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.
Could one make this well with one lemon and some lemon juice from a plastic bottle? I only have one lemon haha. I can wait though!
You could try it! Just make sure to keep the ratio similar. :)
dont have blueberries atm would it still be good?
Blueberries really add in the flavor of this cake. But you can change it up and 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.
Kate have been making this cake and comes out perfect everytime. I use dried cranberries and the sliced Cale looks pretty and yummy. Thanks
Looks incredible! Definitely trying this week!
Can you substitute flax “eggs” in this recipe? My BF is egg-free, so wondering if I can make it work for him, because he loves lemon anything! :D
Hi Kate! I haven’t tried, but I think this would be a good candidate for flax eggs (based on the fact that it calls for whole wheat flour—this would be a different story if using gluten-free flour). Please report back if you give it a try!
Can I use honey instead of sugar and coconut oil instead of olive oil?
Hi Erin! I’m sorry, I’ve tried honey in this cake and it doesn’t turn out as well as sugar. Coconut oil would be fine, though.
It is a very tasty cake. I didn’t change anything but I will try with Coconut oil next time.
Kate I appreciate your cooking.
Thanks
Hello! Love this recipe and would love to try it..! Would you mind changing the ciò measure in grammes? Thanks!!!
Hi Silvia! Here is a great resource on metric conversions. I hope this helps!
I made this as written with fresh blueberries except I subbed fresh whole-milk ricotta for the whole-milk yogurt. Fabulous!
Hi Kate. I love your recipes but everytime I bake them they dome and crack on top even after lowering the baking temp. They don’t look as nice and caramelized as yours. Any tips?
By the way, I wasn’t reading the instructions too closely and ended up using the juice of the 2 lemons to make the glaze. I hope it still turns out okay :)
Sorry to hear that, Sharlene! Have you checked to make sure your baking soda/powder are active (not expired)? I always bake mine in the center of the middle rack. Other than that, I’m not sure what to suggest!
Doming is usually a sign of over stirring a batter. Trying stirring less and more gently.
If I want to make this recipe into a bundt cake size, do I need to change any of the amounts listed in the ingredients? Thank you!
Hi Shreya, you would need to double or maybe even triple the recipe depending on the size of your bundt pan. It would likely need longer in the oven, but I’m not entirely sure how long. Hope that helps a little! Oh and be sure to butter and flour the bundt pan very well.
Can I use self raising flour?
Hi, Unfortunately self rising flour can vary how much leavener it has, so doesn’t always work. Baking is very precise.
Delicious! Like a softer pound cake. I reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup and used plain wholemeal flour. Going into my favourite baked goods archive!
Hi Kate,
I’ve had an opportunity to try out a couple of your recipes and it’s always a hit. Thank you! I have a bunch of apples I need to use up and was looking for an apple cake recipe. What modifications would you recommend?
Leena
Hi Leena, I don’t know about an apple cake, but maybe you could try my apple crisp?
Hi Kate, thanks for the recipe. Can I use almond flour in place of the whole wheat flour to make it gluten free? Would you recommend any other modifications if I swap the flour?
Thank you!
Hi Pooja, Almond flour isn’t a great 1:1 substitute, sorry!
A nice touch of lemon; I liked the effect of incorporating the zest into the sugar. I also appreciated that it’s not too sweet! But overall I just didn’t care for this cake. The density of the olive oil took over. It left a slightly greasy feeling in my mouth and I felt it competed with the berries for flavor. I couldn’t add the lemon glaze to counteract the oil’s dulling quality because the cake itself was just on the edge of being too heavy already.
I agree, the cake tastes too much of olive oil. Not pleasant at first bite. The aftertaste is good though. But would not make this again or recommend it.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it, Chris. I appreciate your feedback.
Just made this last week, and it turned out good. I used brown sugar instead of cane sugar. Felt so virtuous having a healthy cake! Thanks for the recipe, Kate!
Hi, am trying the cake with my daughter. When donI put in the lemon juice? I can`t seem to find it anywhere
Hi Christine! See step 6. I hope this helps.
Hi
I’ve made this in a loaf pan and it was simply divine ! I was in love :))
Can i make this in a square/round 8 inch or a round 9 inch springform pan ? Any changes to the recipe ?
