Moist Lemon and Blackberry Loaf Cake Recipe

Lemon and blackberry make a delightful pairing. This recipe features a moist lemon loaf batter swirled with seedless blackberry jam for an easy, flavorful quick bread. Sour cream keeps the cake extra tender—substitute plain full-fat Greek yogurt if you prefer.

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The secret ingredient for a perfect lemon blackberry loaf

After experimenting with fresh berries, I settled on seedless blackberry jam to build consistent flavor and texture. Whole blackberries often sink in loaf pans and can vary widely in sweetness. Seedless jam gives concentrated blackberry flavor without seeds, and it blends smoothly into the batter. If you make your own jam, be aware that straining seeds can leave a thinner result and requires many berries—store-bought seedless jam is an efficient choice.

The role of fresh lemon

Fresh lemon brightens this loaf in three ways: lemon zest folded into the sugar, lemon zest in the batter, and lemon juice in the glaze. To get the most aromatic punch from the zest, rub it into the granulated sugar with your fingertips—this releases the lemon oils and infuses the sugar before creaming it with butter.

Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor. Strain out any seeds or pith before adding the juice to the batter.

How to get a thick lemon glaze

The glaze is simple: powdered sugar and lemon juice. Sift the powdered sugar to remove lumps or break them up with a whisk. Add the lemon juice a tablespoon at a time until the glaze reaches a consistency that will drizzle but still hold some body. It should run off a whisk in a thick ribbon.

How to make Lemon Blackberry Loaf

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Prepare an 8×4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and line it with parchment, leaving an overhang for easy removal.

In a large bowl, rub 1 teaspoon of lemon zest into 1 cup granulated sugar to release the oils. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat ¾ cup room-temperature unsalted butter with the lemon-infused sugar until light and fluffy. Add 3 room-temperature eggs one at a time, mixing between additions, then beat on medium for 1 minute until the mixture lightens.

Mix in 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. With the mixer off, add the dry ingredients—1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup cake flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt—then mix on low just until combined. Add 1 cup full-fat sour cream or plain full-fat Greek yogurt and mix briefly on low, scraping the bowl as needed. Stir in the remaining lemon zest (about 2 teaspoons) on low until incorporated; avoid overmixing.

Pour about half the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon half of the ½ cup seedless blackberry jam in large dollops over the batter and gently swirl with a butter knife. Add the remaining batter, top with the remaining jam, and swirl again gently. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then loosely tent with foil and bake another 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment overhang and place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to cool completely. This will catch any excess glaze.

To make the glaze, whisk together 1¼ cups sifted powdered sugar and 2–4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, adding juice gradually until you reach a thick but pourable consistency. Pour the glaze over the cooled loaf and allow excess to drip onto the tray below.

Storage and freezing

Store the loaf without the glaze; add the glaze just before serving. To preserve moisture, wrap the cake in plastic wrap or foil while still slightly warm. Keep at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 1 week.

To freeze, wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap, place it in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before glazing and serving.