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. I used a 21 x 11 x 7 cm pan (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!!!
Well maybe Dozer was drooling but so am I and you don’t want to see that either lol Your photos are stunning! I am going to try this recipe because I love blueberries and glaze 😉
BA HA HA! Bet you drool more elegantly than Dozer 🙂 Instagram it – and I’ll trade you for the drooling pic of DOZER! Te he he!!!
Omg this is so pretty Nagi! And I love quick breads too – partly because of how fast they are to make and how quick I can have warm home-made baking!
Thanks Thalia, you’re so sweet! 🙂
This will be baked and possibly consumed today!
Aw Dozer, just like Mummy, beautiful podgy little paws.
BA HA HA!!! I actually have a photo of his paw in mine – it looks RIDICULOUS! 😉
I didn’t get around to it Saturday but made it this morning….yum….when cooled I quickly inhaled 2 slices.
With thoughts of demolishing it in one sitting I sliced the rest and shared with neighbours.
Don’t tell them but I kept the two end slices for moi. Thank you.
Ann, you’re killing me. I thought I was done with sweet baking for the week….but now I want to make this again! I still have some frozen blueberries!!
It’s 112 degrees here in Chandler AZ. This looked soo good, I’m baking it. Out in the garage in the toaster oven. Scoop of Ice Cream on top out by the pool tonight!!!
OMG – 112F??? SCREECHING HOT!!!! OK, I promise to share more food for HOT WEATHER next week!!!
I love Lemon anything. Add the Blue Berries and it will be a hit. Shopped yesterday. Will have to get ingredients on my next trip.
Love your doggie. So cute and smart too.
I think he is smarter than I give him credit for 🙂 The other day I was tossing food to him and he kept missing. I was giggling so much watching it hit his face, cheek, nose, that I kept throwing more and more at him. Then I realised I had given him almost an entire piece of chicken in the process of my own entertainment!!!
And Who picks up Who’s Poop? They have us trained.
That thought passes my mind every. Single. Day. And I really try not to do the maths but I have accidentally figured out that I pick up at last 750 a year. EW!!!!!
Awww! Drool or no drool Dozer is still adorable. And I can see why he was sitting under the table drooling — I’d be there too fighting for the dropped crumb. Although I would share. I’m sure those sad puppy dog eyes would get to me. Great recipe!! Dozer has fantastic taste. Have a great weekend.
HI Marisa!! Weather here is miserable, I am trying not to leave the house, it is pouring!!! Hope the weather is more pleasant where YOU are!! 🙂
That is the cutest face on your 80lb puppy.
I KNOW! Such an innocent looking face hiding such cheekiness! Hope you have a fab weekend Linda!
Mmmm! Nagi, your photos are beautiful, and this is the perfect post as local blueberries will be coming in next month! Strawberries are just starting – hey, I could use cut-up strawbs with this recipe!! And what a sweet baby Dozer was as a pup!
Thank you Barb! Oooh, local blueberries are the best! I must admit, blueberries in my area aren’t so crash hot. Frozen is actually better 🙂 You are lucky! N x Have a wonderful weekend!!!
Oh doy – hadn’t even thought about frozen bluebs! I might have some in the freezer. You have a great weekend, too!
Beautiful looking loaf! I love the combination of blueberries and lemon – yummy!
Classic flavour combo, isn’t it? 🙂
I printed the recipe. It sounds great. Anything that is fast, is good. Thanks.
I’m with you there Bob! N x
“takes less than 10 minutes to prepare” ?
I swear! Pull the ingredients out onto the counter, guarantee the batter is in the tin within 10 minutes! 🙂
Wondering if you can use sour cream instead of yogurt? Having a lazy weekend and I don’t feel like going to the store for yogurt but that looks so delicious. I fell in love with the puppy pic. Thanks.
He was SO CUTE when he was a pup! 😉 Yup, sour cream will work great, though I’d loosen it up with maybe 1 tbsp of milk 🙂 Because sour cream is usually a touch thicker than yoghurt. I use them interchangeably in baking! 🙂
Hi Nagi! Ina’s recipes can always be trusted, just like yours! I use frozen Maine wild blueberries, they are much smaller and they distribute through the batter more evenly. Gary will be all over this but he will slather butter on it! Happy weekend! 🙂
Oh Gary!!! Butter on this?? No no! 😉 Have a wonderful weekend! N x
Hi Nagi! I told Gary what you said and he changed his mind..he has lemon custard ice cream in the freezer and will use a scoop of that on top instead! 🙂
BA HA HA!!! You know I don’t judge! Tell Gary he should do as he pleases!!! 😉 PS Except when he is required to obey you of course. 🙂
Love loafs and those are super wonderful lflavors for it. So summery, weather is still nce there?
MISERABLE. Pouring with rain! I going to make something seriously comfort food today!!!!
Oh Nagi, this cake is simply stunning!! Lemon and blueberry is one of my favourite combinations; I seriously need a slice of this cake right now!!!
Awww, thank you Annie!!! I love this flavour combo too, one of my FAVES! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!!
Nagi this looks fab! Ina Garten never steers me wrong, especially when it comes to desserts. Yum! Just pinned this – thanks for sharing
Hi Bri! How are you guys?? I was on your site the other day – you are just going from strength to strength!!! 🙂
Hi Nagi! So great to hear from you – and glad to see your poor house is on the mend after the storm. Thank you for your kind words…you are too nice, really!! Anguel says hi as well!