Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake (w/ Yogurt)
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Apr 21, 2025 (last updated Dec 23, 2025) 
This light, bright lemon blueberry loaf cake is packed with flavor from fresh lemons + blueberries along with an easy homemade lemon glaze. Made in one-bowl with Greek yogurt & oil for a super moist texture, it’s perfect for breakfast, an afternoon treat, or a light dessert.
5 star review
“This cake was perfect!!!!! 🍋 🫐 We loved it and will for sure make it again.”
– Julia
This Blueberry & Lemon Loaf is Dreamily Delicious
I absolutely love the flavor combo of fresh lemons + fresh blueberries in a moist loaf cake, especially when it’s made extra moist with oil (not butter) and Greek yogurt (or sour cream). And this lemon blueberry cake with fresh blueberries delivers on all counts! I tested this recipe several times to use the minimal amount of sugar while still maintaining a lusciously light and moist texture, so while it’s not overly sweet, you still get the mouth-watering flavors of fresh lemon & blueberries front-and-center. It’s really a celebration of the bright & energizing flavor of lemon, similar to my blackberry lemon loaf, which is another delicious sweet berry treat!
And have I mentioned that it all comes together without a stand mixer? I wanted this loaf cake to feel extra luxurious without tons of effort, so just like my one-bowl strawberry shortcake bread, the batter comes together easily with just a whisk. As for ingredients, of course, we can’t make blueberry cake without the blueberries! I do prefer using fresh blueberries, as frozen ones can stain your cake and add too much moisture, however, if you want to use frozen blueberries, make sure they’re defrosted and then pat them dry. Either way you go, to prevent the blueberries from sinking, we’re tossing them in just a little bit of flour & layering them into the batter for even distribution.
Finally, let’s take a moment for the bright and zingy lemon glaze! It adds a final ka-pow of lemon flavor and locks in extra moisture (yummm). I like my glaze relatively thin, but if you want a thicker glaze, you can double or triple the ingredients. Just make sure your loaf cake is mostly cool after about 20 minutes, so the glaze spreads easily on top and down the sides, but doesn’t melt.
Welcome to My Kitchen – Let’s Bake Lemon Blueberry Bread!
Tips for Success
- Maximum Lemon Flavor: I found that rubbing the zest into the sugar before mixing for extra lemony flavor without needing to use extracts.
- Smooth Batter: I recommend using room temp ingredients to avoid lumpy cake batter, and don’t overmix!
- Equipment: I like using a heavy-duty metal loaf pan for even baking & even easier clean-up.
- Make Ahead: I actually think it tastes even better the next day, because the flavors concentrate and it becomes a little denser.
- Storing: Because there’s yogurt in the cake, wrap the loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap and refrigerate it.
Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake (w/ Yogurt!)
Ingredients
Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 g)
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest (from about two lemons)
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (59 ml)
- ½ cup neutral flavored oil, such as avocado or canola (118 ml)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup plain whole Greek yogurt (113 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (218 g) plus one Tablespoon (for coating the blueberries)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh blueberries (148 g)
Lemon Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar (65g)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch heavy-weight steel loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
- Add the sugar and lemon zest to a large bowl. Using clean hands, rub the lemon zest into the sugar until well incorporated. Add the lemon juice, oil, eggs, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the 1 ¾ cups of flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix. It’s okay if there are a few lumps.
- In a separate small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour (to prevent sinking), leaving any excess flour in the small bowl.
- Pour ⅓ of the batter into the prepared loaf pan, then gently layer in ½ of the blueberries, followed by ⅓ batter, then the remaining blueberries, then the remaining batter, smoothing the top.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, being careful not to over-bake.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for an additional 10 minutes.
- While the loaf cools, in a small bowl, make the lemon glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until it’s completely smooth.
- Drizzle the glaze over the top of the loaf, allowing some to drip down the sides. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Fresh Lemon: There’s no sub for fresh lemon in this recipe, especially since we’re using lemon zest and juice. So skip the bottle and use fresh for best results.
- Neutral Oil: You can use any neutral oil; I tested this with canola and avocado oil, and both worked great.
- Sour Cream: I like using whole Greek yogurt for a little extra tangy flavor and moisture. I also tested the cake batter with sour cream, and it worked great.
This cake was perfect!!!!! 🍋 🫐 we loved it and will for sure make it again
Julia, yippee, so happy to hear this one was a hit! It’s been on repeat at our house as well. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. 🙂
So delicious. My 7 year old declared this the best sweet bread she’s ever had! Easy to throw together, love the addition of Greek yogurt. Flouring the blueberries worked great, I’ve never heard of that. Another winner Robyn.
Nicole, yay, so happy to hear this one was such a hit! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
Just tried to make this cake but it didn’t rise. I used a new pack of baking powder too. I wonder what could be the problem? 🤔
Odilia, hmmmm, I have never had that problem, nor did any of our testers for this recipe. Did you change any of the other ingredients? And when you say it didn’t rise, do you mean it just fell flat after removing from the oven? Let me know and I can try to troubleshoot!
Will this work with frozen blueberries?
Yes, I’ve tested this loaf cake with frozen blueberries and it works quite well! You’ll still want to toss them (from frozen) in flour to keep them from sinking, and they may “bleed” a bit more into the cake than fresh, but will still taste lovely! I hope you enjoy, let me know how it turns out!
Amazing! I love using yogurt in a loaf
Donna, agreed, adds so much moisture and flavor!
Hi Robyn… can this cake be frozen after baking?
Beth, yes it can! Once the cake is completely cooled you can either wrap the entire thing in plastic wrap and then place in a zip top storage bag, or wrap each individual slice and then place in the bag. I like the double wrap method to keep it extra fresh. Bonus, I think this cake is even better after a day or two, including once it’s been frozen!
I noticed you stopped doing GF in alot of recipes…Is this one that would work with GF flours?
Jenny, I have tested it with 1:1” or “measure for measure,” such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour or King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour! These blends are designed to replicate the structure and texture of regular flour in traditional recipes so be to check that your blend includes xanthan gum. The batter may look slightly thicker, and the baked loaf might need a few extra minutes in the oven to fully set, start checking at the lower end of the bake time and continue baking until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. As with all gluten-free baked goods, letting the loaf cool completely before slicing will give you the best structure and texture. And be really careful not to over-mix, since it can get gummy. If you give it a try let me know how it turns out!