This Blueberry Bread Loaf is an easy blueberry cake recipe that takes 10 minutes to prepare. The batter is made with yoghurt which makes this loaf lovely and moist, and all you need is a wooden spoon and one bowl. With a simple lemon glaze, this makes for a lovely afternoon tea!
Make this with any fruit you want – fresh, frozen or even dried!
Blueberry Bread Loaf
This is a quick bread recipe, and is aptly named as such because it is so quick to prepare. Once you pull out your tub of flour, sugar and other ingredients onto the counter, it will honestly take you less than 10 minutes to prepare.
In fact, you will probably have to start preheating your oven before you start preparing the batter. Otherwise it won’t be hot enough. That’s how fast this is to make.
Because it goes like this: whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Then add egg, yoghurt, oil, lemon zest and vanilla. Fold in blueberries. Pour into pan and bake.
Yes, it’s that easy. ONE BOWL. No mixer. I like very much. ❤️
Ingredients in Blueberry Loaf Bread
Here’s what you need to make this blueberry loaf cake recipe:
Blueberries – I typically make this during blueberry season when they are ripe, plump, and cheap. But it works 100% perfectly with frozen too, and with other berries such as raspberries, blackberries. Note: If using frozen, stir them in frozen. If you thaw, they will bleed into the batter and you’ll end up with blueberry streaks.
Yogurt – A “secret ingredient” wet ingredient in baking to make batters that bake up into lovely moist cakes. Any plain, unsweetened yogurt is fine here. I typically use Greek Yogurt.
Flour – Just plain / all purpose flour.
Oil – Canola oil, or any other plain flavoured oil (such as vegetable, sunflower, grapeseed oil). This is another ingredient that keeps the crumb of this cake lovely and moist compared to using butter. While butter provides more flavour in cakes, it makes the crumb more dry. In this recipe, we get flavour from the lemon, vanilla and blueberries so we can use oil instead of butter for a more moist crumb.
Baking powder – This provides the lift in this recipe, to make the crumb lovely and soft.
Lemon – Lemon and blueberries are a classic pairing I use in many of my blueberry recipes.
Sugar – Less than most, so this blueberry bread loaf is not as sweet as many recipes you’ll find. And that’s just the way I like it!
Eggs – At room temperature, so they incorporate easily into the batter. I use large eggs which are 55-60g / 2 oz each, an industry standard so the eggs will be labelled “large eggs” on the carton.
Vanilla – For flavour. I use vanilla extract here which is real vanilla flavour. Vanilla essence is artificial so the flavour is not as good. I typically only use pricier vanilla bean paste or vanilla beans for more refined dessert recipes, such as the recently published Flan Pâtissier (the world’s greatest Custard Tart!)
Salt – Just a touch, to bring out the flavours. This is good general practice for all (well, most!) sweet baking recipes.
How to make Blueberry Loaf Bread
Super quick and easy… remember, this is a quick bread recipe!
Toss blueberries in flour – This helps ensure the blueberries remain suspended through the batter as it bakes, rather than sinking to the bottom. Yep, been there, done that! 😩
Whisk dry ingredients – The flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
Add wet ingredients – Eggs, yogurt, lemon, vanilla and oil. Give it a good mix just until combined. Once the batter is smooth and you no longer see streaks of flour, stop mixing. If you overmix, your cake will end up hard instead of soft.
Stir in blueberries – Add the flour coated blueberries and stir gently just to mix them through.
Pour into loaf pan – Scrape the batter into a lined loaf pan. The one I use is fairly small, 21 x 11 x 7 cm (8.3 x 4.5 x 2.75″). This makes a nice tall shaped loaf. If your loaf pan is larger, that’s totally fine, it will just won’t be quite as tall as pictured.
Line the loaf pan with parchment / baking paper to ensure your cake will not stick. Just lightly grease it with butter so the paper sticks.
Bake 5o minutes at 200*C/390°F (180°C fan forced).
Cover with foil then bake for a further 15 to 25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. I check it after 15 minutes, then if the skewer is still wet, I leave it in for another 10 minutes. The variable is usually whether you used fresh blueberries (shorter baker time) or frozen (longer bake time).
Voila! Ready to devour! Will you glaze it with lemon glaze?? YES!
Lemon Glaze ingredients
I’ve provided a lemon glaze in this recipe, but when time is of the essence, I just dust with icing sugar. It doesn’t need a glaze, it is sweet, moist and tasty enough without. But it is even better WITH!
So if you’re in the mood, here’s what you need for the glaze!
Soft icing sugar / powdered sugar – For Australians reading this, soft icing sugar is not to be confused with pure icing sugar. Soft icing sugar is what is used to make creamy frostings like buttercream. Pure icing sugar sets with a crust for things like royal icing.
Lemon juice – The primary liquid used to make the glaze, to give it a subtle tang that balances out the sweetness of the glaze and pairs beautifully with the blueberry loaf bread.
Milk – If needed, to thin the glaze to the right consistency.
To make the lemon glaze, just mix the ingredients, using milk to get the right consistency so it’s thick enough to drizzle over. Careful not to make it too thin!
The weekend is here. It’s time to treat yourself! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Blueberry Bread Loaf
Ingredients
Dry
- 1 3/4 cups flour , plain / all purpose
- 1 cup white sugar , preferably caster/superfine
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
Wet
- 1 cup plain yoghurt (preferably not low fat)
- 3 large eggs , 55 – 60g / 2oz each
- 2 tsp lemon zest (1 large or 2 small lemons)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup canola oil (or vegetable, grapeseed oil)
Blueberries
- 2 tsp flour
- 1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries (no need to defrost)
Optional lemon glaze
- 1 1/2 cups soft icing sugar / powdered sugar , sifted
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 tbsp milk , if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan forced).
