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!
Nothing says spring like a Lemon Blueberry Loaf. It's fresh and zingy with bursts of juicy blueberry in every bite!
Jump to:
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.
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!
Ingredient & equipment notes
(For detailed measurements and instructions, see the printable recipe card).
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
Step 1 - Add the dry ingredients, except the sugar, to a mixing bowl and whisk them together
Step 2 - 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
Step 3 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together then add the blueberries
Step 4 - Fold them through
Step 5 - 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.
Possible 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!
Hungry for more?
For more lemon-y springtime treats, check out these great options:
- Sticky Lemon Strawberry Sweet Rolls
- Vegan Lemon Muffins
- Earl Grey Vegan Cake with Lemon Frosting
- Luscious Lemon Cheesecake Smoothie
📖 Recipe
Lemon Blueberry Loaf
Author:
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.
NUTRITION
Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.
Nanette says
Hi Mel! As a novice vegan baker, I can't tell you how much we've enjoyed this cake! It's absolutely delicious, and disappeared so quickly I'm getting ready to bake another, Thank you for your excellent tips; I can't wait to dig into your other recipes!
A Virtual Vegan says
Disappearing cake is always a good sign! I'm really pleased you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for stopping by to leave a review/rating. It's much appreciated!
Karen Strang says
Hi Mel,
This is a delicious and moist cake, just like you promised:) I made it with the shredded coconut instead of the cornmeal and I like the shreds in the cake. One thing I changed was less sugar-- I used less than a third of a cup and it was sweet enough. Thanks for this! I'll share it on Instagram so my friends can try it!
Stormy says
This is really good, but my almond milk curdled from the lemon juice? I don't know if that happens with all milk or just almond, but maybe a warning? Not sure
A Virtual Vegan says
That's normal and happens with a lot of milks especially soy and almond. I mention in the instructions that the liquid mixture will become thick and gloopy. Glad you enjoyed the cake!
Lala says
Excellent recipe! I followed the recipe exactly as written and the dessert was magnificent, flavorful, moist, and delicious! Thank you!
Lina says
Love this loaf. I’ve made it 3 times so far. Used polenta the first time and it was a bit too crunchy so ended up buying the fine ground cornmeal (Bob’s Mill). It was perfect. I used homemade cashew milk and also I’ve used coconut canned milk full fat mixed with a little water. It worked the same.
The last one I made was raspberries and lemon, no glaze, and holy yummmm. Too good
Lesley says
This was fantastic! So much so, my family ate the whole loaf in one day and I had to make it again the next day. Thank you for sharing. I am looking to adapt this Recipe for a cranberry orange loaf for Christmas.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Lesley. I'm really pleased you enjoyed it! It will work perfectly with orange juice and cranberries. Merry Christmas!
vanessa says
Hi,
I love this recipe and it almost came out perfect except it was a little dry. I followed the recipe perfectly and the loaf was light golden brown, but the inside was a little on the dry side. Can I substitute half of the oil for applesauce to remedy this? Or is there another solution?
Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
Perhaps it was a little overbaked? It's got plenty of moisture in it so it shouldn't be dry. All ovens bake differently and all bakeware cooks differently too so the bake time is just a guide.
Did you change anything at all when making it? That could also affect how it turned out. Like using more flour instead of the cornmeal etc ... Any little change could affect the chemistry of the recipe.
I wouldn't recommend reducing the oil. Oil/fat is what makes and keeps cakes moist.
Did you weigh the flour? If you used cups you could well have inadvertently used too much flour. They aren't an accurate enough measure for baking. I always recommend using a digital scale when baking. You can pick one up for around $10.
I'd recommend baking it for less time next time and using a scale if you didn't this time. It should be fine then. Hope that helps!
Vanessa says
Thanks so much for your reply. I did not use a scale. But I have now bought myself a scale and am going try the recipe again for Christmas. Thank you!
Poppy says
The English measurements are wrong :(
A Virtual Vegan says
No they aren't. I'm English myself and use them when developing my recipes. All of my recipes are tested by both me and a team of recipe testers using the Canadian and UK measurements. What is it you think is wrong with the measurements?
Judith Perez says
I made this because I wanted a blueberry loaf but I don’t love lemon. The lemon lovers in the family found it delicious and the texture was amazing.
That being said... I want to remove the lemon and make a streusel coffee cake. How would I replace the lemon juice?
