Moist Blackberry Lemon Bread

Delicious blackberry and lemon bread with plump, juicy berries, citrus flavor, and a sweet, comforting glaze.

sliced lemon blackberry bread with a knife and fresh berries beside it.

Delightfully moist, sweet lemony bread or loaf cake; this blackberry lemon bread is bursting with the flavors of summer. And it's so easy to make that you will keep returning to the recipe.

Why should you bake this quick bread?
Recipe ingredients
Step-by-step directions
Expert tips
Recipe FAQ
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Why should you bake this quick bread?

Quick: You can whip the blackberry lemon bread up in about 15 minutes; the oven will do the rest.
Versatile: It’s great for breakfast or as a dessert with a cup of coffee or tea. It can also be a quick school or afternoon snack.
Easy: A beginner’s recipe, all you must do is stir a few ingredients and bake.
Texture and flavor: Moist, tart, and sweet bread. The oil in the batter keeps the cake from drying, and all the flavors work perfectly together, making this blackberry bread a delight.

Check out other great loaves of bread, for instance, the Pumpkin Almond Flour Bread or the Irish Sweet Soda Bread.

Recipe ingredients

listed ingredients for making bread with blackberries and lemon on the table.

Blackberries: I used fresh blackberries. If fresh berries are not available, use frozen ones.
Lemon: You will need an unwaxed, preferably organic lemon, as you will use both zest and juice for the recipe.
Oil: Neutral-tasting oil, like canola. Oil instead of butter makes the bread moist and keeps it so for longer.
Yogurt: I use full-fat tangy Greek yogurt. Together with the oil, it impacts the texture of the lemon blackberry bread. You can use sour cream instead.
Eggs: You will need three large eggs.
Sugar: The blackberry lemon loaf is not overly sweet; we love it this way. However, you can increase the sugar by about 35 g/ ⅓ cup.
All-purpose flour: Please measure it correctly, especially if using cups.
Baking powder: The raising agent that makes baked goods soft and fluffy.
Salt: Just a pinch helps increase the flavor in any sweet recipe.
Vanilla extract: To increase the flavor as well.
Glaze ingredients: Icing (powdered) sugar and a little fresh lemon juice.

Equipment needed

I prefer the stand mixer because the sugar and the eggs need to be beaten for 5-6 minutes. However, a regular electric mixer is perfectly ok; you will just have to hold it the whole time.
Loaf cake tin of about 8x4x3 inches/ 20x10x7 cm.

loaf cake with berries and lemon and drizzled with icing on a rack.

Step-by-step directions

Preheat the oven to 160°C/ 320°F. Butter the loaf cake tin, sprinkle it with a bit of flour and shake it to coat it with the flour. Turn it into the sink and gently pat it on the bottom side to help remove the excess flour.
Beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for 5-6 minutes until pale and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl halfway through with a rubber spatula (1).
Add the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, and zest and beat shortly to mix (2).

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix shortly on low speed until just combined (3).
Cut the blackberries in half if they are huge (commercial ones are huge, while wild blackberries are smaller). Mix them with 2 teaspoons of flour in a separate bowl (4).

collage of two pictures of mixing batter in a silver bowl.

collage of two pictures of cake batter and floured blackberries in a bowl.

Fold about ¾ of the berries into the cake batter (5).
Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Place the remaining berries on top and press them gently into the batter (6).

collage of two pictures of cake batter in a bowl and in a loaf pan.

Bake the blackberry and lemon bread for 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Check after 30 minutes; if the top of the bread is already brown, cover it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too dark.
Cool: Once baked, remove it from the oven and let the hot loaf cool completely in the baking dish.
Lemon glaze: Stir the powdered sugar and about 2 teaspoons lemon juice in a small bowl. Add more lemon juice or icing sugar to get the right consistency. The glaze should be thick yet slightly pourable. Place the lemon blackberry bread on a cooling rack and the rack on a baking tray or a piece of parchment paper or paper towels.
Pour the glaze on top, letting it drip slowly on the sides of the loaf cake.

Expert tips

Use a digital kitchen scale to make the blackberry lemon bread recipe; it ensures the best results (Amazon affiliate link).
It’s essential to beat the eggs and the sugar thoroughly (as long as instructed).
Remember to toss the berries with flour before adding them to the bread batter; this will prevent them from sinking into the cake.
Don’t substitute the oil with butter; you cannot do it 1:1, and this recipe is developed to work when baked with oil.

Recipe FAQ

Can I use other berries?

Sure, anything you like.

Can I bake muffins with this batter?

Yes. Line the muffin pan with paper liners and fill each hole ⅔ full. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

How to store?

Room temperature: Keep it covered with a clean towel; it will stay moist and delicious for at least 2 days.
Refrigerate it in an airtight container to store it for longer; it will be fine for about 5 days.
Freeze it; it will be fine for at least 3 months. You can freeze the whole bread (wrapped in plastic wrap and then in foil), but I prefer to freeze individual slices. To do that, freeze the pieces in a single layer on a baking tray or similar. Once solid, wrap them in plastic wrap or foil and place them in freezer bags or airtight containers.
Defrost in the fridge or on the counter.

upfront image of sweet bread with berries on a rack.

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