This moist, flavorful cake can multitask as a breakfast or brunch coffee cake, an afternoon treat to enjoy with tea, or an after-dinner dessert served with a scoop of ice cream. The easy quick-bread method doesn't require a mixer--just stir, bake, and enjoy! 

The flavor combination of lemon and blueberries combined with yogurt is a winner. Adapted from Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Cake, this recipe has a lemon syrup that is drizzled onto the hot-out-of-the-oven loaf so it soaks in and provides moisture and flavor. A lemon glaze is a finishing touch after the loaf cools. That lemony flavor is amazing and the fruity bursts of blueberries throughout make this quick-bread all the yummier. 

Step-by-step photos for making
Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake

Step 1. Assemble the ingredients:

• all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• salt
• sugar
• neutral oil (canola, vegetable, grapeseed, peanut)
• Greek whole-milk yogurt (you may substitute regular yogurt)
• vanilla
• eggs
• fresh lemons (for zest and juice)
• fresh blueberries (you may substitute unthawed frozen blueberries)
• powdered (confectioners) sugar

Step 2. Zest from the lemons is used in the batter. Lemon juice is used in the syrup and glaze. It's easiest to zest the lemons first and then juice them. (It's difficult to zest lemons after they have been cut and squeezed.)

view on Amazon: zester, citrus squeeze juicer

Step 3. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. 

• view on Amazon:  wire whisk;  stackable mixing bowls

Step 4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Set aside.

Step 5. Wash blueberries and spread them out on paper towels to thoroughly dry them. Add dry blueberries and flour to a small bowl and gently toss until blueberries are evenly coated. (This step prevents the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake.)

• NOTE:  If you're using frozen blueberries, don't thaw or rinse them. Leave them in the freezer until just before tossing them with flour and stirring them into the batter. If they thaw and release their juices, it will turn the batter to an unappealing gray color

Step 6. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir just until there are no visible dry flour bits. The batter will be lumpy.

Step 7. Add the blueberries to the batter and fold them in gently with a rubber spatula just until evenly distributed.

• view on Amazon:  my favorite rubber spatula (perfect for stirring batter and folding in fruit)

Step 8. Pour the batter into a greased/sprayed loaf pan. Tap pan on counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula. 

• NOTE: To prevent sticking, Ina Garten recommends greasing the loaf pan, then lining the bottom with parchment paper, then greasing and flouring the pan. My non-stick loaf pan only needs to be sprayed or greased. However, I've heard from readers who had problems with the bottom sticking to their pan. If you're unsure about this, I recommend using Ina's method.

Step 9. Bake approximately 1 hour until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (The cake will have a characteristic crack down the middle.) Transfer to a wire rack. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

• view on Amazon:  loaf pan

Step 10. MAKE LEMON SYRUP: In microwave or on stovetop combine and cook lemon juice and sugar until mixture is clear. (About 90 seconds in microwave, 5 minutes on stovetop.) 

• view on Amazon: 1-cup Pyrex measuring cup

Step 11. After the cake has cooled in the pan for 10 minutes, remove it from the pan and place it on a rack inside a baking sheet.

• view on Amazon:  baking sheet with cooling rack

STEP 12. Use a toothpick to gently poke holes all over the top of the cake, 1 to 2 inches apart. (I learned this technique from my mother. She made a similar lemon cake that we all loved, and the toothpick pokes made it extra moist and lemony when syrup was poured over the top and seeped into the holes.)

STEP 13. While the cake and syrup are still hot, slowly drizzle the syrup over the entire cake top. The syrup will soak into the holes and center crack in the cake. Some of the syrup may drip off into the pan below--no worries, that's unavoidable. The cake top should have a glossy finish all over when you're finished applying the syrup.

Allow the cake to cool completely after the syrup is applied.

Step 14. MAKE LEMON GLAZE: Stir together lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth.

Step 15. Transfer the loaf to a serving platter. Drizzle the top of the cooled cake with the glaze until completely covered. Some glaze will drip down the sides and pool on the platter.

The cake is finished and ready to eat!

• STORE the cake at room temperature--it stays fresher without refrigeration. The cake stays moist and delicious for 2-3 days, if it lasts that long! I have a loaf cake keeper the is perfect for storing this cake.

Slice and enjoy! It's moist, sweet, lemony, and bursting with berries. Yum! 

Make it a Yummy day!

Monica

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Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake

By Monica              Servings: makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

• FOR BATTER:
• 1-1/2 cups + 2 teaspoons flour, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt (may substitute regular yogurt)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest*
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup neutral oil (vegetable, canola, grapeseed)
• 1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and thoroughly dried (may substitue unthawed frozen**)
• FOR LEMON SYRUP:
• 1/3 cup lemon juice*
• 1/3 cup sugar
• FOR LEMON GLAZE:
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice*

Directions

*2-3 medium-sized lemons will yield enough zest for the batter and juice for the sauce and glaze. It's easier if you zest the lemons before juicing them.

** If you're using frozen blueberries, don't thaw or rinse them. Leave them in the freezer until just before stirring them into the batter. If they thaw and release their juices, it will turn the batter to an unappealing gray color.)

PREP LOAF PAN and HEAT OVEN: Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan. (NOTE: If you have a non-stick loaf pan that releases easily, it may be sufficient to just grease the pan.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

MIX BATTER: In large bowl, whisk together 1-1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In separate medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients: yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil; set aside. Add blueberries to small bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons flour until evenly coated; set aside. Pour wet ingredient mixture into dry ingredients; gently stir just until there are no visible dry bits. (Batter will be lumpy.) Use a rubber spatula to fold blueberries into mixture. Pour into prepared loaf pan.

BAKE for 60-70 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan, then carefully remove to a cooling rack that is placed over a baking sheet.

MAKE and DRIZZLE LEMON SYRUP: In microwave or on stovetop combine and cook lemon juice and sugar until mixture is clear. (About 90 seconds in microwave, 5 minutes on stovetop.) While cake is still warm, gently poke holes with toothpick approx. 1-2inches apart in top of cake. Slowly, drizzle warm sauce over cake, allowing it to soak in as you drizzle. (Some may drip off onto baking sheet underneath; that's fine.) Cool completely.

MAKE AND DRIZZLE LEMON GLAZE: Whisk together powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice until smooth. Whisk in remaining tablespoon lemon juice. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Store cake covered at room temperature. It will remain moist and tasty for 2-3 days.

Adapted from Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Cake.

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