Easy Blackberry Lemon Bread
This Blackberry Lemon Bread recipe makes an easy blackberry lemon loaf cake that takes only about 30 minutes to put together. If you are a lover of adjectives, this blackberry lemon quick bread is velvety, tangy, and lemony. That’s because there’s lemon everywhere – in the lemon loaf cake, the lemon syrup, and the lemon drizzle.
So read on for all the detailed tips and tricks for this recipe. Or just grab your berries, hit that Jump to Recipe button, and let’s make a blackberry lemon quick bread!
Ingredients
This is one of the simpler recipes for blackberries because you can use them whole. You don’t have to worry about removing seeds.
Use fresh or frozen blackberries, but be aware that frozen blackberries often release more liquid. If using frozen, let them drain over a bowl as they come to room temperature. Then use that blackberry juice in your syrup and your glaze to make a pink loaf cake.
If you love blackberries, check out other blackberry recipes like:
Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations and substitutions
- Use blueberries, raspberries, salmon berries, tayberries or even snozzberries.
- Sub orange zest and orange juice for the lemon.
Recipe tips and tricks
Making the cake batter
This blackberry lemon bread recipe follows the creaming method, a common pattern for cakes. Cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy (Panels #1 and #2 below). I think most people don’t cream their butter long enough, so go a minute or two longer than you think.
Add the eggs, one at a time (Panel #3). Then alternate additions of the dry ingredients with the liquid (Panel #4).
Adding the blackberries
Dusting berries with flour helps prevent them all from sinking to the bottom of cakes and muffins. If some of your blackberries are very large, you should cut them in half or even quarters.
Gently fold the blackberries into the lemon cake batter.
Baking the lemon bread
When you pour the mixture into the prepared pan, give it a few thwacks to spread the batter.
Bake until the loaf is starting to brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Note that the edges are just starting to pull away from the pan.
Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then put it on a cooling rack over a piece of wax or parchment paper. This catches the drips from your syrup and glaze and makes clean up much easier!
Adding the lemon drizzle
Glazes for this blackberry lemon loaf cake and other drizzle cakes and muffins are an easy way to make your bakes a bit fancier. Simply take confectioners or powdered sugar and add a tiny amount of liquid of any kind.
This lemon drizzle should be easy to pour but not so thin that it just runs right off the side of the loaf cake. If it’s too thin, add more sugar. If it’s too thick, add a bit more liquid.
You really can use most any liquid. The glaze for my orange and poppy seed muffins uses orange juice and vanilla. I’d use coffee for this coffee and walnut loaf cake.
Let the glaze harden for an hour or so, and serve.
Recipe FAQs
There is so much variation in how people measure that you are much more likely to get a reliable result if you weigh your ingredients.
Most commercial flour is supposed to be clump-free these days, but I still find that I get an occasional clump that makes sifting worthwhile. If you don’t have a sifter, you can use a sieve or even a wire whisk.
Yes. I would bake the blackberry loaf, brush it with the syrup, and let it cool completely before wrapping it well in several layers of plastic wrap. When you are ready to serve it, let it come to room temperature and make the lemon glaze at that point.
Related Cake Recipes
Check out other easy cake recipes from the Ugly Duckling Bakery archives like:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.
Recipe
Blackberry Lemon Bread
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pan
Ingredients
Blackberry lemon bread batter
- 1 cup blackberries, washed, dried, and halved if large
- 1¾ cup (227grams or 8 ounces) bleached all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon for mixing with blackberries, and more for flouring the pan
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (113 grams or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened plus more for flouring the pan
- 1 cup (200 grams or 7.1 ounces) granulated sugar
- zest of 3 lemons (about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Lemon syrup
- ¼ cup (50 grams or 1.8 ounces) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Lemon drizzle glaze
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
Blackberry lemon bread batter
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Butter and flour a 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pan.1¾ cup (227grams or 8 ounces) bleached all-purpose flour, 1 stick (113 grams or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
- Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt) into a medium sized bowl.1¾ cup (227grams or 8 ounces) bleached all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest together until light and fluffy. If using a stand mixer, this will take about 5 minutes on medium speed, longer if using a hand mixer.1 stick (113 grams or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened, 1 cup (200 grams or 7.1 ounces) granulated sugar, zest of 3 lemons (about 2 tablespoons)
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition and scraping down the bowl as necessary.2 large eggs
- Add approximately one half of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until they are just incorporated.
- Add the buttermilk and lemon juice and beat until mixed. Scrape down the bowl.½ cup buttermilk, ¼ cup lemon juice
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just barely incorporated.
- Toss the blackberries in a small bowl with the extra 1 tablespoon of flour and then add the berries to the batter. Using a spatula, gently fold in the berries by hand.1 cup blackberries, washed, dried, and halved if large
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, even out the batter and give the pan a few thwacks on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake the blackberry lemon batter for 50 to 60 minutes until the top has started to brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly, cover it lightly with foil.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then invert and transfer to a cooling rack.
Lemon syrup
- While the batter is baking, prepare the lemon syrup by combining the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan.¼ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup (50 grams or 1.8 ounces) granulated sugar
- Heat the syrup over medium-high heat and stir until all of the sugar has dissolved.
- Turn off the heat and let cool.
Assembly
- Once you have removed the cake from the pan and transferred it to a cooling rack, put the cooling rack over a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper to catch any drips.
- Use a pastry brush or spoon to brush all of the lemon syrup onto the top and sides of the blackberry lemon bread. Let cool.
- When ready to glaze, combine the confectioner's sugar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and whisk to combine. Add a bit more lemon juice if needed so that the glaze is just able to be poured, and pour the glaze over the cake, letting it drip down the sides.1 cup confectioner's sugar, 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Let the glaze harden before serving, about one hour.
- The cake can be stored at room temperature for up to one week.
Notes
Nutrition
This blackberry lemon quick bread was created in 2021 for the reddit 52 week baking challenge: week 28 (seasonal ingredients).
Special thanks to Jenn for sharing a few photos of this blackberry lemon bread recipe and helping me to improve my food photography. You can check out her own fabulous recipes and beautiful food at Brunch and Batter.
You’re an adventurous home cook looking for inspiration in your weeknight meals and weekend baking. Get that inspiration here:
Made this today for breakfast and it was sooo good. I used blackberries that I froze from the farmers market a few weeks ago and it turned out perfect. Super moist and lemony- great recipe!
Jennifer – Thanks for leaving a comment. I’m so glad you enjoyed this blackberry lemon quickbread recipe!