Description
A buttery lemon blueberry pound cake baked in one loaf pan, with fresh lemon zest and juice, juicy blueberries and a sweet lemon glaze. Moist, tender and perfect for brunch, dessert or gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (or frozen, thawed and patted dry)
- 1 tablespoon flour, for tossing the blueberries
For the Lemon Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon milk or cream, plus a little more if needed
Instructions
- Prepare the pan. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan. For easy removal, line the bottom with a strip of parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat them for 3 to 4 minutes, until pale, light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
- Add the flavor. Mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and almond extract if using.
- Combine. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix only until no dry flour remains.
- Fold in the berries. Toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour, then fold them gently into the batter.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the pan, smooth the top and bake 60 to 75 minutes, checking at 60 minutes. A toothpick in the center should come out clean or with a few dry crumbs. Tent with foil if the top browns too quickly.
- Cool. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then move it to a wire rack and cool completely.
- Glaze and serve. Whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice and milk until smooth, adding a little more milk if the glaze is too thick. Drizzle over the cooled cake. Slice and serve.
Notes
- Use fresh lemons for the best flavor. Zest them before juicing. You need about 3 medium lemons for the cake and the glaze.
- Tossing the blueberries in flour helps keep them spread through the batter.
- Storage: keep covered at room temperature up to 2 days. Refrigerate leftovers and eat within 3 to 4 days (USDA guidance). Freeze wrapped slices up to 3 to 4 months, ideally unglazed.
- Do not taste the raw batter: it contains raw flour and raw eggs (FDA advice).
- Nutrition is an estimate calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the whole loaf and glaze, divided into 10 slices. Cut 8 slices and each one is about 540 calories.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/10 of the loaf)
- Calories: 435
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 262mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 125mg