Blueberry & Lemon Loaf Cake Recipe

I found this wonderful Blueberry & Lemon Loaf Cake recipe in July’s Country Living Magazine. I don’t know about you but I love all things blueberry. There was an article in the same magazine extolling their virtues.

They’re hailed as a superfood because:

They protect cells against free radicals which may cause heart disease and cancer.
They are rich in anthocyanin, a phytonutrient that encourages good gut bacteria.
Being relatively low in sugar and rich in fibre gives them a low glycemic load. This means that they could improve insulin sensitivity and prevent spikes in blood sugar.

Follow the step by step guide below to make this special treat.

Ingredients for Blueberry & Lemon Loaf Cake

Ingredients to make Blueberry & Lemon loaf

50ml vegetable oil, plus extra to grease
200g self-raising flour
175g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
200g (260ml) soured cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
125g blueberries

For the icing

75g icing sugar, sifted
1.5 tbsp lemon juice

To decorate, optional

50g blueberries
Pared lemon zest
Edible flowers, optional

Method for Blueberry & Lemon Loaf Cake

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan oven) gas mark 4
Grease and line a 900g loaf tin (21cm long x 11cm wide x 7cm deep) with baking parchment
In large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and a pinch of fine salt to combine
Add the remaining ingredients, except for the blueberries, and whisk briefly until just combined (a few lumps are a good thing in this recipe)
Fold in 100g of the blueberries and turn the mixture into the prepared tin

Ingredients mixed together and poured into prepared loaf tin

Scatter the remaining berries
Bake for about 1 hour-1 hour 10 minutes, or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then gently ease out and leave to completely cool on a wire rack
Mix the icing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth, then drizzle over the cooled cake
Scatter over the blueberries, lemon zest and edible flowers, if you like