First things first. Are you on Snapchat? I am. For the longest time, dismissed it as an app that teenagers use to send scandalous photos to one another. Apparently that’s not all it’s good for, though! I’ve gotten hooked on other bloggers’ behind-the-scenes Snapchat “stories” lately.
I’ve been following Gaby (whatsgabycookin) and Lindsay and Bjork (pinchofyum) on their travel adventures, keeping up with Dana and John (minimalistbaker) and their general shenanigans and caught glimpses of Ali and her pup/our pal Henry (gimmesomeoven) during their weekend at the lake. I also saw what happened when Jessica (howsweeteats) used liquid dish soap in her dishwasher yesterday. Oh my.
You can find us on Snapchat over at cookieandkate! Consider it a Cookie cam. Now you can watch her fly up the ladder to steal my food while I’m trying to photograph it. I’ll show you what happens when I pull out a treat and tell her to “roll over,” too. (Spoiler: somersaults.) I’ve been throwing in some behind-the-scenes cooking experiments, too.
All this is to say, please follow us! Send me snaps of your Cookie and Kate cooking, too. I would love that.
Now then, let’s talk cake. This very lemony blueberry cake is the perfect sweet treat to bring to your Fourth of July celebrations. It’s basically a lightened-up pound cake. Instead of being made with the traditional one-to-one ratio of butter, all-purpose flour and sugar (one pound each!), it’s made with yogurt, olive oil, whole wheat flour and a reasonable amount of sugar.
The cake is really easy to mix up by hand. Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar brings out tons of lemon flavor, and a simple lemon-honey glaze added while the cake it still warm adds an extra burst of lemon flavor that seeps all the way down to the blueberries at the bottom. Blueberries seemed like a festive choice, but you could definitely substitute raspberries or chopped strawberries. Or hey, try a mix of the three!
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Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Cake
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf cake 1x
- Category: Dessert
This delicious, lemony yogurt cake is studded with blueberries. It’s made with healthy whole wheat flour, olive oil and yogurt and tastes amazing, I promise! This cake takes cues from traditional French yogurt cake and tastes like a lightened-up pound cake. Recipe yields one loaf.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 2 medium lemons, preferably organic, to be zested and juiced
- 1 cup sugar (I used organic cane sugar)
- ¾ cup plain whole-milk (full fat) yogurt or Greek yogurt
- 3 extra-large eggs
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen, do not defrost!)
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Optional accompaniments: coconut whipped cream or regular whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously butter and flour a 8½ by 4¼ by 2½-inch loaf pan.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Pour the sugar into a separate medium-sized mixing bowl. Grate all the zest from the lemons. Rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is yellow and fragrant. Add the yogurt, eggs and vanilla to the sugar mixture. Whisk well, until the ingredients are combined.
- When the mixture is well blended, gently whisk in the dry ingredients, just until incorporated. Switch to a spatula and fold in the oil, making sure it’s all incorporated. The batter will be shiny. In a separate bowl, toss the blueberries with about one teaspoon flour (this will help prevent them from sinking while the cake bakes.) Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the top is golden and the sides just start to pull away from the sides of the pan. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, warm 2 tablespoons lemon juice and two teaspoons honey just long enough for you to whisk the honey into the juice. You can do this in your smallest saucepan over medium-low heat or in brief bursts in the microwave. Once the honey is mixed in, taste it—it should be pleasantly tart. If it’s too sour, mix in more honey. Using a pastry brush, brush the lemon-honey glaze on top of the warm cake. Repeat until you have no more liquid left.
- Run a knife between the cake and the sides of the pan to loosen. Unmold the cake by placing a large plate or cutting board upside down over the loaf pan and carefully turning it over. Turn the cake back onto a flat surface to cool completely. Then slice and serve!
Notes
Recipe adapted from my orange poppy seed pound cake.
Change it up: Feel free to skip the blueberries altogether (just reduce the baking time by 5 minutes). Or you can substitute raspberries, blackberries or sliced strawberries for the blueberries.
