If you are a regular to my blog, it’s no secret that I love citrus bakes. This blueberry lemon thyme loaf cake is one of my favorites and is MUST bake. This lemon cake is tender, fluffy and velvety, packed with lemon flavor with hints of herby fresh thyme, filled with juicy, fresh blueberries and drizzled with a sweet and tangy lemon glaze. It’s so delicious, and so addictive – it’s hard to eat just one slice.
How to make blueberry lemon thyme loaf cake
It’s important to toss and coat the blueberries with a small amount of flour. This keeps them suspended in the cake so that they don’t sink to the bottom of the cake during baking.
Butter is beaten with sugar, lemon zest and thyme to get maximum flavor from the aromatics until light and fluffy. Beat for the full 5 minutes so that the texture has lightened color and appears lighter and fluffier in texture. Vanilla and eggs are beaten in, followed by adding in and alternating dry ingredients and milk.
The blueberry/flour mixture is folded into the better to keep them the berries intact and also to not deflate the batter. I baked this cake in an 8 1/2″ by 4 1/2″ loaf pan but you can use a 9 x 5 loaf pan if you have that on hand. Bake until the loaf comes out clean or with a few remaining dry crumbs and the top is golden brown.
The glaze
While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze. Simply whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, fresh lemon juice, and heavy cream until thickened and thoroughly mixed. The heavy cream helps to thickened the glaze and give it more of a creamy texture. This glaze is creamy and tangy, packing in even more lemon flavor. Pour or drizzle the glaze over the cake while it is still warm.
If you make my blueberry lemon thyme loaf cake, let me know! Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your creations.
Enjoy!
Ash xx
For more blueberry recipes, check out these posts:
Maple Bacon Blueberry French Toast Cupcakes
Blueberry Lemon Thyme Loaf Cake
Ingredients
Loaf Cake
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup milk, room temperature
Lemon Glaze:
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 8.5 x 4.5 or 9 x 5 pan with baking spray. Or, butter the pan, sprinkle with flour, and tap out the excess flour over the sink.
- Combine the blueberries and 1 tablespoon of flour together in a small bowl. Toss to coat the blueberries with flour.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 2/3 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, lemon zest and thyme on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each one has been added.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter in the three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the blueberries.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the loaf comes out with few dry crumbs.
- Cool the loaf in the pan for 15 minutes on a cooling rack. Remove the loaf from the pan and place on the cooling rack to continue cooling.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioner's sugar, lemon juice and heavy cream until thickened and well combined.
- Pour or drizzle the glazes over the warm (not hot) loaf cake. Top with extra blueberries and garnish with fresh thyme. Cool completely before slicing and serving.