Soft & fluffy Lemon Blueberry Loaf. Loaded with juicy, fresh lemon, studded with blueberries and drizzled in lemon glaze. Made in one bowl and no mixer required!
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Nothing says spring like a Lemon Blueberry Loaf. It's fresh and zingy with bursts of juicy blueberry in every bite!
And the lemony glaze? That's there just because. Mostly because I like glaze on cake, and also because I asked on Instagram and 61% of you agreed with me.
You can easily omit it though. The loaf is sweet enough and moist enough without it, but if you do, instead, I recommend a small handful of granulated sugar sprinkled over the top, just as it goes in the oven, to make a super yum, crunchy crust.
Not a lemon fan? Give my simple Vegan Blueberry Cake a try instead!
A big, thick slice of this vegan loaf cake, with or without some of my vegan butter is like springtime eating perfection and I should know because I've eaten about 3,000,052 slices this week.
We're talking:
- AMAZING spring infused cake made with fresh lemons and beautiful bluebs. I can die happy.
- Crunchy outsides ...literally my favourite bit of loaf cakes
- Fluffy, soft sponge inside
- Bursty bluebs in every bite
- Cornmeal for depth of flavour, colour and texture
- Fragrance like no other at all stages from prep to baking to eating
- Zingy lemon glaze drizzled ALL OVER the top to make it look like you know what you’re doing with cake decorating ..
And the beauty of the glaze is that it has just 2 ingredients for you to mix up, then you just drizzle it all on haphazardly. It looks good however it lands!
Don't worry if you are gluten-free because I've got you covered too. I've tweaked this recipe to make you your very own Gluten-Free Lemon Cake with Blueberries!
Ingredients
Here's what you need to make my Lemon Blueberry Loaf:
And here's what you need to make the simple lemon glaze:
You will also need a loaf pan.
How To Make Lemon Blueberry Loaf
- Add the dry ingredients, except the sugar, to a mixing bowl and whisk them together
- Zest your lemons like a boss. Yes, I hate zesting citrus fruits too, but that's where all that lovely flavour is so don't skip it, then add them to a jug with all of the wet ingredients and the sugar and give them all a good stir up
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together then add the blueberries
- Fold them through
- Then spoon into a loaf pan and bake
Success Tips
- Follow the recipe closely and as always with recipes involving flour, I highly recommend you use a kitchen scale. Cup measurements are not accurate enough to get the best and consistent results, but if you do need to use them, spoon the flour into the cup then level off the top with a knife without compacting it or shaking it down. By doing it like this you will get roughly the correct amount. If you scoop the flour up into the cup, you will end up with much more than is needed and it will affect the outcome of the recipe. Digital scales are available at most big superstores now and you can pick one up for around $10. They are a great investment and are so worth having!
- Even if your loaf pan is non stick, I recommend lining the bottom of it with a strip of parchment paper. One long strip that goes along the bottom and overhangs the ends is fine, then it can act as handles for you to easily lift the loaf out once it's baked.My favourite loaf pan is this one from USA Pan.
- How can you tell when it's cooked properly? You can use the toothpick test. Stick it in the centre and if it comes out clean (apart from a little sticky blueberry juice), then its done, or gently press down on the center of the loaf. If it bounces back completely, it is done. If your finger leaves a dent in the loaf it needs more time.
- Let the loaf cool completely before you cut it. I know it's tempting to break into it when it's still warm, but if you let all of the steam inside escape, you will affect the quality of the crumb. It won't be as moist and it won't keep as well.
- If you are glazing it, you must wait until it is completely cool.
Variations
Some ways you can adapt my Lemon Blueberry Loaf recipes are:
- Swap the cornmeal for shredded coconut
- Skip the frosting and add a generous heap of vegan streusel before baking, or bake it with the streusel then add a drizzle of frosting on top of it if you want to be really extra!
- Use raspberries instead of blueberries
- Use vegan cream cheese frosting instead of the glaze
- If you can get them, vegan white chocolate chips would be a lovely addition!