Sarah | Well and Full
This looks delicious, Kate! I love any sort of pastry with lemon in it :)
Deanna
This looks lovely.
I don’t have a loaf pan. Do you think it would work in a 8 x 8 Pyrex baking pan? If so, how would I change the oven temperature and baking time?
Thanks, Kate!
Kate
Hi Deanna! Yes, I think so. I’d keep the temp at 350 and reduce the baking time significantly. Based on another cake recipe I have on the site, it might be done as soon as 26 minutes.
Deanna
I made this cake this weekend and it turned out well. Grating the lemon made my kitchen smell fresh and summery. My son had fun rubbing the zest into the sugar and taking little nibbles of “lemon candy.” I skipped the glaze and just made lemonade with the lemon juice. Very nice recipe!
I think I ended up baking it in my 8 x 8 pan for 30 – 35 minutes… but don’t quote me on that.
Kate
Thank you, Deanna! Glad you both had fun making it!
Ellen @ Wannabe Health Nut
How long will this cake last? Do you have storage/packing tips? I’d like to make it on Thursday to bring to friend on Friday. Will it keep for 1-2 days?
Kate
Yes, it should definitely keep for 1 to 2 days. I’d let it cool as directed, then carefully transfer it back into the loaf pan for storage. Cover the top with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge just to be safe (those jammy blueberries can go bad fairly quickly).
Amy @ Parsley In My Teeth
This is so moist and soft and chewy and delicious! I’m pretty sure I would hide this from my husband and down the whole thing myself.
Ellen @ Wannabe Health Nut
Also, does Greek yogurt work or is it too thick??
Kate
I haven’t tried, but I think it would work! Please let me know.
Kate
Would this recipe work with all-purpose flour?
Kate
Yes, it should!
lisa @garlicandzest
Ok, you got me. I’m only familiar with snapchat because of my teenage daughter and the cornucopia of “selfies” she would post to her friends. But you’ve prompted me to action. Love the blueberry lemon tea cake.
Cassie
How delicious! Something I would definitely try!
Deborah @ The Harvest Kitchen
Love lemons and blueberries and this cake looks perfect… moist and yummy! Will have to check out Snapchat (should I be embarrassed to say I’ve never heard of it?)
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake
That looks like a delicious cake! Love that it is whole wheat :)
Nora
This looks delicious! There is truly no combination as enticing as lemon and blueberries!
haley @Cupcakes and Sunshine
WOW this looks incredible. Definitely on my list to make!!
Jessie @ Chasing Belle
Where did you get that loaf pan? It’s gorgeous! I love your recipes that include olive oil – it adds such a depth to the taste and texture of the dish. Can’t wait to try this one!
Kate
Thanks, Jessie! It’s a Fiestaware loaf pan. I’ll add a link to it in the post!
Medeja
No doubt this cake is very delicious! Would love it with a cup of coffee for breakfast.
Cris
One MUST-TRY cake! :) Oh my, it looks divine. Thanks for the idea, Kate!
zahra
this looks amazing and I wanna try it soon.i can’t find pure cane sugar where I live.should I use granulated sugar or brown sugar instead?
Kate
Regular granulated sugar would be best!
Jessica
The cake looks amazing! Do you think I could use the batter to make muffins? If so what do you think I would need to do as far as cooking time?
Francesca
Mmmm this sounds/ looks delicious. I’m definitely going to give it a go!
Double twin mom
I made this cake for my family yesterday. They loved it. It’s all gone. I didn’t have a plain yoghurt so used a raspberry Siggi yoghurt. It worked well and you couldn’t taste the raspberry just the lemon and blueberries.
Kate
Thank you! Glad you all enjoyed it!
Natalie
This cake looks delicious!! Would there be a non-dairy substitute for the yogurt? Thanks!
Kate
Hey Natalie! You might be able to get away with almond milk instead, but a non-dairy yogurt might be your best bet.
lynn
I’m not on Snapchat yet…I’m afraid of getting addicted to more social media!
