Lemon Curd Blueberry Loaf

I started working on this blueberry lemon curd loaf recipe in July 2021 – before I had developed my best lemon curd recipe. It was an idea while I was making a blueberry loaf cake with all the berries we had recently picked to layer it with lemon curd. I made a small batch of curd (it wasn’t yet whole egg based) and I loved the resulting layer cake, though I found it a little on the dry side. I left the project for a while though whenever I’d stumble upon photos of the slice I’d think – ah I should do that again!

Well this year I had a surplus of blueberries thanks to a farmshare and figured I’d have a go again. I tweaked the recipe to be much more moist and have a softer crumb. This meant the layers (especially the curd layer) weren’t as distinct visually but the cake itself was just wonderful. There’s lemon in every bite, baked into the cake layers, and blueberries dispersed throughout bursting with sweetness.  

Recipe Ingredients

Lemon curd: make half of this lemon curd recipe, this easy and quick mason jar lemon curd recipe, or even this meyer lemon curd. 

Flour: all purpose flour. If you aim to make this loaf gluten free, use a 1 to 1 gluten free substitute. 

Butter: preferably unsalted, if using salted you’ll want to reduce the added salt. 

Sugar: fine granulated sugar. 

Lemons: optional, I like the zest in the cake part of the loaf but if you don’t have lemons (or you’ve used them all making lemon curd!) then you can skip. 

Salt:fine sea salt. If using table salt, halve the amount.  

Vanilla: pure vanilla extract. 

Baking powder: to leaven the loaf cake. 

Eggs: large, it’s best if they are at room temperature. 

Buttermilk or Kefir: full or low fat works. Don’t use a dyi “buttermilk” substitute like milk and vinegar or lemon as those lack the fat needed to soften the crumb and their pH can be higher, throwing off the chemistry of the cake. 

Blueberries: fresh! 

How to make Lemon Curd Blueberry Loaf

Prep

Make the lemon curd. It’s best to have it made ahead of time and fully cooled before making the loaf cake. 

Prep the loaf pan (grease and line with parchment paper) and preheat the oven. The cake bakes on the middle rack. 

Make the batter

We’re going to do a reverse cream for this loaf so we’ll place all our dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer: flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. 

Give it a quick whisk then add the butter in slices. Affix the paddle attachment and start the mixer on low then work up to medium speed. 

We want to mix it until it resembles wet sand: the butter will coat the flour and this softens the crumb and tightens it as well. If you’d like to check it or you find there’s bigger pieces not getting mixed in, stop the mixer and use your fingers to rub the butter in (like you would if making pie crust). 

Once you find all the butter is in tiny bits mixed into the dry ingredients, add the eggs and turn the mixer on low then work up to medium. Stop the mixer to scrape the bowl and ensure everything is evenly mixed. 

Mix until smooth then add the kefir or buttermilk and mix until combined – scrape the bowl again to ensure the batter is even. 

Add the blueberries but instead of using the paddle attachment to mix them in, use a rubber spatula to fold them: this way you’ll avoid breaking and bursting the berries. 

Layer 

Into the prepared pan add a little over a quarter of the cake batter. Smooth into an even layer. 

Add dollops of lemon curd – about 3-4 tablespoons in total, and smooth that into one layer. 

Repeat these steps ensuring that you end with cake batter, not curd (it will burn if exposed on top). 

Bake the cake until a cake tester comes out clean: there will be goo from the lemon curd but pay attention to the cake crumbs, they should be fully baked. This can take about or more than an hour. 

Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Store leftovers in an airtight container. 

Troubleshooting & FAQ 

Can I use a different berry? 

I might use raspberries but fold them in very carefully. Black raspberries would be great in this loaf cake too. 

Can I make the lemon curd ahead of time? 

Yes, please do! All my lemon curd recipes can be made up to two weeks ahead of time. Store the curd in an airtight container in the fridge. 

My cake sank when it came out of the oven! 

This will happen with this cake – it’s heavy on the fillings, and that wet curd will cause the cake layers to collapse a bit under the weight. 

Recipe for Lemon Curd Blueberry Loaf 

Blueberry Lemon Curd Loaf Cake

Soft and moist lemon loaf cake layered with homemade lemon curd and fresh blueberries. Every bite tastes of tart lemon with sweet bursts of berry.

Prep Time: 45 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Yields: 1 loaf cake

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Ingredients

• 260g or 2 cups all purpose flour
• 200g or 1 cup granulated sugar
• Zest of 2-3 lemons
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 170g or ¾ cups butter softened
• 2 large eggs
• 165g or ⅔ cup kefir or full fat buttermilk
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• Lemon curd half the recipe or use my mason jar lemon curd recipe

Method

Do ahead: make the lemon curd.

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the flour, butter, sugar, zest, salt and baking powder. Turn the mixer on low (cover with a tea towel to prevent the flour from making a mess) and run the mixer until the mix is sandy, about 5 minutes. The goal is for the butter to completely cover the flour.
• Add one egg and turn the mixer on medium speed, allowing the egg to fully mix in before adding the next. Add the kefir and beat until airy, fluffy and light, about 3-5 minutes. Fold in the blueberries.
• Spread a quarter of the batter into the prepared pan in an even layer. Dollop in some of the lemon curd and smooth into an even layer. Spread another layer of batter and repeat. Don’t leave any curd for the final layer, let it be pure batter. I had three layers of lemon curd in mine and four layers of batter.
• Sprinkle some sugar onto the top of the cake (a couple of tablespoons - optional) and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 60 minutes. Because this loaf cake is heavy on the fillings it will sink when it comes out of the oven - this is normal. Enjoy warm or wait until it’s at room temperature and place in an airtight container to keep it from drying out and enjoy later.

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