Blueberry Lemon Loaf Cake with Glaze

Bright, tender, and bursting with juicy blueberries in every slice — a beautifully moist lemon loaf with a soft, fragrant crumb, finished with a tangy lemon glaze that soaks in and sets into a glossy, sweet-tart ribbon across the top. A burst of sunshine in every bite.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 0.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 0.5 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from about 2 large lemons)
• 0.5 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 0.5 cups sour cream, room temperature
• 0.25 cups fresh lemon juice
• 1.5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (for tossing blueberries)
• 1 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (for glaze)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (for glaze)

STEPS

1. Preheat and prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan generously with butter and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy lifting. Set aside.
2. Make lemon sugar: In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar for about 1 minute until the sugar is fragrant, slightly damp, and pale yellow. This simple step releases the essential oils from the zest and infuses the entire cake with an intense, bright lemon flavor that juice alone cannot achieve.
3. Cream butter and sugar: Add the softened butter to the lemon sugar and beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes until very pale, light, and fluffy. Scrape down the sides as needed.
4. Add eggs and flavorings: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
5. Add sour cream and lemon juice: Add the sour cream and fresh lemon juice and mix on low until just incorporated. The mixture may look slightly curdled at this stage — this is normal and will come together once the flour is added.
6. Fold in the dry ingredients: Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt directly into the bowl. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined and no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix — a few small lumps are perfectly fine.
7. Fold in the blueberries: Toss the blueberries with the tablespoon of flour until lightly coated — this prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf during baking. Gently fold the coated blueberries into the batter with just a few strokes, being careful not to burst them or the batter will turn purple.
8. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake at 350°F for 55–65 minutes until the top is deeply golden, the loaf has cracked beautifully down the center, and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil after 40 minutes.
9. Cool: Let the loaf cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then use the parchment overhang to lift it out onto the rack. Cool for at least 30 minutes before glazing — glazing a warm loaf will cause the glaze to run off entirely rather than setting on top.
10. Make and apply the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest until completely smooth and pourable. Drizzle generously over the cooled loaf and let it run naturally down the sides. Allow the glaze to set for 15–20 minutes before slicing.

NOTES Tips: Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar before creaming is the single best trick for an intensely lemony cake — do not skip it. Tossing the blueberries in flour before folding them in is a small step that makes a big difference — it suspends them throughout the batter rather than letting them all sink to the bottom. Fresh blueberries give the cleanest result but frozen work well too — do not thaw frozen blueberries before using or they will bleed into the batter and turn it grey. Sour cream is the key to an incredibly moist, tender crumb — do not substitute with regular yogurt if you can avoid it. This loaf keeps beautifully wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days. It also freezes well unglazed for up to 2 months — glaze after thawing for the freshest finish.