Kate
Ugh, I know… I can’t stop checking Snapchat now!
Jane Sensale
This sounds wonderful, however, I really don’t like yogurt. Do you think I could substitute organic sour cream for the yogurt?
Kate
Hi Jane, yes, I think sour cream would work well. I can’t detect much of a yogurt flavor in the baked cake, though.
Laura
I just made this with strawberries and blueberries for a red, white, and blue Fourth of July cake and it is DELICIOUS! Thank you for the recipe!
Kate
Thank you, Laura! Yay!
Carolin
This looks really delicious! I have to say, while I’m finally writing a comment – I really live your website! Estethically, as well as the fact that you don’t overfocus on the “skinny”healthy part.. It’s great! (While there of course still are lovely bloggers who do!)
Anyway, I do have a question about cane sugar – are there different types? How does the brand you use (pardon my clumsy way of asking) look? Quite frustratingly, here in Norway it can be difficult, finding products like that – and when you do, they are pretty pricey..! Tsk.
Anyway, lots of warm thoughts from an otherwise chilly, wet (…!) Stavanger! :)
Kate
Thank you, Carolin! I appreciate your kind words. There are a few different kinds of sugar. The most common variety here in the U.S. is made from sugar beets, which are pretty highly processed afterward. I buy organic cane sugar, which is less processed than standard cane sugar. Sugar is still sugar, though! I wish I could figure out how to replace this sugar with honey, but I didn’t have any luck. I like to think that the whole wheat flour, yogurt and olive oil redeem it. :)
Sona
Thank you for the recipe, came out pretty darn good. Whole family enjoyed it. This is a winning recipe.
Sloan
I love this recipe — made it for the 4th and it turned out fabulous — twice!!…. the second time i warmed it on the grill then topped with the sauce. So delicious. Thanks Kate — love your website. you are a great inspiration for cooking and meal preparation. Cheers to you…
Kate
Thanks, Sloan! So glad to hear it! I bet your grilled slices were extra delicious. Thank you for your kind words. :)
Himadi
Hi Kate, this looks amazing! I’m not a huge fan of the flavour of olive oil. I was wondering does the cake have a bit of its flavour. If yes, I could probably substitute for canola oil or another subtle flavour oil?
Kate
Hi Himadi, I could barely detect any olive oil flavor, but I use it in everything, so I may not be as sensitive to it as you are. Vegetable oil should work fine.
cecilia
I made the cake tonight and it was great! Very moist. I used limes instead of lemons because that’s what I had and used only 1/2 cup of sugar and it was sweet enough. I did make the honey icing and it really makes a difference! Delish!!!
Kate
Thank you, Cecilia! So glad you enjoyed it!
Lindsay
Hi Kate, just made this cake to take to work today and it’s delicious, everyone loves it! I love all your recipes- hoping to see a Cookie and Kate cookbook someday? :)
Kate
Thank you, Lindsay!!! Stay tuned on the cookbook. ;)
Mayra
The cake was moist and delicious. I’m really having a hard time staying away from what’s left. Based on what I had, I used low fat Greek yogurt and half lime zest. This was fairly easy to make it. Can’t beat that!
Kate
Thanks, Mayra! Glad yours turned out well!
Katrina
Hi Kate,
I just made this loaf cake, and it turned out amazing! I used low fat Greek yogurt, and it turned out moist and chewy. I enjoy all of your recipes, easy and healthy! Thank you!!
Kate
Thank you, Katrina! So glad to hear it!
Kate
This cake is right up my alley: simple, sweet, and blueberry! Yum.
sanghamitra chowdhury
heyyy Kate sis..I have tried this recipe of yours and mine cake came out so moist,soft and full with flavors <3 everyone loved it at me home..thank you for this
Kate
Thank you!
Annie
Hi – lovely recipe! Have you ever tried shipping this? I have a new mommy friend and she’s crazy for these flavors so would love to make it and ship to her. Thanks!
