornstarch just because they're more common household ingredients. By doing this, we're essentially making our own homemade blend of cake flour. The cornstarch creates a softer loaf thanks to its lighter texture and high absorption!

how to make lemon blueberry loaf

I wanted this loaf to be as easy to make as possible - and that involved avoiding the need for bringing any ingredients up to room temperature. I also wanted it to be a drop everything into a bowl and mix kind of recipe. So to achieve both of those goals, we're using an oil based batter.

To start the batter, the dry ingredients are all whisked together in a bowl then set aside. Next, use your fingers to rub together sugar and lemon zest in a separate bowl.

This is an additional step - and it's technically optional but highly recommended! The friction from the sugar bruising the zest will help release more of its natural citrus oil and will intensify the lemon flavor! Once that's done, all the remaining wet ingredients are whisked into the lemon/sugar mixture to combine.

Now it's time to take a little pause before combining the wet and dry ingredients to prep the blueberries. In a separate bowl, toss the blueberries in flour so they're fully coated.

Back to the batter: now the dry ingredients and wet ingredients are combined and mixed together. The batter should almost be combined but should still have a few streaks of dry ingredients - we'll work those out in a second.

Finally, add in the floured blueberries and fold together until you no longer see any dry pockets. The batter will be a little lumpy.

Once the batter is ready, it's time to pour it into your loaf pan and bake.

blueberries

This may seem insignificant, but when you toss the blueberries in flour can actually make a difference. This recipe calls for whisking the wet and dry ingredients for the batter separately and then moving over to work on the blueberries before finishing up the batter.

The blueberries shouldn't be tossed in flour too early on because the flour can become goopy as it sits. We’re just looking for a dry, snowy coverage on the blueberries.

You also shouldn't fully complete the batter and then work on the blueberries because the baking powder will start working and forming bubbles once the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Baking powder is double acting, meaning it gets to work creating bubbles twice: first when it hits the wet ingredients and again when it's heated.

If you finish the batter and then start working on the blueberries, the baking powder will start working creating bubbles in the batter. When you try to then fold in the blueberries, you'll deflate those bubbles and reduce the effectiveness of the baking powder's first reaction.

tips for making lemon blueberry loaf

1. Measure flour accurately: One of the keys to a moist and tender loaf is measuring the flour accurately. The best way to measure is to use a food scale if you have one handy. But if you do prefer to use cups, don't scoop the measuring cup directly into your bag of flour. This can pack in the flour and you could end up with more weight in the batter as a result. Instead, use a spoon to scoop flour into your cup and then level off any excess with a flat utensil.

2. Fresh lemon, fresh blueberries: When it comes to the lemon juice, avoid those prepackaged bottles of juice. They just don't compare in terms of acidity and flavor. For the blueberries, I also recommend using fresh over frozen. Frozen blueberries can bleed into the batter and will also require a longer bake time, which can impact the rise of your loaf.

3. Tossing blueberries in flour: Before folding the blueberries into the batter, we first toss them in some flour to coat. If you try to throw in plain blueberries, they'll sink to the bottom of the loaf. Coating them in flour beforehand helps suspend them in the batter and gives you a more even distribution in the loaf.

4. Lumpy batter: Just like with pancakes, small clumps in the batter will create a a more tender loaf! Don't try to keep whisking the batter until it's fully smooth or you'll overwork it. When mixing, all you're looking for is a batter that's evenly combined and free of any dry streaks.

5. Baking to perfection: If you notice the loaf is browning too quickly before the center has a chance to cook through, loosely tent the loaf with aluminum foil. The foil will slow the browning on the surface and will allow the loaf to continue baking through.

storage instructions

Avoid slicing the loaf until right before you want to serve it to preserve maximum freshness (the less air the center is exposed to, the longer it'll stay moist). Store the loaf in an airtight container or plastic bag and it'll keep for up to 5 days at room temperature or around a week in the fridge.

check out these other recipes!

• Lemon Brownies
• Blueberry Muffins
• Iced Lemon Loaf
• Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes
• Blueberry Crumb Cheesecake
• Giant Lemon Cookie Cake

Lastly, if you made this or any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing your thoughts! Also tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you're making.

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Enjoy!

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