If you're looking for a delicious quick bread recipe, try this easy Blueberry Pound Cake recipe. It's bursting with fresh lemon flavor, sweet blueberries, and topped with a fresh lemon glaze. Perfect snack or dessert with tea or coffee!
Quick breads like Chocolate Chip Banana Bread and pound cakes are easy to make and a fast way to enjoy delicious baked goods.
This Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake is leavened with baking soda, making it technically a quick bread. Unlike typical breads which use yeast to rise. But it's sweet and has the texture of cake. So whether you call it a quick bread or a pound cake, it's one in the same!
Blueberry pound cake is a delightful dessert that perfectly combines the richness of traditional pound cake with the refreshing burst of blueberries. Whether you're an experienced baker or a novice in the kitchen, this cake is sure to impress. With its vibrant flavor, delightful texture, and nutritional benefits, blueberry pound cake is a treat you won't be able to resist!
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🌟 Why this recipe works
We love making this blueberry pound cake recipe when we want something sweet to serve that's simple and elegant.
- Fast and easy - This is a great easy recipe for beginning bakers and pros alike! From start to finish it takes just about an hour.
- Delicious - With sweet blueberries, a moist cake, and tangy lemon vanilla glaze, every bite is a delight for your taste buds.
- Make-ahead - This pound cake is a great make-ahead dessert!
What is pound cake?
Pound cake dates back centuries and gets its name from the original recipe's straightforward measurements: one pound each of flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. This dense and buttery cake was a staple in many European households and eventually made its way to America, where it gained even more popularity.
Classic vanilla pound cake has since become a versatile base recipe. It's used for countless variations, including our star today: blueberry lemon pound cake.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Blueberries - You can use fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries. If using frozen, do not thaw them out before using. Simply fold the frozen blueberries into the batter. Juicy blueberries are bursting with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. They're also low in calories and high in fiber, making them a guilt-free addition to your pound cake.
- Dry ingredients - Use all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Butter - You'll want to use unsalted butter that is melted and slightly cooled.
- Buttermilk - If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding a teaspoon of lemon juice to milk or non-dairy milk (use the measurement from the recipe card) and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. The milk may curdle a bit and that's totally normal -- this is now buttermilk!
- Lemon - Lemon zest adds a bright zing to the muffin batter!
- Vanilla - Use pure vanilla extract for that bakery aroma and flavor.
To make the icing glaze, you'll need powdered sugar (AKA confectioner's sugar), lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
The full list of ingredients and detailed instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here's a helpful step-by-step photo guide to help you bake this delicious quick bread recipe!
Start by preheating the oven to 350°F.
Line the bottom and sides of a 9" x 5" loaf pan with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a small bowl, flour the blueberries; set aside.
- In a large bowl (separate bowl), whisk together the dry ingredients.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment -- or in a large mixing bowl using a hand electric mixer -- cream the butter, then add the granulated sugar and beat together.
- Beat in the eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- Gradually alternate adding the dry ingredients (the flour mixture) and the buttermilk.
- Gently fold in the floured blueberries.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake according to the instructions in the recipe card.
Make the Glaze
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the three ingredients to make the glaze. The glaze should be slightly thick, but still drip from the whisk enough to slowly drizzle over the cake.
- Once the cake is completely cool, use a spoon or fork to drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake.
🧁 Baking Tips and recipe FAQs
- Coat blueberries in flour: Before folding blueberries into the batter, toss them in a little flour. This helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the pan during baking.
- Add a touch of lemon zest: To enhance the fruity flavors and brighten up the cake, grate a little lemon zest into the batter. The citrusy aroma will complement the blueberries beautifully.
- Be mindful when mixing: While preparing the batter, ensure that the ingredients are well combined but avoid overmixing. Overmixing can result in a tougher texture, so gently fold in the ingredients until they are just incorporated.
- Toothpick test: the cake loaf is done with a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If it comes out with little bits of wet batter, allow it to bake a little longer.
- If the glaze is too thin, whisk in a little more powdered sugar
- If your glaze is too thick, whisk in a little more lemon juice or water.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use fresh or frozen blueberries. If you can get your hands on fresh, sweet blueberries, that's ideal. However, frozen blueberries work just as well and can be used straight from the freezer without thawing.
Yes, you can make this blueberry pound cake recipe in a bundt pan. If your bundt pan is deep, you may try doubling the recipe to fit the larger pan. You will also want to increase the baking time. Since bundt pans are so deep, your blueberry pound cake may likely take closer to 1 hour to bake fully.
Allow the bread to cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, refrigerate for up to one week.
Yes! You can absolutely freeze lemon blueberry pound cake! Simple wrap in plastic wrap then secure in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to two months.
🍽 Serving ideas
We love serving this blueberry pound cake for breakfast, brunch, or snack. It's wonderful enjoyed simply with a cup of tea or coffee.
For brunch, it's great to serve alongside a beautiful Brunch Board. Or make some Crab Deviled Eggs or Mini Cheese and Spinach Frittatas to go along with it.
Make a big batch of Tropical Sangria, and you've got a beautiful, fun, brunch celebration!
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you'll need:
- Loaf pan - use a 9" x 5" loaf pan to bake this delicious pound cake.
- Mixing bowls - You'll need a set of medium and large mixing bowls.
- Stand mixer - This KitchenAid stand mixer is great for baking!
- Whisk - A large balloon whisk is perfect for the job of whisking together ingredients.
- Spatula - Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to gently fold in the final ingredients to prevent over-mixing, and to scrape the batter from the sides of the bowl into the prepared pan.
More baking recipes
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Blueberry Pound Cake
Equipment
- 1 Loaf Pan
Ingredients
For the cake loaf
- 2 cups all-purpose flour + 1 teaspoon, divided
- 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the lemon glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
Make the Cake Loaf
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9" x 5" loaf pan with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour over the blueberries and toss together to gently coat the blueberries with the flour. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 cups of flour, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment -- or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer -- cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. Then add the granulated sugar and cream together for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs until incorporated. Then beat in the lemon juice and vanilla.
- Gradually add one-third of the dry ingredients (the flour mixture), then one-third of the buttermilk, and alternate until both are incorporated fully into the batter.
- Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to gently fold in the floured blueberries, just until they're incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan at room temperature for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the glaze.
Make the Glaze
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest, until smooth. The glaze should be slightly thick, but still drip from the whisk enough to slowly drizzle over the cake. If the glaze is too thin, whisk in a little more powdered sugar; if your glaze is too thick, whisk in a little more lemon juice or water.
- Once the cake is completely cool, use a spoon or fork to drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake. Leave the cake and allow the glaze to set before slicing into the loaf.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
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