Hi V! I think the 9-inch springform pan should be large enough. Keep the temperature/ingredients/method the same. The cake may finish baking sooner—I’d just keep an eye on it.
Made these into muffins and it turned out so well! Made 14 muffins – baked for 35 minutes and perfection. Also used 1/2 cup honey instead of 1 cup of sugar and very delicious!
Hi
Could I bake this in a 8inch angel cake pan ? Any changes to the recipe ?Also, should i use flax egg or bob’s red mill egg replacer ? Or any other form of egg replacer for this recipe ?
Hi Vi, I’m hesitant your pan might be too small and too much thickness for the batter without knowing how to adjust the timing. You maybe able to try it, but I can’t say for certain the timing. I haven’t tried, but I think this would be a good candidate for flax eggs (based on the fact that it calls for whole wheat flour—this would be a different story if using gluten-free flour). Please report back if you give it a try!
Hi could i substitute the sugar with honey instead?
Hi Cordelia! I don’t recommend changing from a liquid sweetener to a dry sugar as it isn’t typically a 1:1 ratio.
Hi Kate!
We just Absolutely love your recipes and posts. Thank you! So great for a Mom with two boys who have so many allergies!
Usually you suggest a yougurt/buttermilk dairy free replacement, can you suggest something for this recipe? Let me know! Many thanks :)
Thank you for sharing, Kiki! I’m glad you and your family are loving the recipes.
Thank you for all your recipes! Do you think this should be stored in the fridge or be left out?
Hi Anna! I would store in the refrigerator.
Hi there. I’ve made this (yummo) cake twice and followed your recipe exactly, however when I look at it at the time mark it is raw in the middle. I almost have to double the time to get it cooked and then the outer is crunchy (although it is nice). I am wondering if there is a misprint on the temperature?
Hi Rebecca! I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve double-checked and the timing/temperature are consistent with my other quick breads/cakes of this nature. Your oven may be misbehaving—it might be worth buying an oven thermometer to check that it achieves the correct temperature. They are inexpensive on Amazon. Hope that helps!
Very good, will definitely make again! Flavor and texture are perfect. I used frozen blueberries, and when it was cool and the lemon honey soaked in,added a lemon glaze. It took about 10 extra minutes to cook through.
Delicious light pound cake! I used lemon and lime, and only about 1 TBSP of zest in total, and chopped up the inside flesh of half the lemon to add to the sugar mixture. And I used only about 1/4 cup of sugar; 4 large eggs instead of 3 extra large, and it was amazing!
Loved this blueberry cake. Always wanted to try a cake with olive oil . I used the Everyday Blend California Olive Ranch as suggested. The only substitute I used was organic sour cream full fat as I did not have yogurt. Delicious!
Just had my first slice – delicious! I made it with slightly less sugar and oil. Can this be frozen?
Hi! I’m glad it worked for you. I haven’t tried freezing it, but I don’t see why not. Let me know what you think!
Delicious!! I ran out of sugar so I used 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup maple syrup (and then less of the lemon glaze at the end because I was worried about the sweetness) – it was perfect! Was initially concerned about the olive oil – the batter had an overwhelmingly olive-y smell – but the olive oil flavor ended up being very nice and subtle at the end. LOVE the glaze – it added moisture and a delicious and refreshing zing of lemon. One of my favorite recipes from this blog so far!
I’m happy it still turned out, Ashley!
This was delicious! I used frozen blueberries and half olive oil, half coconut oil (because I ran out of olive oil) and it turned out great. I loved the honey lemon glaze. I had to bake it for about 20 minutes longer than the recipe called for. Will definitely make again!
That’s great to hear, Laura! Thank you for your review.
This cake was delicious! I reduced the sugar a little and added a little bit of lemon extract. I also used 1 cup white whole wheat pastry flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose instead of the whole wheat flour. The end result was a moist, light cake that you would not be able to tell, even visually, contained so much whole wheat. I think the lemon extract really helped balance the olive oil flavor that others commented on. Thank you, Kate!
The cake had a perfect level of moisture and nice texture, but the olive oil was too overwhelming, so I would replace with a more mild-tasting oil.
Hi Sharon, I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love this one. I do know brands can vary!
Hi Kate, I love your recipes! Can I use cake flour in this lemon blueberry cake? Thank you!