Recipe
Lemon Blueberry Loaf
Author:Soft & fluffy Lemon Blueberry Loaf. Loaded with juicy, fresh lemon, studded with blueberries and drizzled in lemon glaze. Made in one bowl and no mixer required!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 grams) all purpose flour , (in the UK use plain flour)
- ½ cup (75 grams) fine or medium grind cornmeal , unsweetened shredded coconut can be used as an alternative
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda , (bicarbonate of soda in the UK)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ cup (120 mls) melted coconut oil (measured after melting) , use refined coconut oil if you prefer no coconut flavour. Any other neutral tasting liquid oil can be used instead, Extra Virgin Olive Oil also works amazingly well, but you need t love that distinct olive oil flavour
- ¾ cup (150 grams) cane sugar or white granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (180 mls) unsweetened milk of choice
- 2 medium lemons worth of zest , (zest them first then juice them after)
- ¼ cup (60 mls) freshly squeezed lemon juice , (usually about 2 medium lemons)
- 1 cup (130 grams) fresh or frozen blueberries , plus another small handful for decorating the top(fresh will give the best flavour
For the frosting
- ¾ cup (95 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 - 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice , the amount needed will vary. Please take note of my directions below
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190 *C), then grease a standard 1lb loaf pan ( 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 inches) with some coconut oil, or any other neutral oil you have. Place a long strip of baking parchment along the bottom and up either end to act as handles which will allow you to lift the loaf out easily once it's baked.
- To a large bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk them together to combine.
- In another bowl or jug, add the melted coconut oil, sugar, milk, lemon juice and lemon zest. Whisk or stir them all together really well until thick and gloopy.
- Make sure everything is ready to go, oven at temperature, loaf pan ready and at your side, before you continue. Then, pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. With a spatula or wooden spoon, fold them together. Do not beat it or whisk it really hard as that will affect the texture of the loaf. Be gentle, but work quite quickly. As soon as you can no longer see any dry flour, pour in the blueberries and fold those in too.
- Immediately spoon the batter into the loaf pan, smooth out the top, and sprinkle over a few extra blueberries (not essential, it's just for looks!). If you don't intend on glazing the finished loaf, a handful of granulated sugar sprinkled all over the top is nice as it will bake up to give a lovely crunchy top.
- Get it into the oven without hanging around (we want to really take advantage of the reaction of the baking soda with the lemon juice for maximum fluffy texture). Bake for 47 - 55 minutes. If you use frozen blueberries it might take a couple of minutes longer. Check it at about 47 minutes, by poking it in the centre with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, except for perhaps a little blueberry juice, then it's done. Or press the centre with your finger. If it bounces back it's done. If it leaves a dent put it back in the oven for a few minutes.
- Use the parchment paper handles to gently lift the loaf out of the pan and place on a cooling rack. Remove the paper from the base and leave on the rack until completely cool.
- Once the loaf is completely cool, in a small bowl, add the powdered sugar. Gradually add the lemon juice 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring really well between each addition. It will feel like there is not enough liquid, then all of a sudden it will come together into a thick, smooth glaze. You shouldn't need more than 4 tablespoons. The amount needed will vary depending on humidity though.
- Once the glaze is completely smooth and drizzle-able, use a spoon to drizzle it all over the top of your loaf. Leave it for at least 10 minutes to set up a bit before cutting.
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NUTRITION
Serving: 1of 10 slices | Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 44IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Rate it & leave feedback in the comments section below. I love seeing your remakes too. Tag @avirtualvegan on Instagram! 🌟
Jane says
Hello! I made this for the 4th of July. We don’t like too sweet, so I left off the glaze and cut the sugar back to 1/2 cup. I used whole wheat flour. My lemons were not organic, so I didn’t zest them, just added a little extra lemon juice. And I used soy milk and olive oil. It was delish. Thank you!
