Classic Lemon Blueberry Tea Cake with a Sugar Glaze

Sweet blueberries and tart lemons make for the perfect tea cake to share on your brunch table, as a snack or to have with your afternoon tea or coffee.

a large blue and white porcelain platter with a sliced loaf od blueberry filled bread,next to pink hydrangeas blossoms and sliced lemons

Ingredients in lemon blueberry tea cake:

fresh ingredients:

  • eggs
  • lemons
  • blueberries
  • half and half or milk
  • unsalted butter

pantry ingredients:

  • granulated sugar & superfine sugar
  • cinnamon
  • kosher salt
  • baking powder
  • flour
  • vanilla paste
  • almond extract
white bowl, white ceramic juicer, eggs in a brown bowls and a pile of lemon in front of large glass flip top jars filled with sugar and flour

Why is lemon blueberry tea cake recipe so special?

This simple tea cake that can be whipped up in just a few minutes. It is moist and tender quick loaf packed with fresh lemon juice for tartness and plump blueberries for texture. If using frozen berries, thaw, then pat dry with paper toweling before coating in flour. I pour a lemon juice glaze all over the loaf to give it tons of moisture so you do not have a dry loaf. This cake tastes better every day with the lemons adding tons of brightness and acidity. This is a perfect bread to have on your Mother’s Day brunch table or to wrap as a gift for a friend.

a slice of blueberry tea cake on a floral plate with a sterling fork and a cup of tea

How to make lemon blueberry tea cake:

  1. Butter and flour a loaf pan. Pre heat your oven.
  2. Whisk melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla paste and almond extract until smooth. sift flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together. Add in the milk and flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. Stir in lemon zest.
  3. Mix flour with blueberries. Gently fold into the batter.
  4. Pour the blueberry batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.
  5. Make a glaze with superfine sugar and lemon juice.
  6. Poke holes with a skewer all over the warm cake and pour the glaze all over the loaf to soak it through.
  7. Let cake rest 5 minutes before slicing.
a white ceramic bowl filled with flour and lemon zest next to lemons scattered on a wooden counter and a jar of opened vanilla paste

Pro tips for a perfect tea cake:

  • as with any quick bread, do not over-mix the batter. It will make the cake tough and not tender.
  • coat the blueberries with a dusting of flour so they are suspended in the batter and do not sink to the bottom.
  • pat the blueberries dry after washing.
  • if using frozen berries, try and pat dry as much as you can with a dry paper towel.
  • use a superfine sugar for the glaze. it melts betters
  • use only fresh lemon juice for the brightest flavor. bottled juice will taste metallic in the glaze
  • you can substitute vanilla extract for the paste
  • only use a few drops of the almond extract. a little goes a long way and too much can overpower the flavor of the lemons and blueberries
a white ceramic juicer with a pouring lip

Equipment needed for this recipe:

  • juicer- buy my favorite HERE
  • microplane
  • whisk and scraper
  • mixing bowl
  • sifter or fine mesh sieve
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • 8″ x 4″ loaf pan
an aluminum rectangular loaf pan filled with bread batter
I love to use disposal tins because then I can deliver straight to friends from the oven.

Other quick breads and muffin recipes to try:

a finished loaf of blueberry bread next to sliced lemons and a pink hydrangea

Classic Lemon Blueberry Tea Cake with a Sugar Glaze

Recipe by Meggen Wilson
Course: Breads, Breakfast u0026amp; Brunch, Sweet ToothCuisine: SouthernDifficulty: Easy
Servings

12

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

45

minutes
Calories

375

kcal

Experience the perfect combination of tart lemons and juicy blueberries in a simple tea cake. Ideal for Easter, Mother’s Day or any spring occasion. A quick bread made of plump blueberries and lemon zest topped with a lemony glaze. Perfect for sharing or your spring table.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 tsp vanilla paste

  • 3 drops almond extract

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

  • 1 tsp Kosher salt

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

  • 1/2 cup half & half or milk

  • 2 heaping TBSP lemon zest

  • 1 cup blueberries

  • 2 TBSP flour

  • 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice

  • 2 TBSP superfine sugar

Directions

  • Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Butter & flour an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and almond extract until smooth.
  • In a smaller bowl, sift flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Alternating, combine dry ingredients and milk into butter and sugar mixture taking care not to over mix.
  • Stir in lemon zest.
  • In the bowl used for the flour, toss remaining 2 TBSP of flour with blueberries. Gently fold into batter.
  • Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees or until a cake tester comes out clean.
  • While bread is baking, combine superfine sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl.
  • When cake is still hot from the oven, quickly poke holes all over with a skewer and then pour the lemon sugar mixture all over the loaf.
  • The cake can rest five minutes and be eaten while still warm.
  • Or-
  • Let the loaf rest on a wire rack until completely cooled- about an hour.
  • Store up to five days wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

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