Blueberry Lemon Loaf Cake (Vegan, Allergy-friendly)

Sweet & tender vegan blueberry lemon loaf, bursting with lemon and blueberries, topped with a tangy sweet lemon cream cheese glaze.

Get ready for this delicious Blueberry Lemon Dessert!

I have a thing for lemon blueberry recipes and desserts. This combination of flavors inspires me and brings me to my happy place! From scrumptious Blueberry Scones, and these Blueberry Muffins, to our all-time summer favorite – Blueberry Lemon Snack Cake, we just can’t get enough.

Blueberry Lemon Loaf

This Blueberry Lemon Cake is a delicious and flavorful quick bread, you can add to the list above.  It’s a beautiful dessert, perfect for a special brunch, tea party or celebration. It’s also wonderful just sharing a slice with your girlfriends over a cup a coffee.  

It has a deliciously tender texture, a bright summery lemon flavor and sooooo many blueberries! I just love the bright flavor combination of blueberry and lemon, don’t you?!  

Especially when paired with a creamy and not too sweet, vegan cream cheese glaze (although I may have gone a little overboard with the glaze this time around). No matter how you slice it, you’re going to love this recipe.

Lemon Blueberry Cake Recipe

This simple cake recipe is made in a 1 lb loaf pan (9×5 inch), so it’s much easier than making a layer cake. So let’s talk ingredients so you can make this allergy-friendly loaf with ease.

• Vegetable oil is used here instead of butter. It’s neutral flavor, high heat tolerance and accessibility make it an easy selection. Plus, baked goods made with oil are more moist and fluffy. 
• All-purpose flour or a high quality gluten-free flour blend for an extra soft, cake. I realize that not everyone needs follows a GF diet, so I’ve included a substitute in the notes for the 1:1 brand I’ve tested in this recipe.
• “Buttermilk” made by combining flax milk and lemon juice. Grandma always used buttermilk because she said it creates a moist, tender, super soft cake.  
• Granulated Sugar adds sweetness, holds in the moisture and creates tenderness.  It also helps leaven and deepen color and flavor. So it’s important on many levels in this recipe.
• Baking Powder & Soda are key ingredients since we’re making an eggless loaf cake. 
• Cinnamon and Salt compliment the sweet and tangy flavors, and elevate your tastebuds a little more.
• Lemon juice & zest for that delicious flavor. Make sure to use lemon juice from freshly squeezed lemons and if possible, choose Meyer lemons.  They are less tart, extra sweet and simply the best.
• Feel free to use fresh or frozen berries. If using frozen, just make sure not to thaw them first

How to Bake Easy Blueberry Lemon Loaf

1. Start off by sifting the dry ingredients together. This just makes it extra light and fluffy.  
2. Mix the wet ingredients (minus blueberries) then add the wet ingredients to the flour blend and mix until well absorbed. I always use my kitchen aid mixer but you could whisk by hand if you’re wanting some extra arm muscles. 
3. Pour 1/3 batter into parchment lined pan and spread out evenly. Sprinkle blueberries on top, then repeat. (You can also fold blueberries into the batter , but layering them prevents turning the batter purple). 
4. Bake exactly 45 minutes, turn off oven then let it sit in there another 15 minutes.

This recipe makes 1 bright and zesty loaf, so feel free to double the recipe if you’ll be sharing. Actually, I recommend making a second loaf, because once you take a bite, you won’t want to share!

Homemade Blueberry Lemon Glaze

The cream cheese topping is an incredibly easy glaze to whip up, made with a little vegan cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon juice. Omit the cream cheese all together if you want a lighter glaze or nix the whole thing, if you are cutting calories. But in the end, you’re making a dessert bread and this vegan cream cheese glaze is amazing on it!

How Do You Store Vegan Loaf Cake?

If you plan on serving this cake the day it is made, I’d recommend placing the entire loaf in a loaf cake keeper like this one by Nordic Ware. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

If you are making ahead of time then it’s important to let the loaf cool completely then wrap tightly (without the glaze) and store at room temperature. Store the frosting separately in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to frost, let the frosting warm up to room temperature. You may need to whip the glaze again to bring it to a smooth consistency.

Unfrosted loaf cake can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge.

If you love Blueberries as much as we do, you’ll also want to try these recipes:

• Blueberry Banana Cake (V, GF,NF)
• Blueberry Lemon Cookies
• Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes
• (psst, don’t forget the Scones or Snack-Cake I mentioned earlier ⬆️).

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a review below and don’t forget to snap a photo and share it on Instagram; be sure to tag me @allergylicious.