Instructions
1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan
Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
2. Mix the Dry Ingredients
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream Butter and Sugar
Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add Wet Ingredients
Add Eggs: Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add Lemon and Milk: Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Gradually add the milk, mixing until incorporated.
5. Combine with Dry Ingredients
Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix to keep the loaf tender.
6. Add Blueberries
Prepare Blueberries: Toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.
Fold in Blueberries: Gently fold the blueberries into the batter using a spatula.
7. Bake
Pour Batter into Pan: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top starts to brown too quickly, tent it loosely with aluminum foil.
Cool: Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Make the Lemon Glaze
Mix Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more lemon juice for a thinner glaze or more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze.
9. Glaze the Loaf
Glaze the Loaf: Once the loaf is completely cool, drizzle the lemon glaze over the top. Let it set for a few minutes before slicing.
Cooking Notes
. Room Temperature Ingredients: For the best results, make sure all your ingredients (like butter, eggs, and milk) are at room temperature before mixing. This helps create a smoother batter and even bake.
. Flour-Coated Blueberries: Tossing the blueberries in flour helps them stay suspended in the batter rather than sinking to the bottom during baking.
. Cooling Time: Make sure the loaf is completely cool before adding the glaze to prevent it from melting and soaking into the loaf.
Variations
. Lemon Raspberry Loaf: Substitute blueberries with fresh or frozen raspberries for a delicious twist.
. Lemon Poppy Seed Blueberry Loaf: Add 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds to the batter for a lemon poppy seed version with blueberries.
. Cream Cheese Glaze: For a richer glaze, replace the lemon glaze with a cream cheese glaze made by mixing softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and a bit of lemon juice.
ADVERTISEMENT
