Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake
If you love the combination of lemon and blueberry, then this fluffy cake topped with a browned butter vanilla streusel is the one for you!
Ingredients
BATTER
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 125 grams granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 60 ml milk (room temperature)
- 120 ml vegetable oil
- 60 ml lemon juice
- Splash of vanilla extract (optional)
- 240 grams all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 150 grams blueberries
STREUSEL TOPPING
- 50 grams unsalted butter
- 35 grams brown sugar
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 70 grams all purpose flour
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
ICING
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon juice
Instructions
- Brown the butter for the topping by adding butter to a small pot on the stove, on medium heat. Swirl the butter in the pot, keeping a close eye on it. It'll boil at first as the water content evaporates, and then start to foam, which is when the milk solids start caramelizing. Once it turns lightly golden, remove from the heat as it will continue browning! Set aside to cool down while preparing the rest of the cake.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Line a medium-sized loaf pan with parchment paper, and/or grease the sides as needed.
- Add lemon zest and sugar to a medium mixing bowl. Massage the lemon zest into the sugar to make it extra lemony.
- Add the eggs to the sugar and lemon zest and whisk together for about a minute. The mixture should lighten in color.
- Add the milk and vegetable oil to the egg and sugar mixture. Whisk well.
- Add the lemon juice to the wet ingredients, whisking well again. It should not separate or curdle the mixture when added. If you want, add a splash of vanilla extract at this stage as well!
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the batter: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk these ingredients together well to combine and get rid of big lumps.
- Prepare the blueberries for the cake by washing them well, then cutting any large blueberries in half (anything larger than about 1cm or 1/2in will likely sink in the batter, so cutting them helps them suspend a bit better!). Set aside a handful of blueberries for the top, then toss the rest of the blueberries in about a tablespoon of the dry ingredient mixture and coat them well.
- Add half of the dry ingredients for the batter into the wet ingredients, whisking together gently. Then add the second half and whisk again gently before switching to a rubber spatula and folding the mixture together until well combined.
- In the prepared loaf pan, add one third of the batter to the bottom. Sprinkle half of the flour coated blueberries on top of the batter. Add another third of the batter, then distribute the rest of the blueberries. Add the last third of the batter on top and smooth out the top.
- Finish making the streusel topping by combining flour, brown sugar, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add in the cooled brown butter and vanilla, then mix together until it forms clumps.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping over the cake evenly. Add the reserved blueberries to the top as well!
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, checking with a knife or a skewer in the center of the cake for doneness - it should come out of the cake clean when inserted.
- Let cool on a cooling rack, removing from the loaf pan after about 10-15 minutes to fully cool.
- Make a simple icing with powdered sugar and lemon juice. We don't tend to measure this, just add sugar and a splash of lemon juice in a bowl until it gets to a drizzly consistency. Drizzle over the top of the cake, slice, and enjoy!