Lemon Blueberry Loaf with Lemon Glaze

Name: Lemon Blueberry Loaf with Lemon Glaze
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan; 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; 1½ tsp (6 g) baking powder; ¼ tsp (1 g) baking soda; ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt; 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar; 2 tbsp (12 g) lemon zest, finely grated from about 2 large lemons; ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until just warm to the touch; 1 cup (227 g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature; 2 (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature; 3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, strained; 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract; 1⅓ cups (200 g) blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw), rinsed and patted dry if fresh; 1 tbsp (8 g) all-purpose flour, for tossing with the blueberries; 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, sifted; 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, strained, plus up to 1 tsp (5 ml) more if needed

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A tender, sour cream-rich loaf with bright lemon zest in every bite, juicy blueberries, and a crackly lemon glaze. It's simple to stir together by hand and stays moist for days.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 1 hr
Wait: 1 hr 30 min
Total: 2 hr 55 min
Makes: 1 loaf (10 slices)

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Ingredients

10 servings

For the loaf
1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
1½ tsp (6 g) baking powder
¼ tsp (1 g) baking soda
½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
2 tbsp (12 g) lemon zest, finely grated from about 2 large lemons
½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until just warm to the touch
1 cup (227 g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
2 (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature
3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, strained
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1⅓ cups (200 g) blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw), rinsed and patted dry if fresh
1 tbsp (8 g) all-purpose flour, for tossing with the blueberries
For the glaze
1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, strained, plus up to 1 tsp (5 ml) more if needed

Equipment (8)

9×5-inch (23×13 cm) metal loaf pan
Parchment paper
Microplane or fine grater
Large mixing bowl and medium mixing bowl
Whisk and rubber spatula
Wire cooling rack
Instant-read thermometer
Small bowl for the glaze

Steps

Before you start

Take the eggs and sour cream out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead so they mix smoothly into the batter.
Zest both lemons before juicing them, because a juiced lemon is hard to zest. You need about 2 tablespoons of zest and 75 ml (5 tablespoons) of juice in total.
Plan on about 3 hours from start to finish. The loaf must cool completely before glazing, or the glaze will run off.
If you use frozen blueberries, do not thaw them. Toss them with flour straight from the freezer so they don't bleed color into the batter.

1
Heat oven, prep panOven 350°F / 175°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease the inside of a 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan with the 1 tablespoon softened butter.
- Line the bottom and the two long sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch (5 cm) overhang on each side to use as handles.
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Ready when: Pan is evenly greased and the parchment lies flat against the pan.
Tip: Grease under the parchment too, so it stays in place while you pour in the batter.
2
Rub zest into sugar
- In a large bowl, combine the 1 cup (200 g) sugar and the lemon zest.
- Rub them together with your fingertips for about 1 minute, pressing the zest into the sugar.
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Ready when: The sugar looks damp, clumps slightly, and smells strongly of lemon.
Tip: This releases the zest's oils and gives much more lemon flavor than stirring it in.
3
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups (250 g) flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until no lumps of baking soda remain.
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Ready when: The mixture is a uniform pale white with no clumps.
4
Make the wet mixture
- Add the cooled melted butter, sour cream, eggs, 3 tablespoons (45 ml) lemon juice, and vanilla to the lemon sugar.
- Whisk for about 1 minute until smooth and well combined.
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Ready when: No streaks of egg or pockets of sour cream remain, and the mixture is thick and creamy.
Tip: If the butter is hot, it can scramble the eggs. Let it cool until just warm.
5
Combine batter
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
- With a rubber spatula, fold gently for about 20 strokes, just until the last streaks of flour disappear.
- The batter will be thick.
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Ready when: No dry flour is visible; a few small lumps are fine.
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes the loaf tough and tunneled.
6
Fold in blueberries
- In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the 1 tablespoon flour until lightly coated.
- Add them to the batter and fold in with 4 to 5 gentle strokes, until they are evenly distributed.
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Ready when: Berries are spread throughout the batter without turning it purple.
Tip: Frozen berries bleed color quickly, so fold them in as little as possible.
7
Fill the pan
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer, pushing it into the corners.
- Tap the pan firmly on the counter twice to settle the batter.
- Scatter any berries that sank to the surface back on top.
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Ready when: The surface is level and the batter reaches about ¾ of the way up the pan.
8
Bake the loafOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 55 to 65 minutes.
- At 45 minutes, tent the loaf loosely with foil if the top is already deep golden brown.
- The loaf is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter) and an instant-read thermometer reads 205–210°F (96–99°C).
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Ready when: Top is golden brown and springs back lightly when pressed, and the center reads 205–210°F (96–99°C).
Tip: A toothpick that hits a blueberry will look wet. Test a spot with no berry.
9
Rest in the pan
- Set the pan on a wire rack and let the loaf rest for 15 minutes.
- This lets the structure set so it doesn't break when you remove it.
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Ready when: The sides have pulled in slightly from the pan and the loaf is warm, not hot.
10
Cool completely
- Use the parchment handles to lift the loaf out of the pan and set it directly on the wire rack.
- Let it cool for about 60 minutes, until the bottom of the loaf feels completely cool to the touch.
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Ready when: The top and bottom feel room temperature, with no warmth in the center.
Tip: Glazing a warm loaf makes the glaze soak in and turn transparent.
11
Glaze and set
- In a small bowl, whisk the sifted powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice until smooth.
- It should fall from the whisk in a thick ribbon; add up to 1 teaspoon more juice if it is too stiff.
- Spoon the glaze over the cooled loaf and let it drip down the sides.
- Leave it for 15 minutes before slicing.
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Ready when: The glaze is opaque white and no longer wet or tacky when lightly touched.
Tip: Add the extra juice a few drops at a time. A glaze that is too thin runs off and turns see-through.

Good to know

Tips

Zest the lemons first and then juice them. You will get more zest and juice from room-temperature lemons if you roll them firmly on the counter before juicing.
Measure flour by weight if you can. Scooping straight from the bag packs in up to 25% more flour and gives a dry loaf.
A metal pan gives the best golden crust. If you use a glass or dark non-stick pan, lower the oven to 325°F (165°C) and start checking at 50 minutes.
For a sharper glaze finish, add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest to the glaze or sprinkle a pinch over the top while it is still wet.

Make ahead

"Bake the loaf up to 1 day ahead, cool completely, wrap tightly, and keep at room temperature. Glaze it on the day you serve it. You can also freeze the unglazed loaf for up to 3 months."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: covered, up to 3 days. Refrigerator: up to 5 days in an airtight container; bring slices to room temperature or warm them in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 to 8 minutes. Freezer: wrap the unglazed loaf, or individual slices, tightly in plastic wrap and then foil for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or toast slices straight from the freezer, then glaze."

Substitutions

full-fat sour cream → full-fat plain Greek yogurt. Use the same weight (227 g). The crumb will be very slightly tangier and a little less rich.
unsalted butter → neutral oil such as canola or avocado oil. Use ½ cup (120 ml). The loaf will be a little moister but will lose the buttery flavor.
blueberries → raspberries or chopped strawberries. Use the same weight (200 g). Raspberries are more delicate, so fold them in very gently.
all-purpose flour → 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Use the same weight (250 g) and let the batter rest 10 minutes before baking. The loaf will be slightly more crumbly.