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Slices of lemon blueberry bread with white icing drizzled over the top.
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Lemon Blueberry Bread

Dig into a thick slice of this beautiful Lemon Blueberry Bread. Lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon syrup, and fresh blueberries give this bread tons of flavor. It bakes up moist with a tender crumb and is topped with a an easy lemon glaze.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 312kcal

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 1 ⅔ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (about 1 large lemon)
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • cup buttermilk
  • 1 generous cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour for the blueberries

Lemon syrup:

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Icing:

  • ¾ cup powdered sugar plus more, if needed
  • 1-2 drops pure almond extract
  • 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice plus more, if needed

Instructions

Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle of the oven. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and, salt.
  • In a separate bowl, using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (preferred) or a hand mixer beat butter, sugar, and lemon zest on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl and beater as necessary. After both eggs have been added beat in the almond extract.
  • In a liquid measuring cup combine the buttermilk and lemon juice.
  • Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk into the butter mixture. Add one third dry ingredients, beat until almost combined. Add half buttermilk, beat until almost fully combined. Follow with half of the remaining dry ingredients, the remaining buttermilk, then the remaining dry ingredients. Beat between each addition until just combined and scrape the bowl and beater as needed. Once everything has been added, beat the whole mixture on medium-high speed for about 15 seconds. Toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour then gently stir the blueberries into the batter.
  • Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (be careful not to overbake). Rotate the pan halfway through bake time to ensure even browning. Place the pan on a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Proceed with the syrup.

Lemon syrup:

  • In a glass measuring cup or bowl, heat lemon juice, water, and sugar in the microwave until the sugar dissolves, about 30 seconds. Stir well.
  • After the cake has cooled for 15 minutes, carefully remove it from the pan (I run a thin knife around the outside, between the cake and pan). Place the cake on the wire rack. Place a paper towel or wax paper under the wire rack. Brush/drizzle the lemon syrup on the top and sides of the warm cake, allowing it to soak in. Cool completely.

Icing:

  • Whisk all ingredients until smooth. Add more powdered sugar to thicken or more lemon juice, to thin. Drizzle the icing over the top of the cooled cake.

Notes

Serving: Serve this cake at room temperature. The crumb is more tender and moist when the cake is at room temp.
Storage: This cake can be stored tightly covered at cool room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 4 days. Bring to room temp before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 358IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 1mg