CJ says
Hi Mel. Can you please tell me how I can substitute gluten free flour? Thanks
Melanie McDonald says
I haven't tested this one gluten-free but my baking recipes usually work really well with Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour (NOT their all purpose flour). Same amount and nothing else changes. If you can't get that flour where you are find one similar and it should work out ok. It's main ingredients are sweet rice and brown rice flour, potato starch, sorghum flour, tapioca flour and xanthan gum. Hope that helps!
Rachel says
I have made this loaf a couple times and absolutely love it! Do you think this same batter and amount would work for muffins (a dozen of them)?
Melanie McDonald says
Yes it should work out just fine. My trick for the best muffins/muffin tops is to bake at 425°F for 5 mins, then reduce the temp to 350°F and cook for about another 17 mins. So pleased you're enjoying the recipe!
Susan Rifkin says
Can you suggest a swap for the cornmeal and shredded coconut?
Melanie McDonald says
I can't. I'm 99% sure the recipe will work fine if you omit them though (but I haven't personally tried it). If you don't want to risk it I do also have this blueberry loaf cake recipe. : https://avirtualvegan.com/vegan-blueberry-cake/
Hope that helps!
Susan Rifkin says
I'll try it! Thank you!
Susan says
It came out nicely without the cornmeal. Thank you, really enjoying this recipe!
Emily says
This is a recipe I’ve been baking for literal years. I keep coming back to it because it’s so tasty. It tastes a lot fancier than the easiness of the recipe suggests!
Melanie McDonald says
I'm so pleased you're enjoying the recipe Emily, and really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
S.S says
Hi
Do you know the shelf life for this? Can I make it in advance?
Thank you
Melanie McDonald says
It's at it's best when fresh, but it does keep ok for a few days. It freezes well too for up to 3 months.
Amanda Ford says
Hi can I use a silicone pan...??? Thanks
Melanie McDonald says
If it's all you've got then you can, but you might not get the best results. I always recommend metal baking pans over silicone. They radiate the heat much better and give whatever you're baking better support. Your baked goods will also brown better and more evenly.
Unlike metal, silicone is a heat insulator not a conductor so you will need to increase the bake time a bit and because the heat isn't distributed as evenly your cake may cook unevenly, bulge and become a bit dense in places.
Tori says
This is one of the best cakes/loaves that I've ever had. And it was so well received by everyone around me and my neighbor that they commissioned me to make more for their coffee mornings and birthday!
Melanie McDonald says
I'm so pleased everyone is enjoying it! Sounds like you're going to be busy. Thanks so much for stopping by to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
J says
Not a vegan, and not used to baking without eggs and butter, but I had a vegan guest and I made this following the recipe exactly (except doubled the berries which were a mix of fresh and frozen, and I did add half a bar of vegan white chocolate chopped up). It came out so well, I was shocked! Everyone (vegan and non-vegan!) raved about it and asked for the recipe, and I will definitely keep this on hand for the next party :)
Gill L says
Mmmmm! Absolutely gorgeous! I can't write what my husband said as it was full of (positive) expletives. "Oh my God that is so #%@*%&£#%*@! Gooood!" Etc. Really lovely. Enjoyed the addition of cornmeal but might try the coconut variation too as I love coconut. Fabulous recipe!!!
Karen Mendleton says
Wow! This was inhaled in less than an hour. It's so lemony and yummy. A new family favorite for sure!
A. WARE says
I've been craving a yummy blueberry lemon pound cake and this was the closest I saw for a vegan recipe. I read the reviews and just knew it was going to be good but it didn't make the cut. I questioned the cornmeal but figured hey! Only 1 person mentioned substitutes so I went with it. I bake often and usually the aromas fill our home, not this time. The texture was weird, it lacked flavor and wasn't sweet at all. Veryones taste buds are different, I'm glad I gave ut a try. Won't know until you try it right!? On to the next recipe because I've got an itch to scratch! LOL!
alice toth says
The yellow cornmeal was a surprise addition that really worked! Good flavor and texture. This recipe is definitely a "keeper".