- Line loaf pan: Butter and line a loaf pan with parchment / baking paper. The picture pan is 21 x 11 x 7 cm (8.3 x 4.5 x 2.75") which makes a nice tall loaf.
- Coat blueberries: Toss blueberries in flour (less flour sticks if dry, more if frozen). This helps keep them suspended in the batter.
- Whisk Dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Add Wet ingredinets: Make a well in the Dry ingredients. Add Wet ingredients. Whisk until incorporated.
- Fold in blueberries: Fold in blueberries, including any flour remaining in the blueberry bowl.
- Bake: Pour into the prepared tin. Bake for 50 minutes, then cover with foil. Bake for a further 15 – 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Check after 15 minutes, then if the skewer comes out with batter on it, bake a further 10 minutes.
- Cool: Rest for 5 minutes then turn onto a cooling rack and completely cool. Drizzle with Glaze. Wait until the glaze sets (about 20 minutes) before slicing to serve.
Glaze
- Whisk icing sugar and lemon until smooth, using milk only if needed to achieve the right thickness (Note 3). Pour or spread over cake set on a rack over a baking tray. Scrape glaze drippings on the tray back onto the cake.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Recipe original published in June 2016. Post updated with new photos, ingredient photos, step photos and a recipe video.
More afternoon tea favourites
And more blueberry recipes
In case you’re lucky enough to be overloaded with blueberries…
Life of Dozer
I can’t bring myself to share the photo of Dozer from when I was shooting this. It involved a big puddle of drool as he quietly lay under the table, waiting for a big hunk of cake to drop on the ground (which did not occur). It was disgusting!!!!
So here you go – something a little cuter. 🙂 Boy, I really did NOT expect this 5 kg/10 lb puppy to end up quite as big as he is – he’s now 40kg / 80lb!!!
Jennifer says
Absolutely love this bread thanks for the recipe Nagi
Edwina says
I made this it rose so high the batter spilled over the top like lava ! I used a bigger loaf tin even. Also the top was burnt after 40 minutes on Gas 6
Marie Ball says
I haven’t made anything yet but I really enjoy the recipes. They’re so easy to follow and I enjoy your insightful humor. Looking forward to making some of these great dishes.
Jo says
Hi Nagi, I love the sound of the Blueberry Lemon Loaf. However, can I use the same batter to make cupcakes? If so, how long would you suggest I bake them and at what temperature in a standard oven? Thank you.
tami cimring says
I followed this recipe using fresh blueberries and it came out perfectly. Baked for approx 1 hour.Thanks so much for the great recipe! 🙂
Chris says
Rise a little more?! It taste beautiful. I’ve made this twice. Just wondering if I can make it rise a bit more, otherwise it’s a lovely moist cake. It collapsed after cooling. Can I use more baking powder? Cool it differently? TIA.
Petrina says
Made this for friends 50th birthday. Didn’t try it myself but my beautiful friend said it was beautiful. She was even eating it for breakfast. Thanks Nagi xo
Vicki says
This is so yummy and easy- toddler can help with no worries (we only had a small meltdown when he wanted to eat more frozen blueberries when I folded them in at the end 😂)
Anne says
Your recipes all look very delicious!
Raelene says
I am baking this recipe right now and it smells delicious!! Can’t wait for it to be ready, it was so simple to put together, thanks Nagi 😋😋
ama says
can I sub for oat flour
Mel says
Hi there!
Tried the recipe and taste-wise it’s an absolute success! Thanks! 🙂
However, despite coating my frozen Blueberries in flour, they mostly sank to the bottom third of my cake. 😂 Is there another trick that could work with keeping the berries afloat? I‘m aware this is mostly a cosmetic issue and doesn’t concern the taste, but my competitiveness has been tickled. *lol*
Shirley says
Can I substitute sour cream for yogurt
Can I substitute sour cream for yogsmjoned1235@hotmail.com says
Can I substitute sour cream for yogurt
Maria says
Can I substitute it with almond flour?
Nagi says
I haven’t tested that Maria – it could be a bit dense. N x
Justine Arifin says
The cake is just yummy, the baby dozer is the beautiful one, i have the cavalier king charles spaniel, so sharing this to you, how we love them so much
Nagi says
So glad you enjoyed it, Justine! N x
Lyndall Rice says
Hi Nagi,
I have a big packet of dried blueberries, would this work or would they be too chewy in cake?
Nagi says
Try rehydrating them in warm water first and they might work – I haven’t tested that though! N x
Joanne Kaiwai says
Beautiful! Can I use Greek yogurt?
Nagi says
Sure can! That’s what I mostly use 🙂 N x
Macy says
Beautiful baby boy❤
Sue says
I am looking for ways to use up cake flour that will be expiring. Could I sub the A/P with cake flour here?
Nagi says
Hi Sue! That should be just fine in this recipe, it’s quite a forgiving batter 🙂 N x
Vee says
Thanks for another delish recipe, Nagi…
I’m not a baker but was inspired to try my hand at this one. I did take some liberties and substituted the white flour with cake flour and the white sugar with cane sugar successfully. Since I didn’t have a loaf pan, I doubled the recipe and placed in a bundt pan. Yum!
Alison Johnson says
Can’t wait to make this! ❤
Will this freeze OK?
Sofiane Benzaza says
I would like to know also if banana bread or this bread can be frozen and how ? 🙂