This lemon blueberry loaf cake is a bakery-style cake made with lemony olive oil and creamy Greek yogurt. It's a moist and fluffy loaf full of fresh, juicy blueberries and topped with a bright and tangy lemon drizzle.
If you love this moist blueberry lemon bread, you'll also love my other recipes. Check out my lemon drizzle cake, strawberry rhubarb cake, and blueberry nectarine coffee cake. You can also use my homemade vanilla extract to make this recipe.
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⭐️ Why this recipe works
- Moist and Tender Texture: Olive oil and Greek yogurt give this loaf a wonderfully moist and tender crumb, keeping it soft and delicious for days.
- Simple and Versatile Recipe: This recipe's straightforward method and common ingredients make it accessible for all bakers. It's versatile enough for breakfast, a snack, or a light dessert and doesn't require an electric mixer.
- Customizable and Forgiving: With options to substitute olive oil, adjust sugar types, and use frozen blueberries, this recipe adapts to your pantry and preferences.
🧾 Ingredients overview
- Olive Oil: Adds moisture, richness, and a subtle fruity flavor, contributing to a tender crumb and extending freshness.
- Greek Yogurt: Enhances moisture, adds tanginess, and creates a fluffy texture with its acidity.
- Eggs: Bind ingredients together, contribute to structure, and ensure the loaf rises properly.
- Demerara Sugar: Adds molasses-like sweetness and a subtle crunch when used as a topping.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens and contributes to the tender texture by creaming well with wet ingredients.
- Lemon (Juice and Zest): Adds bright, citrusy flavor and balances sweetness with acidity.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances flavors and adds a subtle aroma and warmth.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure, ensuring the loaf holds together while remaining tender.
- Baking Powder: Acts as a leavening agent, helping the loaf rise and become light and airy.
- Blueberries: Offer bursts of sweetness and slight acidity, adding moisture and texture.
For precise measurements and additional ingredients, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
👩🏻🍳 Here's how to make it
Lemon blueberry loaf step-by-step
- Preheat oven & prep pan: Begin by heating your oven and lining your loaf tin with parchment paper to ensure your loaf doesn’t stick and is easy to remove after baking.
- Prepare the batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, olive oil, eggs, lemon zest and juice, and honey until smooth. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, both sugars and vanilla extract. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry mix, stirring just until you achieve a smooth, even batter. This careful combination ensures your loaf will be moist, tender, and flavorful.
- Fold in blueberries: Toss the blueberries with a little flour (only about 1 tablespoon) to prevent them from sinking, then gently fold them into your batter to distribute them evenly throughout the loaf.
- Bake: Transfer the batter to the prepared tin, gently smoothing the top for an even bake. Place it in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool & glaze: Allow the loaf to cool in the tin on a wire rack before removing it to cool completely. While it's cooling, prepare the yogurt glaze by mixing Greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and confectioners' sugar. Adjust the glaze to your liking, then drizzle it over the cooled loaf.
💡 Chef's Guide: Expert Tips
Drawing from a decade in Michelin-starred kitchens and Cordon Bleu training, here are my top tips for recipe success.
- Ingredient temperatures: Ensure your eggs and Greek yogurt are at room temperature before mixing. This helps them emulsify better, creating a smoother batter that rises more consistently.
- Zest techniques: When zesting your lemon, use a fine grater and only take the colored part of the peel, avoiding the white pith underneath, which is bitter.
- Berry distribution: Dusting your blueberries with flour is a well-known tip, but also try tossing them in a pinch of the sugar from the recipe. This not only helps them distribute evenly but also draws out their natural juices.
- Olive oil: Choose a high-quality, light, and fruity olive oil for this recipe.
- Batter consistency: If the batter seems too thick after combining all ingredients, a tablespoon of milk can be added to adjust. The goal is a pourable batter that still holds its shape, allowing for your loaf's even rise and texture.
- Baking time precision: Ovens can vary, so start checking your loaf for doneness a few minutes before the recommended baking time. Look for a golden crust and a skewer that comes out clean but moist. Overbaking is the enemy of moisture in cakes.
- Cooling process: Allow the loaf to cool in the tin on a wire rack for the time suggested before attempting to remove it. This helps the structure set, preventing the loaf from falling apart and making it easier to slice.
- Glazing: For a perfectly drizzled glaze, use a spoon or a small pouring jug and start from the center, moving in a back-and-forth motion toward the edges. Let the glaze set for a few minutes before slicing to get that bakery-style finish.
🍯 Storing this olive oil loaf
- Room-Temp: This loaf uses olive oil as the main fat, so it ensures a moist texture for days when stored at room temperature. Simply wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil.
- Freezer: The loaf can be frozen for up to 3 months, retaining its quality. Wrap it well in plastic, then in foil, and place it in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.
