Lemon blueberry pound cake is the sort of loaf that is bright without being sharp, sweet without being heavy, and full of blueberries in a way that makes every slice look like it had good intentions from the beginning.
Why This Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake Works
Bright, soft, and actually tastes like lemon. The lemon juice and zest make the loaf taste fresh instead of vaguely citrus-adjacent.
Blueberries stay more evenly distributed. Tossing them with flour before folding them in helps keep them from dropping straight to the bottom.
Works for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon coffee situation. This is the kind of loaf cake that feels just as right on a brunch table as it does sliced after dinner.
Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake Ingredients
You might just have most (if not all) of these simple ingredients already in your kitchen. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Flour – Flour is what holds all of this together. No need for fancy cake flour, all-purpose flour is just fine for this easy recipe.
- Baking powder – Baking powder acts as a leavening agent for this moist pound cake. It’s what helps to give it rise and height.
- Salt – As stated before, we aren’t using butter in this recipe, so we do need to add just a touch of salt to balance out the flavors.
- Vanilla yogurt – Part of what makes this such a moist lemon pound cake is the fact that we use yogurt instead of unsalted butter like a classic pound cake recipe. The tangy flavor also helps to complement the lemon.
- Sugar – You can have a cake without sugar! Regular granulated white sugar is what we need.
- Large eggs – Any time you are baking with eggs, assume the recipe calls for large eggs. For the best results, make sure to use room-temperature eggs.
- Lemon – Lemon desserts just aren’t the same without fresh lemon juice or zest. I always prefer using fresh lemons instead of the bottled variety.
- Fresh blueberries – Blueberries add bursts of fruit and moisture and give the cake its signature lemon-blueberry pairing.
- Vegetable oil – I prefer moist crumbs for my homemade lemon pound cake, and using vegetable oil is a great way to achieve that.
- Powdered sugar – Powdered sugar gives the glaze its smooth texture and clean sweetness.
- Whole milk – Milk loosens the glaze just enough so it drizzles instead of clumping.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake (Step-by-Step)
You are going to love how easy it is to make this bright and citrusy cake.
- Prepare oven and pan. Preheat the oven and coat a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder and fine sea salt. Set aside.
- Wet ingredients. In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle or a large mixing bowl using an electronic hand mixer, cream together the yogurt, sugar and eggs. Blend well and then add the lemon zest and juice and vegetable oil Slowly, add dry mixture. Mixture might be a little lumpy.
- Fold in blueberries. In a small bowl, toss the fresh blueberries with the flour. Fold in the blueberries to the batter by hand.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Set the pan onto a baking sheet. Bake until it passes the toothpick test. If the top starts to brown before the cake is fully cooked, cover the top loosely with aluminum foil.
- Cool. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before gently removing from the pan. It should come out easily, but if not, cut along the sides with a knife and then tap on the bottom until it releases.
- Make glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, whole milk and fresh lemon juice .
- Drizzle glaze. When the cake has cooled, place it on a wire cooling rack and drizzle over top. Allow the glaze to dry, then slice and serve.
Chef Tips
I’ve made this lemon blueberry pound cake in my test kitchen to be able to bring you the best tips and tricks.
- Use room-temperature eggs. They mix into the batter more smoothly and help the loaf bake more evenly.
- Toss the blueberries with flour first. This helps keep them suspended in the batter rather than sinking to the bottom.
- Fold the blueberries in by hand. That helps prevent them from bursting too much and turning the batter gray-purple.
- Glaze only after the loaf has cooled. If the cake is too warm, the glaze will melt right off instead of setting nicely.
Storage and Freezing
Storage: Store your cake in a cool, dry place at room temperature. Make sure to keep it covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil or in an airtight container. It should stay good and moist for up to 5 days.
Freezing: This Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake is also freezer-friendly. Wrap very well in aluminum foil and/or freezer paper and store in the back of the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw by unwrapping and sitting at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
Common Questions about Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
Unless you choose to glaze your pound cake with a dairy-based topping, it isn’t necessary to refrigerate it. In fact, it will stay moist longer if stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
Lemon pound cake, like any baked good, can turn out dry if there are too many dry ingredients mixed with the wet ingredients. Be sure to measure precisely to avoid a dry cake.
Lemon zest is the best way to introduce concentrated lemon in a cake. You can also use lemon juice and lemon zest.
More Delicious Desserts
After a delicious dinner, there’s nothing I love more than a homemade dessert. Here are some of our favorites.
Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups flour , plus 1 tablespoon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 12 ounces vanilla yogurt 2 individual containers
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 fresh lemon , juiced and zested
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- cooking spray
Lemon Glaze:
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk or sift together the 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle or a large mixing bowl using an electronic hand mixer, cream together the 12 ounces vanilla yogurt, 1 cup sugar, and 3 large eggs. Blend well and then add the 1 fresh lemon zest and juice and 1/2 cup vegetable oil Slowly, add dry mixture. Mixture might be a little lumpy.
- In a small bowl, toss the 1 cup fresh blueberries with the 1 tablespoon flour. Fold in the blueberries to the batter by hand.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Set the pan onto a baking sheet. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test. If the top starts to brown before the cake is fully cooked, cover the top loosely with aluminum foil.
- Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before gently removing from the pan. It should come out easily, but if not, cut along the sides with a knife and then tap on the bottom until it releases.
Lemon Glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar , 1 tablespoon whole milk and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice .
- When the cake has cooled, place it on a wire cooling rack and drizzle over top. Allow the glaze to dry, then slice and serve.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
Nutrition
Delicious!
Loved how simple this cake was, and I didn’t even have to go to the shop to get the ingredients – had everything in my kitchen already! Brilliant recipe for beginners – easy to make, lovely flavour and brilliant texture!
Love the big lemon flavors in this pound cake! Absolutely delicious.
Moist crumb and it was so pretty. I had a lot of compliments.
So good. The whole family loved it. I’ll be making it again for a bake sale.
Thanks!