Kate
Hi Annie! That’s a good question. I haven’t tried. I’d worry about the blueberries going bad along the way. They’re pretty jammy once they’re cooked, so they could be problematic. :(
Stephanie
I made this and brought it to work and everyone loved it. I wasn’t paying attention and added the lemon juice and the honey to the mixture instead of on top for the glaze and it still worked out perfectly.
Kate
Thank you, Stephanie! Glad to hear it!
Shabnam
I made it last night with spelt flour and low-fat yogurt. I also subbed maple syrup for honey in the glaze since one of my friends is allergic to honey. By far, the best lemon cake I’ve made. Thank you!
Kate
Woowhoo, thank you!
Joanne
Thank you SO MUCH for the recipe! Made this just now, and my flat mates loved it! We ate it before we even let the cake cool down properly. :P I used low fat yogurt though, and it still turned out really well :)
Kate
Hooray, thanks Joanne! Happy to hear it!
kayla
Love this cake. Took two loaves (one with raspberries) to a picnic and it got devoured! Everyone loved it and were asking for the recipe. Such a winner!
Kate
Hooray! Thanks, Kayla!
Patty
I made the blueberry lemon cake,so good. I’m going to try and use applesauce in place of theoil
Brandy
The cake was absolutely delicious. This recipe has just become a staple of mine :) My roommates adored it and devoured it instantly!
Bronwyn
I did not have lemons so I decided to change the recipe up a bit. I made a lime and strawberry yogurt cake and used coconut oil instead of olive oil. I didn’t change any of the recipes amounts and the cake/sweet bread turned out great! Very happy with the lime strawberry combo and will be making it again! Thanks Kate, you’re very inspiring to an aspirant cook/baker.
Sushmita Chatterji
I was distracted when making this loaf. As a result, I forgot to add the oil at the end. I was worried. However, the outcome was extremely positive. The loaf was moist and delicious. According to my unexpected experiment, the oil is not necessary. My party guests loved it and didn’t even know an ingredient was missing.
Vidhi
Tried the recipe yesterday. Turned out so goood! But it did need a lot more time in my microwave cum convection oven (about 30 mins more) .. will definitely try again
Paulina
I made this yesterday and it was a complete success. My SO is a super fan of lemon cake and he loves blueberries so I decided to try this because it seemed simple and I’m barely starting my baking journey!
The only things that I changed were that I used nonfat greek yogurt, instead of olive oil I used unsweetened applesauce to lower the calorie count (my olive oil has 125c per tbsp!) and lastly I used some leftover xylitol (2oz) I had that measures cup for cup like sugar so I only had to use 6oz of cane sugar which also lowered the calorie count :) I think my lemons were monster lemons because I got A LOT of juice out of them and I couldn’t use it all for the glaze because my loaf would have been drowned in it, so I just didn’t use about 2-3 tbsp of the juice/honey concoction. I didn’t have “bleached” whole wheat flour just “whole wheat flour” and my loaf looks almost exactly the same in terms of color to yours, so maybe my flour just comes bleached and it didn’t say it? Anyway my oven has always been on the wonky side so I had to bake my loaf for about 1hr 10mins.
I cut my loaf into 11 very generous and thick servings which came to about 163 calories | 2g fat | 1g sat fat | 31g carbs | 3g fiber | 17g sugar | 5g protein (per serving).
I put my leftovers in the fridge and it’s still amazing cold right out of the fridge!
Thank you for this recipe.
Lakshmi
They looks amazing….
Kris
Can I do cupcakes with this recipe? I’m thinking I can just plop a few blueberries into each cupcake after pouring the batter to make sure the blueberries make it into each cupcake. And maybe reduce baking time…?
Danielle
i made muffins out of this recipe last night reducing the cooking time to 27 minutes. they turned out fantastic!