- Quick Tip: For easy serving, slice before freezing, allowing you to thaw only what you need. Refresh slices in the oven to bring back that just-baked taste.
❓Recipe FAQ's
Yes, you can use frozen blueberries without thawing them first. Just toss them in flour as you would with fresh blueberries to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf. *A few points to note- you may need to increase the baking time slightly to compensate for the temperature of the batter. And the blueberries may bleed slightly.
You can substitute olive oil with another neutral-flavored oil, such as canola or vegetable oil, without affecting the texture of the loaf.
Yes, you can make this loaf gluten-free by substituting the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Just ensure it's a 1:1 substitute designed for baking.
Blueberries might sink if they are overly wet or the batter is too thin. Tossing them in flour helps by creating a slight coating that allows the batter to grip the berries better.
The loaf is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top is browning too quickly, tent it with foil and continue baking until done.
Absolutely! This batter works well for muffins. Just adjust the baking time accordingly, typically around 20-25 minutes at the same oven temperature.
Yes, you can use a dairy-free yogurt alternative. Look for a plant-based yogurt that's thick and creamy, similar to Greek yogurt, for the best results.
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Easy Lemon Blueberry Loaf with Olive Oil
Ingredients
For the Yogurt Loaf Cake:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅔ cup Greek yogurt, *You can use fat-free if you prefer
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup demerara sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ⅓ cups blueberries, tossed in 1 tablespoon of flour *see notes
For the Yogurt Glaze:
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup confectioners' sugar, adjust to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (160°C) and line a 2-pound loaf tin with parchment paper.
Prepare the Cake Batter:
- In a bowl, combine the wet ingredients: Greek yogurt, olive oil, eggs, lemon juice and zest, and honey. Whisk until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, mix the demerara sugar, white sugar, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, and baking powder.
- Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until a smooth batter forms. You can use a whisk or a spatula for this step.
- Gently fold in the blueberries.
Bake the Cake:
- Pour the batter into a 2-pound loaf tin (or divide between two smaller tins) lined with parchment paper.
- Bake on the middle rack of the oven. For smaller loaves, bake for 25-30 minutes. For a larger loaf, bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
- Allow to cool on a rack for about 30 minutes before removing from the tin. Leave to continue cooling on the rack for a further 30 minutes before glazing.
Prepare the Glaze:
- Combine Greek yogurt, lemon zest and juice, and confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Adjust the sugar to taste and to your desired consistency.
- Once the cake has cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top. Top with more blueberries for serving (optional)
Notes
- Olive oil alternative: You can substitute the olive oil with another neutral oil for a different flavor profile.
- Sugar substitutes: Demerara sugar adds a lovely crunch and flavor, but you can use all white sugar if that's what you have on hand.
- Lemon freshness: For the best flavor, use fresh lemons for the juice and zest. Bottled lemon juice can be used in a pinch, but the zest is crucial for that fresh, citrus aroma.
- Flour measurements: For best results, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. This prevents the flour from being overpacked and the cake from becoming too dense.
- Blueberries: To prevent blueberries from sinking to the bottom, lightly dust them with flour before folding them into the batter. Frozen blueberries can also be used; do not thaw them before adding to the mix.
- Checking for doneness: Ovens vary, so start checking your loaf for doneness a few minutes before the suggested baking time. A toothpick or cake tester should come out with just a few moist crumbs when inserted into the center.
- Glaze thickness: Adjust the consistency of the glaze with more lemon juice or confectioners' sugar to achieve your desired thickness. If you prefer a thicker glaze, use less lemon juice or add more sugar.
- Storing the cake: This cake keeps well at room temperature for up to 3 days when wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition
Meet the Chef!
Hi, I'm Debs. Cordon Bleu trained chef and recipe developer. I help you get incredible dinners on the table fast with fool-proof recipes and step-by-step instructions along with tips and tricks that I've learned over a 10-year career in professional kitchens.
Nadia says
Absolutely love this recipe! Really easy to make and it is so delicious. I've made a few time and tried it with the olive oil and vegetable oil. I love both, but it's really delicious with the olive oil. Very subtle but unique flavor. Loved it!
Debs says
Hi Nadia. So happy to hear that you love this recipe.
Cat says
Looks delicious and very pretty 🙂
Gabrielle says
Such a great recipe. Easy to make and the flavor that the yogurt and olive oil give is absolutely incredible. The perfect moist and fluffy loaf cake.
Aimee says
This bread looks so delicious! I went through a "quick bread" obsession last year and probably made a new kind for 2 months in a row. So good luck with just "one more slice..." Also, this post inspired me to pick up a pound cake at the grocery store just now!!
Debs says
Thanks Aimee! It's such a quick go-to recipe. Hope you enjoy the pound cake! Make sure you share. I usually end up eating a whole one to myself! lol.