A Virtual Vegan says
I wouldn't recommend adapting this recipe to make a coffee streusel cake. It has a lot of acid in it and the recipe was created around that. If you replace it with a liquid that isn't acidic it likely won't turn out so well. It would be easier to find an already vegan streusel coffee cake and follow that rather than risk this one turning out not so good. I will add a streusel coffee cake to my list of recipes to work on though but no guarantees when it will appear. My editorial calendar is planned quite a way ahead. I do have a great apple cake, carrot cake and a banana cake on my site in the meantime though. Maybe you might enjoy those? Sorry I can't be of more help!
Regan says
Just made this as my vegan stepmum and Dad were visiting. The loaf did sink which was a bummer (and likely my fault as I opened the oven to check halfway) but the flavour was so amazing. It broke up a lot when carving so it wasn’t quite as beautiful, but everyone loved it!
I generally eat low carb - any tips on how to make this low carb? Thinking of subbing the flour with almond or coconut flour, and subbing the sugar for erythritol or monk fruit?
Melanie McDonald says
Opening the oven when it wasn't set could definitely cause it to sink. Glad everyone loved it though!
I can't advise on low carb. This recipe has only been tested with regular flour and sugar. Coconut flour never works as a straight sub for regular flour though, and almond flour would need another kind of flour or starch to add structure otherwise it would just completely fall apart. Also bear in mind that sugar isn't just for sweetness. It provides structure and texture. If you replace it (or reduce it) you will lose that.
You would be much better off finding a recipe that already fits your dietary needs than trying to adapt this one. You might want to check out my friend Arman at The Big Man's World. He likely has recipes that cover those needs. https://thebigmansworld.com/
Hope that helps a bit!
Ella says
I was wondering if you could you use almond meal instead of cornmeal in this recipe?
Looks delicious!
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes definitely! Enjoy!
Tammie says
This recipe is amazing. The whole family loved it and it was devoured in one sitting. Thanks for the yummy recipe.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! I'm really pleased you all enjoyed it and thanks so much for stopping by to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
Dana says
This turned out fantastic! Perfectly fluffy, absolutely delicious, and with a crispy crust. I made it with shredded coconut and canola oil, replacing 1/4 of the total oil with applesauce. I didn't make the glaze but I did serve it with a vegan custard. With or without it, it was plenty sweet! The only problems I had were that my loaf sunk slightly in the middle and most blueberries also sunk towards the bottom. I think that might be an issue with my oven though rather than the recipe. Very minor anyway so still highly recommended :)
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you enjoyed it! The reason it sunk in the middle is almost certainly because of the applesauce. Applesauce is acidic and while you might get away with using it to replace oil in a lot of cakes, this one already has a lot of acid in it. It would have upset the chemistry. Also the extra moisture from the applesauce will probably have made it rise too rapidly which can then cause sinking in the middle. The extra water from the applesauce in the batter is probably why the blueberries sank too. The batter would have been slacker.
I hope that helps for next time!
Kevin Frea says
Just made this and it's easy and delicious. I was worried that it would be too sweet but it's not. Followed the recipe exactly and it worked, so many, many thanks for posting this.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed it Kevin and thanks so much for coming back to leave a review!
Marian says
Hi!
I'm about to making it...So excited! Question for you,could I use corn starch instead of cornmeal?
A Virtual Vegan says
Definitely not, sorry! They are completely different. Cornstarch will make the batter too thick and change the texture of the sponge. You can use shredded coconut instead though.
Tara says
Hi
Can this be made in 9” round pan
Or 2 x 8” pan
How long should I bake it for?
A Virtual Vegan says
The recipe comfortably fills an 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 inches loaf pan. It's ok in a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan too although doesn't fill them so well.
An 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 inch loaf pan holds about 6 cups of batter.
Round pans hold:
8 x 2 inches = 6 cups
9 x 2 inches = 8 cups
So you could probably bake it in one 8 inch pan. It would end up very skinny in a 9-inch pan. As for time, I've never baked this cake in a round pan so I can't say exactly. I'd guess 35 to 40 minutes but that is just a guess. You would need to check it bounces back when poked with your finger in the middle, is coming away from the edge of the pan, and that a toothpick, skewer or sharp knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Hope that helps!
Tara says
Ok thanks will have a go.
One more question, do we have to use electric mixer or just hand whisk would do?
A Virtual Vegan says
Do it by hand. The only whisking involved is just a quick mix of the dry ingredients to combine them and mixing the liquid ingredients up. Everything else should be folded together with a spoon or spatula. It's really important to not overmix cake batter because it can affect the texture and rise. When you use an electric mixer it's really easy to overmix. Hope that helps!