Kate
Thanks, Danielle!
lizzy
Made this last night, super easy and absolutely delicious! Lemony and moist with juicy hits of blueberries. Yummo!
karla
Hello!! I made this cake and the extra-virgin olive oil taste was too strong and I didn´t like it … Sorry!! :( I would probably make this with coconut oil or sunflower oil, they have a very soft flavor…
Edith
I tried your recipe for Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Cake this week when we got 5# of blueberries from Michigan. My husband and I both thought it was delicious! The only change I made was to use locally produced organic sunflower seed oil. I used honey from my daughter’s bees. Thanks for another great recipe.
Preeti
Hi Kate,
I have a question. Could I substitute the sugar with honey or maple syrup? I loved reading this flavour combination but would like to avoid using too much sugar if I can help it.
Thanks
Preeti
Preeti
I made this today and it’s been declared a big hit by the family. The combination of flavours is what they loved!
Kalpana
Hello Kate !
Thanks for sharing Blueberry Lemon Yoghurt Cake recipe with us.I tried this, it turns out delicious and tasty. Can I use vanilla beans instead of vanilla extrct ? TIA !!
Billy
Made it the other day, sooooooo good.
Aga
Hey Kate! Where do you add the lemon juice in this recipe and out of how many lemons? I’m just baking based on your recipe and added some fresh thyme to it. Thank you!
cafeinne
I have just try this recipe and it is AMAZING. Super easy to make and all my familly loved it. Thank you very much Kate! You are such an inspiration. Best wishes from Spain.
Danielle
I made muffins from this recipe (adding diced strawberries and raspberries) and took them into work today. They were devoured in a heartbeat! I definitely plan on making a double or triple batch next time, and there will be a next time! these are delicious!!
Since I did muffins instead of a cake, I reduced the time to 27 minutes instead of the original 55. still used the toothpick test.
Kate
Awesome! They sound delicious.
Jen
Made this cake yesterday and love it! Is it ok to slice and freeze it?
Kate
I don’t see why not!
Jeannie
Just had a piece of this – another winner! I used granulated sugar, 2% plain Greek yogurt and frozen blueberries. The loaf is deliciously lemony, perfect with a glaze (ran out of honey so I went with icing sugar) and has a great texture that’s both light and substantial. Thanks for the great recipe!
Jeannie
Oh and I had to bake it for closer to an hour and fifteen minutes… still turned out great!
Yvette
I’ve already made this 3 times and i love it! So delicious and smells so good!
Kate
Oh, I’m so glad! Thanks, Yvette. This one is lemony and bright, which is great for spring.
Anna Ostroff
This was delicious! My family loved this cake! Even those who don’t eat healthy..) I was just wondering if I could put maple syrup or honey instead of sugar? Thank you Kate (and Cookie) for your awesome recipes!
Kate
I think so, Anna! Since honey/maple syrup are actually sweeter than sugar, you’d want to reduce the amount. This guide should help out.
Beth
I’ve made so many of your recipes, all of which have turned out great! Do you suggest any modifications if I wanted to use a bundt pan for this yummy sounding cake?
Kate
I haven’t tried that myself, Beth, but this reference leads me to believe that you’ll need to cut down on the cooking time a bit.
Vikki
I made this cake last night and brought it into work for a birthday celebration. Once again, another hit! Your recipes continue to amaze me (and my co-workers).
Kate
Awesome! I love hearing that, Vikki. Thanks for sharing it with your coworkers, too!
Kaitlin
I couldn’t resist buying oodles of organic blueberries when I spotted them on sale last week and this proved to be the final recipe I used them in! Definitely worth it!
However, I used whole wheat flour and did not like the effect. I think it would taste best with whole wheat pastry flour or with your recommended white whole wheat flour. Either way, the sweetness, tartness and burst of berries were all wonderful! I would probably add more berries, as I prefer more delicious juicy surprises that these proportions provided. All in all, I would recommend this recipe to others and totally serve it to friends!
