Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Cake
This delicious, lemony yogurt cake is studded with blueberries. It tastes like a lightened-up pound cake and takes cues from healthy French yogurt cakes.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on October 22, 2024
Let’s talk cake. This very lemony blueberry cake is the perfect sweet treat to bring to your summer celebrations. It’s basically a lightened-up pound cake.
Instead of being made with the traditional one-to-one ratio of butter, all-purpose flour and sugar (one pound each!), this cake is made with yogurt, olive oil, whole wheat flour and a reasonable amount of sugar.
The cake is easy to mix up by hand. Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar brings out tons of lemon flavor. A drizzle of lemon honey syrup adds an extra burst of lemon flavor that seeps all the way down to the blueberries at the bottom.
Blueberries seemed like a festive choice, but you could substitute raspberries or chopped strawberries. Or hey, try a mix of the three!
More Simple Cakes to Make
- Citrus Olive Oil Cake
- Gluten-Free Almond Cake with Berries on Top
- Orange Poppy Seed Pound Cake
- Simple Blueberry Cake
Please let me know how your cake turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Cake
This delicious, lemony yogurt cake is studded with blueberries. It’s made with healthy whole wheat flour, olive oil and yogurt and tastes amazing, I promise! This cake takes cues from traditional French yogurt cake and tastes like a lightened-up pound cake. Recipe yields one loaf.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 medium lemons, preferably organic, to be zested and juiced
- 1 cup sugar (I used organic cane sugar)
- ¾ cup plain whole-milk (full fat) yogurt or Greek yogurt
- 3 extra-large eggs
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen, do not defrost!)
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Optional accompaniments: Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously butter and flour a 8½ by 4¼ by 2½-inch loaf pan.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Pour the sugar into a separate medium-sized mixing bowl. Grate all the zest from the lemons. Rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is yellow and fragrant. Add the yogurt, eggs and vanilla to the sugar mixture. Whisk well, until the ingredients are combined.
- When the mixture is well blended, gently whisk in the dry ingredients, just until incorporated. Switch to a spatula and fold in the oil, making sure it’s all incorporated. The batter will be shiny. In a separate bowl, toss the blueberries with about one teaspoon flour (this will help prevent them from sinking while the cake bakes.) Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the top is golden and the sides just start to pull away from the sides of the pan. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, warm 2 tablespoons lemon juice and two teaspoons honey just long enough for you to whisk the honey into the juice. You can do this in your smallest saucepan over medium-low heat or in brief bursts in the microwave. Once the honey is mixed in, taste it—it should be pleasantly tart. If it’s too sour, mix in more honey. Using a pastry brush, brush the lemon-honey glaze on top of the warm cake. Repeat until you have no more liquid left.
- Run a knife between the cake and the sides of the pan to loosen. Unmold the cake by placing a large plate or cutting board upside down over the loaf pan and carefully turning it over. Turn the cake back onto a flat surface to cool completely. Then slice and serve!
Notes
Recipe adapted from my orange poppy seed pound cake.
Change it up: Feel free to skip the blueberries altogether (just reduce the baking time by 5 minutes). Or you can substitute raspberries, blackberries or sliced strawberries for the blueberries.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This looks delicious, Kate! I love any sort of pastry with lemon in it :)
This looks lovely.
I don’t have a loaf pan. Do you think it would work in a 8 x 8 Pyrex baking pan? If so, how would I change the oven temperature and baking time?
Thanks, Kate!
Hi Deanna! Yes, I think so. I’d keep the temp at 350 and reduce the baking time significantly. Based on another cake recipe I have on the site, it might be done as soon as 26 minutes.
I made this cake this weekend and it turned out well. Grating the lemon made my kitchen smell fresh and summery. My son had fun rubbing the zest into the sugar and taking little nibbles of “lemon candy.” I skipped the glaze and just made lemonade with the lemon juice. Very nice recipe!
I think I ended up baking it in my 8 x 8 pan for 30 – 35 minutes… but don’t quote me on that.
Thank you, Deanna! Glad you both had fun making it!
How long will this cake last? Do you have storage/packing tips? I’d like to make it on Thursday to bring to friend on Friday. Will it keep for 1-2 days?
Yes, it should definitely keep for 1 to 2 days. I’d let it cool as directed, then carefully transfer it back into the loaf pan for storage. Cover the top with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge just to be safe (those jammy blueberries can go bad fairly quickly).
This is so moist and soft and chewy and delicious! I’m pretty sure I would hide this from my husband and down the whole thing myself.
Also, does Greek yogurt work or is it too thick??
I haven’t tried, but I think it would work! Please let me know.
Would this recipe work with all-purpose flour?
Yes, it should!
Ok, you got me. I’m only familiar with snapchat because of my teenage daughter and the cornucopia of “selfies” she would post to her friends. But you’ve prompted me to action. Love the blueberry lemon tea cake.
