Cakes & Cupcakes
Lemon and Blueberry Loaf
This is a simple lemon loaf with blueberries tossed in, drizzled with lemon syrup for some extra tart flavour and moisture.
I want people to be able to bake delicious bakes, without all the effort and fuss of having to use complex techniques and ingredients. Personally, I like challenging myself by trying new techniques but sometimes a simple bake which yields delicious results is equally rewarding.
This lemon and blueberry loaf is a simple pound cake using only four basic pantry staples. I wanted to make it a little extra special and so threw some blueberries into the mix. I have been seeing a lot of lemon and blueberry recipes on Instagram lately. Whilst this is a fairly common flavour profile, it is a classic one which never disappoints.
What did initially disappoint me however, was the fact that my blueberries had sunk to the bottom. I baked this recipe three times, incorporating the berries in differently – tossing them in flour and adding them into the cake batter before going into the pan, layering the berries and the batter, placing all the berries right on top. Unfortunately, in all instances, they had sunk to the bottom. I have not solved this conundrum for now, but still think the cake tastes great. Also, there are no rules about all the blueberries needing to be dispersed throughout the cake.
As a side note, I did try a yogurt cake version which resulted in much more uniform blueberry dispersion, but I was not mad about the taste. I therefore decided to stick with this version for now, and see if I can solve this at a later stage.
If you are able to solve my blueberry conundrum, please let me know how – I promise to give you the credit for it 🙂
If you liked this blueberry and lemon loaf, you may also like
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Sweet and Tart Lemon Squares
These lemon squares are quick and simple to make with just a few ingredients and have a lovely rustic feel to them.
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My Ultimate Lemon Meringue Pie
A classic lemon meringue pie, with a few twists and turns to make it a bit extra special.
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The recipe
Lemon and Blueberry Loaf
adventureswithsugar.com/lemon-and-blueberry-loaf/
Method
Method: blueberry and lemon loaf
- Preheat the oven and prepare the tin: Preheat the oven to 170˚ Celsius. Grease and line a 25cm by 13cm loaf pan with baking paper. Let the baking paper hang over the length of the pan, so that it is easy to lift out the baked cake.
- Coat the blueberries: Toss the blueberries in a tablespoon of flour and set aside.
- Combine the eggs, milk and vanilla: Mix the eggs, milk and vanilla essence together, for about 30 seconds, until just incorporated.
- Sift the dry ingredients: Sift the flours, bicarbonate of soda and sugar into a bowl.
- Add the zest and butter: Add in the lemon zest and softened butter to the flour mixture.
- Add half the egg mixture: Pour in half of the egg mixture into the flour and butter mixture and beat for 30 seconds.
- Add the remaining egg mixture: Then add in the remaining egg mixture and beat for another minute.
- Layer the batter and blueberries: Pour in a third of the batter into the prepared pan, followed by half the blueberries. Repeat with batter, blueberries and finally the last third of the batter.
- Bake: Bake the cake for around 50 – 60 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out clean. If you find that the top of your cake is getting too dark, but it is not cooked on the inside, then just cover it with a piece of foil and let it bake until done.
Method: lemon syrup
- Start the syrup: When the cake has been baking for around 45 minutes, place the sugar and lemon juice in a pot and heat on medium heat.
- Heat until just boiling: Heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture just comes to a boil. Do not overheat it or the syrup may be too thick and not soak into the cake.
- Soak the cake: As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, pour over the hot syrup to let soak in.
- Cool and turn out: Let the cake cool in the tin for about 45 minutes, before turning out and letting it cool completely. This is important, especially if the blueberries have sunk to the bottom. If you turn the cake out whilst still very warm, the bottom of the cake will bulge as it is too moist with the fruit. I am talking from experience here 😉
Tips for making this lemon and blueberry loaf
Is it essential for my ingredients to be at room temperature?
This is an "all-in-one cake" mixing method, where you just beat all the ingredients together; it is therefore crucial that the butter is really soft (not melted!) or you run the risk of overmixing. This will result in a dry cake.
Can I change the blueberries in the recipe?
The blueberries can be omitted, or swapped out for raspberries. Strawberries and blackberries are too watery and will add too much moisture to the cake.
Can I bake this in another tin?
I personally have not tested this, so cannot say. I do not think it would be a problem, provided you change the baking time and the temperature.
What happens if my cake is getting too brown on the top, but my cake is not cooked?
Cover the top of the loaf tin with a piece of foil.
How will I know when the cake is done?
A skewer inserted into the cake should come out clean.
How long will this cake keep for?
This cake is best eaten on the same day, but will keep in an airtight container for three days.
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