lemon blueberry cake

dessert vegetarian 4.7 (98 reviews)
Lemon blueberry cake slice with glaze and berries

why we love it

This cake is sunshine in loaf form — tender, olive-oil‑rich crumb, bursting with juicy blueberries and bright lemon. The simple lemon glaze seeps into every crevice, making it impossibly moist. It's our favorite spring bake, but honestly, we make it year‑round.

prep: 20 min bake: 50–55 min serves 10 difficulty: medium
ingredients
  • for the cake:
  • 1½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (120ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup (120ml) whole milk, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp lemon zest (from 2–3 lemons)
  • ¼ cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
  • 1½ cups (200g) fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen, do not thaw)
  • 1 tbsp flour (for tossing berries)
  • for the glaze:
  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2–3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

use a good-quality olive oil — it adds subtle fruitiness. If using frozen blueberries, toss them in flour to prevent sinking.

method
  1. Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on long sides.
  2. Dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar vigorously until pale and slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in olive oil, milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined.
  4. Combine: Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined — do not overmix. A few streaks of flour are okay.
  5. Add blueberries: In a small bowl, toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour (this helps prevent sinking). Gently fold them into the batter.
  6. Bake: Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake for 50–55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil after 40 minutes.
  7. Cool: Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use parchment to lift cake out and transfer to rack to cool completely.
  8. Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons lemon juice until smooth. Add more juice if needed to reach drizzling consistency. Stir in zest if using. Drizzle over cooled cake. Let set before slicing.

this cake keeps beautifully for 3 days wrapped at room temperature — the glaze forms a delicate crust.

380 kcal per slice 5g protein 54g carbs 16g fat 2g fiber
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