Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake

This simple Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake is tender and moist with bright lemon flavor, bursting with juicy blueberries and topped with a lemon yogurt glaze. My easy Lemon Yogurt Cake is one of the most popular cake recipes on this site, so I knew I had to make another version. It tastes like a fresh glazed blueberry donut, and it is easy to make any day of the week. You add the tangy glaze while the cake is still warm so it soaks in slightly and adds even more bright flavor. It is an ideal brunch cake that is perfect for Spring and Summertime, and since you can use fresh or frozen berries, it means this is also a great recipe to make all year round. If you love this idea, then try my popular Strawberry Crumb Cake and Brown Butter Peach Crumb Cake too!

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Moist lemon blueberry yogurt cake - this simple two-bowl recipe makes a delicious moist and most tender lemon cake.
• Easy method - this recipe comes together in no time with just a couple of bowls and without even pulling out your mixer. You can make this all by hand.
• Juicy blueberry topping - a pile of fresh or frozen blueberries goes right over the batter and bakes all together. The berries become juicy and jammy as they bake into the batter.
• Tangy lemon flavor - plenty of lemon zest and a whole cup of yogurt gives this cake a lovely tangy lemon flavor that is not too sweet and perfectly balanced.
• Lemon yogurt glaze - a simple icing from powdered sugar, yogurt and lemon juice makes a tart and sweet glaze that sets to a thing crackly shell just like a glazed donut. It adds so much flavor and makes the cake extra juicy.

INGREDIENTS

• All purpose flour - unbleached all-purpose flour works great for simple cakes. I would avoid cake flour which absorbs more moisture and could actually make this cake a bit dry without altering the other ingredients.
• Sunflower oil - oil is liquid at room temperature which gives this cake a soft texture. You can use any type of neutral oil, however I prefer sunflower oil since is more stable and has a clean flavor.
• Granulated sugar - simple granulated sugar keeps this cake soft and doesn't interfere with the pure lemon flavor.
• Eggs - two large eggs will add nice structure.
• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to make this delicious cake. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.

• Yogurt - use full fat plain yogurt to create a very tender texture and rich flavor. The tanginess also balances the sweetness. There's a whole cup of yogurt in the batter and little bit for the delicious glaze as well.
• Blueberries - you can use fresh or frozen blueberries in this recipe, and if you use frozen berries I recommend tossing them with some flour first to absorb the excess moisture on the surface.
• Lemon juice - you'll use some lemon juice to make a delicious tangy lemon glaze that soaks into the cake as it cools.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Make the crumb topping. Combine the flour, sugars and melted butter in a medium bowl and blend well so it forms clumps. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside.
• STEP 2). Make the cake batter - mix butter with sugar. Melt the butter and then let it cool slightly. Mix the melted butter with both types of sugar, vanilla and lemon zest using a whisk until it looks creamy, pale and fluffy.
• STEP 3). Add eggs. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until the batter looks smooth and custardy. Mix in sour cream.
• STEP 4). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, baking powder salt into a separate bowl and whisk it to blend evenly.

• STEP 5). Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and fold gently to combine the ingredients until they are mostly combined.
• STEP 6). Add milk. Pour in the milk and fold it in gently until the batter is homogeneous. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
• STEP 7). Make the blueberry layer. Place blueberries in a bowl. Combine flour and sugar and sprinkle it over the berries, then toss them together so they are evenly coated. Spoon the berries evenly over the cake batter in the pan, then crumble the crumb mixture evenly over the berries in clumps.
• STEP 8). Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the crumb topping is golden and the blueberry juices are bubbling and thick. Transfer to a wire rack and let the cake cool.
• STEP 9). Make the glaze. Combine icing sugar with reserved blueberry juices and lemon juice and drizzle over the slightly warm cake just before serving. Enjoy!

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR LEMON BLUEBERRY YOGURT CAKE

• Use room temperature ingredients. Since this is a simple dump and mix recipe, it is important to have all ingredients at the same temperature (not cold!) in order to help them blend evenly together. Make sure the yogurt is not cold from the fridge. Bring it out about 30 minutes before starting the recipe.
• Sift the dry ingredients. This is an important step for simple recipes like this because it will minimize the amount of mixing needed to combine the ingredients evenly so that you do not over-mix the batter. It will give you the best results for a finer texture crumb as well since the sieve will break up all the flour particles.
• Do not over-mix the batter. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix just until the batter is homogeneous.
• Toss frozen blueberries with flour. Frozen berries have a thin coating of ice around the surface which melts when they come out of the freezer, so a bit of flour will help absorb this moisture so it doesn't affect the baking time too much.

RECIPE FAQ

STORAGE & FREEZING

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Video

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake

Christina Marsigliese, Food Scientist MSc.

This simple Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake is tender and moist with bold lemon flavor, bursting with juicy blueberries and topped with a lemon yogurt glaze. It tastes like a fresh glazed blueberry donut, and it is easy to make any day of the week. You add the tangy glaze while the cake is still slightly warm so it soaks in slightly and adds even more bright flavor. This is lovely for brunch or a special occasion breakfast.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

  

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake Batter:

• 1 ⅔ cups plus 1 tbsp (244g) all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest from one large lemon
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ⅓ cup (80ml) sunflower oil (you can also use vegetable oil or canola oil)
• 1 cup (37ml) whole milk plain yogurt, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups (180g) frozen blueberries

Lemon Yogurt Glaze:

• 1 cup (120g) powdered confectioner's sugar
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) full fat plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the sides of an 9-inch round non-stick springform pan with a round of parchment paper.
• Sift 1 ⅔ cups (235g) flour, baking powder and baking soda into a medium bowl. Add ¼ cup (50g) of sugar and salt, then whisk until evenly blended.
• Make the cake batter. Place ¾ cup (150g) of sugar in a large bowl. Add lemon zest and rub it between your fingers until very fragrant and pale yellow-colored. This will extract all of the delicious lemon oils to flavor the cake. Add eggs, oil, yogurt, milk and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
• Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the batter is smooth. If it becomes too thick, switch to a rubber spatula to fold them in. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Toss blueberries with remaining 1 tablespoon of flour and then scatter them over the batter. NOTE: if you use fresh berries, then you don't need to coat them in flour.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool for 20 minutes. Then, remove the sides of the pan and transfer to a serving plate.
• Make the glaze. Combine powdered sugar, yogurt and lemon juice in a medium bowl and whisk until very smooth. Pour the glaze over the slightly warm cake, letting it drip over the sides. Let the icing set for about 15 minutes, then slice and serve!
• If you want, you can also add more powdered sugar to make a thicker icing, but I like this donut-glazed effect.