Zesty and Moist Blueberry Lemon Loaf

This came about from a necessity to bake something for my boyfriend’s mom’s birthday + mothers’ day with my (round) cake pan left behind in the countryside and let me tell you – everything happens for a reason. I think most times I lack the vocabulary to describe desserts and all I usually say is – “oh my god, it is insane” (and this is no exception).

You bake the loaf, you pour lemon syrup all over it and let it soak in and moisten the bread. And then, like that wasn’t enough, you glaze the loaf and it goes from like a 9 to a solid 11. Trust me.

Ingredients

• 250 g // 1 ¾ cups plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• 230 g // 1 cup greek yogurt
• 200 g // 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 75 g // ⅓ cup oil
• 220 g // 1 ½  cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tbsp plain flour

For the syrup:

• 60 ml // ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp white sugar

For the icing:

• 120 g // 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 175 C // 350 F degrees. 
   
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and oil. Once combined, add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
   
3. In a small bowl carefully mix blueberries with 1 tbsp of flour in order to prevent the all blueberries from sinking to the bottom. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
   
4. Line a loaf tin with baking paper, and pour the batter into it. Bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. (My loaf took about 1 hour and 20 minutes.)
   
5. In the meantime, make the syrup by adding lemon juice and 1 tbsp of sugar to a small saucepan and cooking in until the sugar has dissolved. Then set it aside.
   
6. Next, in a small bowl, make the icing by whisking together powdered sugar, greek yogurt, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla extract. Set aside, I put mine in the fridge.
   
7. Once the loaf has cooked, let it sit in the loaf tin for about 15 more minutes. Then, lifting the baking paper, take the loaf out of the tin and onto a flat surface. Poke little holes all over the loaf (can be done with a toothpick, well, I only had a chopstick…) and pour the syrup all over the cake and into the little holes. Let the loaf cool completely (I know, I’m sorry).
   
8. Finally, drizzle the icing all over the bread and allow it to harden a little before serving.