Pamela Carter
I LOVE this recipe so much that I have made it 4 times in one month! I always double it so that I share with my neighbors, daughters and grandchildren! I have used raspberries in place of blue berries, I have used blueberries alone and with raspberries, and tonight I decided to use dark cherries, and upon request from my pregnant daughter, dark choc chips! I honestly thought that this time it would be too much with lemon and not so yummy…. I was wrong!!! Still amazing! Grand babies LOVE it! Thanks again, Kate, for amazing, life changing recipes!!! BTW this was dessert after your wonderful Kale, black bean, avocado burrito Bowl! ALSO one of our favorites!! Our whole family thinks that you’re beyond gifted to come up with such incredible dishes! THANKS! :)
Katie capuano
Just made this yesterday and LOVE IT! It’s not too sweet which I love (I expected more sweetness bc of the cup of sugar but it was perfect). It’s moist but crumbly in the best way. Question? I’d love to make in cupcake form for a 5k bake sale! It would work, right? What would you recommend for baking time?
Kate
Katie, so sorry I missed your question! I do think this would work well as muffins/cupcakes. I’d bake at 350 as directed, and keep an eye at them starting at about 20 minutes.
Katie
Oh no worries! Your blog is BUSY! I did just that and they took about 22 mins. :) thanks!
Imagene Cole
Hi Kate!!
I recently discovered your blog thanks to minimalist baker and I have quickly become OBSESSED!
I was just wondering if it would be possible to substitute coconut sugar for the cane sugar?
Thank you so much for you awesome recipes!!
Kate
Hi Imagene! I’m so glad you found my blog. :) I haven’t tried that substitution, so I can’t say for sure. Please let me know if you try it!
tiger
made this over the holiday weekend and it was amazing. the bread was so dense and the smell filled the house while cooking. Next time I’m going to make the loaf plus a tin of muffins.
Kate
Yay! Glad to hear that, Tiger. Thank you for the review!
Enid
Hi Kate! I tried this recipe last night using Satsuma mandarins.. Sooooo delicious! Also, I really love the tip for coating the blueberries with flour before folding in, my loaf came out Just like the picture.
Kate
Great to hear! I am glad you thought so, Enid. I appreciate the review.
Jess
I used sliced strawberries in place of the blueberries and it was delicious! The recipe was super easy to follow and I had all of the ingredients in my fridge already. My roommate and I can’t get enough!
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Jess! It’s always nice when you have everything on hand, even if you have to make a slight modification. I appreciate the review!
Monique Cowan
Hi
I have just made this cake, looks and smells amazing but I haven’t tried it yet! Just wondering how long will it keep in the fridge for?
Thanks
Monique
Kate
Hi Monique! Hope you loved the cake. It will keep in the fridge well for 4 to 5 days. That’s about the max for most recipes.
Yasmeen
I love your blog and was on a hunt for a lemony sugar free cake. Was super excited till I came across sugar in the ingredients list :(
How can I sub honey for the sugar? what would I need to change? Reading your blog I know you’re an expert on that :)
Kate
Hi Yasmeen, good news! I just shared a naturally sweetened blueberry muffin recipe that would turn out great in a loaf pan. Here it is.
Yasmeen
Thank you for your reply, I MUST try that :D
I experimented a bit with this recipe, so I used 1/2 cup honey instead of 1 sugar and decreased the oil and yogurt by a tablespoon each. Turned out pretty good! The glaze makes it super lemony and delicious.
I used frozen strawberries (which I cut into smaller pieces) instead of blueberries because that’s what I had, but they became a bit over mushed (if that’s a word). I’ll stick to blueberries next time :)
I had a question though, why fold in the oil at the end and not mix it with the wet ingredients in the beginning?
Lisa Sparagna
Can I make this and freeze it?
Thanks,
Lisa
Kate
I haven’t tried that. I think it’s best served right away. If you try, let me know!
Diane
Can’t remmber how I came across your website, I am not a vegetarian, but I am so glad I did! Discovered your recipe for Thai Red Curry with Veggies that I LOVE and have made twice in a short time period. And made this loaf today. Smelled so good I couldn’t wait for it to cool completely before I sampled it. Omg….so moist and yummy! Don’t think it will last long. Love the ease and simplicity of your recipes and all the healthy ingredients and the fact you don’t sacrifice flavour or moistness for health. I am always on the search for healthy recipes for a fussy 4 year old grand daughter and I think I have found some with you. Going to make your pumpkin muffins and pancakes for her tomorrow. And there are a few main dish recipes I am hoping she might eat as well. A great testament to you that a non vegetarian really likes and enjoys your vegetarian recipes and has incorporated them in our quest to eat more meatless, healthy options.
