Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake with Streusel Topping
Spring is my favorite time of year for baking, especially when bright, fresh flavors start making their way back into the kitchen. If there’s one cake that captures the season perfectly, it’s this Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake. Each slice is soft and buttery, filled with bursts of juicy, sweet-tart blueberries and plenty of fresh lemon zest and juice for a vibrant citrus flavor. The cake bakes up tall and tender, with a thick layer of crunchy, buttery streusel crumbled on top. Simple to make, but it looks and tastes like something straight from a bakery!
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake for Spring
- Bright, fresh flavors: Bursting with juicy blueberries and plenty of lemon zest and juice, both in the cake and the crumble on top, for bright flavor throughout.
- Bakery-style loaf: Baked in a standard 1-pound pan, it yields thick, tender slices that look and taste even better than store-bought.
- Made for any occasion: Perfect for brunch, gifting, or simply enjoying as an easy snack at home.
- Crunchy, buttery streusel: The finishing touch to this cake! Adds texture and sweetness without any icing, perfectly balancing this bright lemony loaf.
Ingredient Overview
You’ll find the full list of ingredients and exact measurements in the recipe card below.
- Butter: Unsalted, room-temperature butter creamed with the sugar creates a light, tender cake — and, of course, the buttery richness of the crumble on top!
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the cake, while a mix of granulated and brown sugar in the streusel adds extra depth and richness.
- Lemon Zest and Juice: The zest from two lemons rubbed with the sugar brings out bright, vibrant lemon flavor, while the juice adds an extra citrusy punch throughout the cake.
- Milk & Sour Cream: These keep the cake moist, tender, and perfectly soft.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure for a tender crumb, with an extra tablespoon to coat the blueberries and keep them from sinking.
- Blueberries: Fresh, sweet-tart berries that are in season in spring make the perfect complement to the bright lemon cake.
The Mixing Method That Makes This Cake So Soft
This loaf cake uses the creaming method, which means the butter and sugar are beaten together until light and fluffy before adding the rest of the ingredients. This step is important for incorporating air into the batter, which helps create a soft, tender crumb as the cake bakes.
You’ll also notice the dry ingredients and wet ingredients are added in batches rather than all at once. Alternating them helps keep the batter smooth and prevents overmixing, which can make a loaf cake dense or tough. Mixing the batter this way makes all the difference in achieving that soft, bakery-style texture.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Make the streusel
In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, lemon zest from about ½ a lemon, and a pinch of salt. Pour in the melted (slightly cooled) butter and mix with a fork until crumbly. Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the cake batter.
2. Prep for the cake
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray an 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan (or 9×5-inch) with baking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal later.
3. Cream butter and sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), combine the sugar and lemon zest. Rub together with your fingers to release the lemon oils; this will help create an even stronger lemon flavor. Add the room temperature butter and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
4. Add eggs
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.
5. Mix dry ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
6. Mix wet ingredients
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the milk, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla.
7. Combine
Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry. Begin with one-third of the dry mixture and mix on low speed until just combined, then add half of the wet mixture and mix again on low. Repeat this process, finishing with the remaining dry ingredients. Be careful not to overmix — you want the batter just combined for a tender, soft cake. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as you go to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.
8. Layer the blueberries into the cake
Rinse and dry the fresh blueberries, then toss them with about 1 tablespoon of flour to lightly coat. This helps prevent the berries from sinking to the bottom of the cake while baking.
Spread about one-third of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with one-third of the blueberries. Repeat with another third of the batter and blueberries. Top with the remaining batter and blueberries. Grab the chilled streusel from the refrigerator and crumble evenly over the top.
9. Bake
Bake at 375°F for the first 15 minutes. This helps with the ovenspring so the cake bakes up tall. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 40–45 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
10. Cool
Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then use the parchment overhang to lift it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Blue Mountain Baker’s Tips
Use room temperature ingredients: Everything will blend more smoothly at room temperature, creating a well-emulsified batter and helping prevent overmixing. Pull the butter, milk, sour cream, and eggs from the refrigerator about 30-60 minutes before baking.
Layer the blueberries: Adding the blueberries in layers rather than stirring them all into the batter helps distribute them evenly, so every slice is filled with berries.
Chill the streusel: Keeping the streusel cold helps it hold its shape while baking, creating large, buttery crumbs instead of melting into the cake.
Start with a higher oven temperature: Baking the cake at a higher temperature first gives it a strong initial rise, helping the loaf bake up tall before finishing at a lower temperature for even baking.
Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake FAQ
You can, but fresh blueberries work best in this recipe. Frozen berries are more likely to sink to the bottom, bleed color into the batter, and add extra moisture to the loaf. If you do use frozen blueberries, keep them frozen (do not thaw) and toss them in flour before adding to the batter to help prevent sinking.
You can, but the streusel adds a buttery crunch that balances the bright lemon flavor. If you skip it, try finishing the cake with a quick powdered sugar and lemon juice glaze instead.
Absolutely! Raspberries, blackberries, or even a combination of berries make a great substitute and pair wonderfully with the lemon cake.
If Somehow You Have Leftovers…
If you happen to have leftovers, this Lemon Blueberry Crumb Cake stores beautifully and stays soft for days. Wrap tightly or keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, refrigerate the loaf in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let slices come to room temperature before serving, or warm briefly in the microwave for a few seconds to bring back that fresh-baked texture.
Make-Ahead Tip: You can assemble the cake and streusel topping in advance and keep it in the pan, covered, in the fridge for up to a day before baking. Crumble over the streusel topping right before bakng. This makes it easy to have a fresh-baked loaf ready for brunch or a special occasion without the last-minute prep.
Want even more spring baking? Check out these recipes below!
Happy baking, and thanks so much for being here!
XO, Blue Mountain Baker 💙
Recipe Card
Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake with Streusel Topping
Equipment
- 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan (1-lb loaf pan)
- parchment paper
- stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer)
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Zester or fine grater
- Wire cooling rack
- Kitchen scale (recommended)
Ingredients
Streusel:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 6 tablespoons (50g) all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
Cake:
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest from about 2 lemons
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup (60g) milk room temperature
- 3 tablespoons (42g) sour cream room temperature
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (145g) fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour for coating blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray an 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan (or 9×5-inch) with baking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
- Begin by making the streusel. In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Stir in the melted butter until crumbly. Refrigerate while preparing the batter.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), combine the sugar and lemon zest. Rub together with your fingers to release the lemon oils. Add the room temperature butter and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the milk, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix on low speed just until incorporated after each addition, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as you go to ensure everything is evenly combined.
- Toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour to coat. Spread one-third of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with one-third of the blueberries. Repeat with another third of the batter and blueberries. Top with the remaining batter and blueberries, then crumble the chilled streusel evenly over the top.
- Bake at 375°F for the first 15 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 40–45 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then use the parchment overhang to lift it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