Hi Cindy, I recommend this as is. Sorry!
love it! Followed the recipe except no salt (never add salt when I’m baking) and the only yogurt I had was regular. Definitely making again! Oh, put just a little cool whip on top when serving
Great to hear, Catherine! I appreciate your review.
My daughter made this cake for me for my birthday last April…I wanted it again but I don’t have a working oven so I made muffins in my toaster oven. I added juice from 1-1/2 lemons to the batter and sprinkled them with turbinado sugar before baking (skipped the icing). Worked very well! Yum!
Hi could you use Maple Syrup in the wet ingredients instead of white sugar
Hi, I recommend the recipe as written here. Sorry!
This was sooo delicious and moist, loved it!
Thank you for your review, Nicole!
I cannot wait to try this recipe. Can a double the recipe and use a Bundt pan?
Hi Lisa, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. Sorry!
Loved how this came out! I reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup and used 2% plain greek yogurt. Thank you for this recipe!
Just tried this tonight – I loved it! I personally don’t like alot of sugar in my cakes so I reduced the sugar to about 2/3 of a cup, and it came out perfect to my taste. What a wonderful recipe!
I’m glad it still turned out for you, Marianne!
Made this yesterday for dessert and it was a hit with my 17yo daughter and my husband. Made it as directed. Used Einkorn whole wheat flour as it’s what I had on hand. We used her whipped cream gizmo to top it with vanilla-scented whipped cream. Mine domed up and cracked, but I always just assume that’s normal. Next time I will monitor it a little closer and try to remove it from the oven a little sooner, as it was slightly overbaked.
Thanks!
I made this with wholewheat flour, and added 1.5 cups of blueberries and it was a hit!! My boyfriend could not stop raving about this cake. If I were to remake this I might use a little less olive oil, but I couldn’t taste the olive oil at all in the end result.
This cake is amazing! I cut sugar in half it was still sweet enough. Very easy to make and has wonderful texture.
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, Beata!
I made this with coconut oil, organic cane sugar, and plain greek yogurt…. otherwise followed all of the directions. The cake was very flavorful, moist, creamy with the yogurt. Excellent! I served it with ice cream but probably would serve it with whipped cream next time.
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Sue!
Delicious! Light, moist — perfect on a warm Spring day. I made it with our homegrown Meyer-type lemons and was afraid they might not be potent enough for a lemon dessert. It turned out delicious! We had whipping cream, but didn’t feel up to whipping it and it really didn’t need it. This would also be delicious as a breakfast bread with a cup of coffee.
I’m happy you loved it! Thank you for your review, Kimberlyn.
I made this tonight and it’s delicious – so light and moist! I used regular white flour in lieu of whole wheat, and strawberries instead of blueberries. I also did not do the honey glaze as I didn’t think it was needed. I’ll definitely be making this again!
That’s great to hear, Lisa! Thank you for your review.
Love your recipes. Can I put sultanas and dates instead of blueberries as a variation?
Hi, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. Sorry, Karen!
This was so good! Thank you for a healthy, easy recipe. The texture is so nice! I did make a few adjustments: I dropped the sugar to 3/4 cup and ommitted the glaze. I dumped the lemon juice that I was supposed to use for the glaze into the batter. I used Coconut Oil instead of Olive Oil.
I love your recipes. They never fail!
I tried making this with coconut yoghurt because it’s what I had at the moment. I cooked it for about 50mins but it’s quite dense inside. I wonder if I needed to add more flour? I used white flour too… Could it be it was too much liquid?
I tried it with greek yoghurt before with white flour and it came out perfect. Thought of trying it with ingredients I had on hand.
It sounds like there was too much liquid. How did it end up turning out?
Delicious recipe, thank you!
You’re welcome, JoAnn!
Can you subs monkfruit for reg sugar?
I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure. Sorry!
Can I freeze this?
Most cakes (not frosted) should freeze well. Let me know if you try it!
My boys and I made this cake this afternoon and it was a big hit! One of them never eats blueberries and he loved it! The only think I would change is perhaps using a little less sugar next time and they didn’t even notice the 100 % whole wheat flour. I think if you use a high quality olive oil it shouldn’t overpower the cake. Highly recommend making this cake!
I love to hear that, Christina!