How delicious! Something I would definitely try!
Love lemons and blueberries and this cake looks perfect… moist and yummy! Will have to check out Snapchat (should I be embarrassed to say I’ve never heard of it?)
That looks like a delicious cake! Love that it is whole wheat :)
This looks delicious! There is truly no combination as enticing as lemon and blueberries!
WOW this looks incredible. Definitely on my list to make!!
Where did you get that loaf pan? It’s gorgeous! I love your recipes that include olive oil – it adds such a depth to the taste and texture of the dish. Can’t wait to try this one!
Thanks, Jessie! It’s a Fiestaware loaf pan. I’ll add a link to it in the post!
No doubt this cake is very delicious! Would love it with a cup of coffee for breakfast.
One MUST-TRY cake! :) Oh my, it looks divine. Thanks for the idea, Kate!
this looks amazing and I wanna try it soon.i can’t find pure cane sugar where I live.should I use granulated sugar or brown sugar instead?
Regular granulated sugar would be best!
The cake looks amazing! Do you think I could use the batter to make muffins? If so what do you think I would need to do as far as cooking time?
Mmmm this sounds/ looks delicious. I’m definitely going to give it a go!
I made this cake for my family yesterday. They loved it. It’s all gone. I didn’t have a plain yoghurt so used a raspberry Siggi yoghurt. It worked well and you couldn’t taste the raspberry just the lemon and blueberries.
Thank you! Glad you all enjoyed it!
This cake looks delicious!! Would there be a non-dairy substitute for the yogurt? Thanks!
Hey Natalie! You might be able to get away with almond milk instead, but a non-dairy yogurt might be your best bet.
I’m not on Snapchat yet…I’m afraid of getting addicted to more social media!
Ugh, I know… I can’t stop checking Snapchat now!
This sounds wonderful, however, I really don’t like yogurt. Do you think I could substitute organic sour cream for the yogurt?
Hi Jane, yes, I think sour cream would work well. I can’t detect much of a yogurt flavor in the baked cake, though.
I just made this with strawberries and blueberries for a red, white, and blue Fourth of July cake and it is DELICIOUS! Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you, Laura! Yay!
This looks really delicious! I have to say, while I’m finally writing a comment – I really live your website! Estethically, as well as the fact that you don’t overfocus on the “skinny”healthy part.. It’s great! (While there of course still are lovely bloggers who do!)
Anyway, I do have a question about cane sugar – are there different types? How does the brand you use (pardon my clumsy way of asking) look? Quite frustratingly, here in Norway it can be difficult, finding products like that – and when you do, they are pretty pricey..! Tsk.
Anyway, lots of warm thoughts from an otherwise chilly, wet (…!) Stavanger! :)
Thank you, Carolin! I appreciate your kind words. There are a few different kinds of sugar. The most common variety here in the U.S. is made from sugar beets, which are pretty highly processed afterward. I buy organic cane sugar, which is less processed than standard cane sugar. Sugar is still sugar, though! I wish I could figure out how to replace this sugar with honey, but I didn’t have any luck. I like to think that the whole wheat flour, yogurt and olive oil redeem it. :)
Thank you for the recipe, came out pretty darn good. Whole family enjoyed it. This is a winning recipe.
I love this recipe — made it for the 4th and it turned out fabulous — twice!!…. the second time i warmed it on the grill then topped with the sauce. So delicious. Thanks Kate — love your website. you are a great inspiration for cooking and meal preparation. Cheers to you…
Thanks, Sloan! So glad to hear it! I bet your grilled slices were extra delicious. Thank you for your kind words. :)
Hi Kate, this looks amazing! I’m not a huge fan of the flavour of olive oil. I was wondering does the cake have a bit of its flavour. If yes, I could probably substitute for canola oil or another subtle flavour oil?
Hi Himadi, I could barely detect any olive oil flavor, but I use it in everything, so I may not be as sensitive to it as you are. Vegetable oil should work fine.
I made the cake tonight and it was great! Very moist. I used limes instead of lemons because that’s what I had and used only 1/2 cup of sugar and it was sweet enough. I did make the honey icing and it really makes a difference! Delish!!!
Thank you, Cecilia! So glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Kate, just made this cake to take to work today and it’s delicious, everyone loves it! I love all your recipes- hoping to see a Cookie and Kate cookbook someday? :)
Thank you, Lindsay!!! Stay tuned on the cookbook. ;)
The cake was moist and delicious. I’m really having a hard time staying away from what’s left. Based on what I had, I used low fat Greek yogurt and half lime zest. This was fairly easy to make it. Can’t beat that!
Thanks, Mayra! Glad yours turned out well!
Hi Kate,
I just made this loaf cake, and it turned out amazing! I used low fat Greek yogurt, and it turned out moist and chewy. I enjoy all of your recipes, easy and healthy! Thank you!!
