Lemon Blueberry Loaf Recipe with Lemon Icing

Blueberry lemon loaf slices with lemon icing on parchment paper.

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Lemon Blueberry Loaf Recipe with Lemon Icing

This Lemon Blueberry Loaf Recipe is bright, buttery, incredibly moist thanks to Greek yogurt, and packed with juicy blueberries in every slice. Finished with a simple lemon icing, it strikes the perfect balance between sweet and tangy.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 30

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, Seasonal

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: Slices

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $20

Equipment

8.5x4.5inch loaf pan

Ingredients

For the Loaf

1¼ cup Sugar - 300 grams
2 tbsp Lemon zest
½ cup Unsalted butter (softened) - 115 grams
1 tbsp Vanilla extract
3 Large eggs - 150 grams
⅔ cup Greek yogurt - 165 grams
1½ cups All purpose flour - 185 grams
½ tsp Baking powder
¼ tsp Kosher salt
1½ cup Blueberries - 175 grams

For the Icing

1 cup Icing sugar (sifted) - 115 grams
2 tbsp Lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
Make Lemon Sugar. In a large mixing bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar becomes fragrant and lightly yellow.
Add Butter. Add the softened butter and cream with a hand mixer until light and smooth.
Add Eggs and Vanilla. Beat in the vanilla extract, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add Greek Yogurt. Gently gold the Greek yogurt into the cake batter using a spatula.
Add Dry Ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until no dry streaks remain.
Add Blueberries. Toss the blueberries with a tablespoon of flour before gently folding them into the batter.
Transfer. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Optional Butter. Piping an optional line of softened butter down the middle of the loaf helps it expand and give you that classic loaf top.
Bake. Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and continue baking for another 50–55 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads about 205°F. Remove from oven to cool for at least 1 hour on a wire rack.
Make Icing. Meanwhile, whisk together the powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice until smooth.
Glaze. Once the loaf has cooled completely, drizzle the lemon icing over the top before slicing and serving.

Notes

Refer to the post above for step-by-step recipe photos.

Key Ingredient Notes:

Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are ideal, though frozen blueberries can also be used without thawing.
Sugar: You will need both granulated sugar and powdered sugar for this recipe. The powdered sugar is for the simple lemon glaze.
Lemons: You will need both lemon zest (for the loaf batter) and lemon juice (for the icing). You can also make this recipe with lime.
Butter: Softened unsalted butter creates a rich, tender crumb. I recommend using unsalted, but if you only have salted butter, you can use it and omit the additional salt in the recipe.
Greek Yogurt: Many pound cake and loaf recipes use sour cream, but I actually prefer using Greek Yogurt. It adds moisture (but not too much moisture) and a subtle tang while keeping the loaf soft for days.

Tips for Success:

Rub the lemon zest into the sugar before mixing. This simple step releases the citrus oils and gives the loaf much more lemon flavor.
Toss the blueberries with a little flour before folding them into the batter to help keep them suspended throughout the loaf.
Fold the batter gently once the flour is added. Overmixing develops gluten and can make the loaf dense instead of tender.
Let the loaf cool completely before adding the icing so it stays on top instead of melting into the cake or falling over the edges.

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