Thank you, Katrina! So glad to hear it!
This cake is right up my alley: simple, sweet, and blueberry! Yum.
heyyy Kate sis..I have tried this recipe of yours and mine cake came out so moist,soft and full with flavors <3 everyone loved it at me home..thank you for this
Thank you!
Hi – lovely recipe! Have you ever tried shipping this? I have a new mommy friend and she’s crazy for these flavors so would love to make it and ship to her. Thanks!
Hi Annie! That’s a good question. I haven’t tried. I’d worry about the blueberries going bad along the way. They’re pretty jammy once they’re cooked, so they could be problematic. :(
I made this and brought it to work and everyone loved it. I wasn’t paying attention and added the lemon juice and the honey to the mixture instead of on top for the glaze and it still worked out perfectly.
Thank you, Stephanie! Glad to hear it!
I made it last night with spelt flour and low-fat yogurt. I also subbed maple syrup for honey in the glaze since one of my friends is allergic to honey. By far, the best lemon cake I’ve made. Thank you!
Woowhoo, thank you!
Thank you SO MUCH for the recipe! Made this just now, and my flat mates loved it! We ate it before we even let the cake cool down properly. :P I used low fat yogurt though, and it still turned out really well :)
Hooray, thanks Joanne! Happy to hear it!
Love this cake. Took two loaves (one with raspberries) to a picnic and it got devoured! Everyone loved it and were asking for the recipe. Such a winner!
Hooray! Thanks, Kayla!
I made the blueberry lemon cake,so good. I’m going to try and use applesauce in place of theoil
The cake was absolutely delicious. This recipe has just become a staple of mine :) My roommates adored it and devoured it instantly!
I did not have lemons so I decided to change the recipe up a bit. I made a lime and strawberry yogurt cake and used coconut oil instead of olive oil. I didn’t change any of the recipes amounts and the cake/sweet bread turned out great! Very happy with the lime strawberry combo and will be making it again! Thanks Kate, you’re very inspiring to an aspirant cook/baker.
I was distracted when making this loaf. As a result, I forgot to add the oil at the end. I was worried. However, the outcome was extremely positive. The loaf was moist and delicious. According to my unexpected experiment, the oil is not necessary. My party guests loved it and didn’t even know an ingredient was missing.
Tried the recipe yesterday. Turned out so goood! But it did need a lot more time in my microwave cum convection oven (about 30 mins more) .. will definitely try again
I made this yesterday and it was a complete success. My SO is a super fan of lemon cake and he loves blueberries so I decided to try this because it seemed simple and I’m barely starting my baking journey!
The only things that I changed were that I used nonfat greek yogurt, instead of olive oil I used unsweetened applesauce to lower the calorie count (my olive oil has 125c per tbsp!) and lastly I used some leftover xylitol (2oz) I had that measures cup for cup like sugar so I only had to use 6oz of cane sugar which also lowered the calorie count :) I think my lemons were monster lemons because I got A LOT of juice out of them and I couldn’t use it all for the glaze because my loaf would have been drowned in it, so I just didn’t use about 2-3 tbsp of the juice/honey concoction. I didn’t have “bleached” whole wheat flour just “whole wheat flour” and my loaf looks almost exactly the same in terms of color to yours, so maybe my flour just comes bleached and it didn’t say it? Anyway my oven has always been on the wonky side so I had to bake my loaf for about 1hr 10mins.
I cut my loaf into 11 very generous and thick servings which came to about 163 calories | 2g fat | 1g sat fat | 31g carbs | 3g fiber | 17g sugar | 5g protein (per serving).
I put my leftovers in the fridge and it’s still amazing cold right out of the fridge!
Thank you for this recipe.
They looks amazing….
Can I do cupcakes with this recipe? I’m thinking I can just plop a few blueberries into each cupcake after pouring the batter to make sure the blueberries make it into each cupcake. And maybe reduce baking time…?
i made muffins out of this recipe last night reducing the cooking time to 27 minutes. they turned out fantastic!
Thanks, Danielle!
Made this last night, super easy and absolutely delicious! Lemony and moist with juicy hits of blueberries. Yummo!
Hello!! I made this cake and the extra-virgin olive oil taste was too strong and I didn´t like it … Sorry!! :( I would probably make this with coconut oil or sunflower oil, they have a very soft flavor…
I tried your recipe for Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Cake this week when we got 5# of blueberries from Michigan. My husband and I both thought it was delicious! The only change I made was to use locally produced organic sunflower seed oil. I used honey from my daughter’s bees. Thanks for another great recipe.
Hi Kate,
I have a question. Could I substitute the sugar with honey or maple syrup? I loved reading this flavour combination but would like to avoid using too much sugar if I can help it.
Thanks
Preeti