Looking forward to trying more recipes. Thanks so much!
Kate
I’m happy you discovered it too, Diane. All are welcome to enjoy. :) Thanks for the review!
Kathleen Erlich
What do you do with the 1/2 cup of olive oil?
Kate
See step 4 :) You will want to fold in the oil to the mixture.
Alice
Beautiful cake. Deserves a quiet few minutes in which to enjoy it. Super easy to make and a real pleasure, the lemon zest smells divine as you mix it in with the sugar. Tastes like a slice of summer.
Kate
Yes, the lemon zest! Happy you agree. Thanks so much for your review, Alice.
Amanda
I just made this cake and it was super yummy! I used clementine olive oil instead of plain to give it an extra cites kick and non-dairy coconut yogurt instead of the diary. I made it in a bundt pan instead of a loaf just because I think it’s prettier and had just a few extra minutes on the timer when I pulled it out.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Amanda! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Sara Kott
Is it correct that there is no baking soda in this recipe? Wanting to make these for my son’s class asap!
Kate
Just baking powder needed for this recipe!
Ariana
Such a great recipe, Kate! My boyfriend and I loved it!
Kate
Wonderful, Ariana! Thanks for your review.
Cyane
hi, so what can i do if i dont want to use sugar? can i use maple syrup instead?
thanks !
Liz
This sounds so good, but I’m wondering if it would be possible to use kefir instead of milk or yoghurt?
Lea
I have made so many of your recipes! I can’t stop myself! This cake is fantastic! I will be making this a lot over the summer.
Kate
Thank you for making another recipe, Lea!
Oana
I used only half cup of sugar and it turned out delicious! I cannot stop eating :)!
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Oana!
Sona
Made this today, came out awesome! Thank you! I used pastry flour, avocado oil and greek yogurt.
Cindy
Love…at…first…bite! I made this a few weeks ago and it was the PERFECT cake for the summer. Originally I was slightly hesitant since it had olive oil and I wasn’t sure how it would taste but you instantly forget it once it’s fully incorporated. I am so excited to make this again for my in laws soon – they are HUGE fans of anything citrus and they love cake with their tea. Thank for sharing such a wonderful recipe!
Rekha
Hi Kate
Just dropped by to finally jot down how much I enjoy the recipes on your website – having tried a handful. Although I am not a get “culinarist” nor do I enjoy cooking, I find your recipes practical and straiggtforward. Those few which are complex…I just leave to you all experts! :)
I am a vegetarian who eats dairy but not eggs. Would there be any recommendations for alternatives to the eggs in this recipe?
Thanks and Keep Cookin’ & sharin’!
Best
Rekha
Kate
Thanks, Rekha! Maybe try a flax egg? However, I haven’t tried it.
Tania
Just the best — I used mixed frozen berries and half the glaze amount because that’s all I had, and it came out lemony, moist and just delicious. I had to cut my four-year old off before he ate the whole loaf.
Kate
Oh boy! Loved it that much. Thanks for sharing, Tania.
Jayme Davis
In step 3, are we adding the lemon juice along with the other wet ingredients? And reserving 2 tablespoons for the glaze?
Kate
Hi Jayme! You are using the zest in step 3 with the sugar. You don’t need to lemon juice until until step 6. I hope this helps!
Jayme
Thank you so much! I proceeded as you directed and my entire family loved it! I’ve never made a lemon loaf and just thought it would require actual lemon juice in the loaf rather than in just the glaze. But, it’s perfect! Thanks again!
kaatje van de paer
Hallo Kate, did you try a lactose free alternative yet? I would like to replace the Milk by soymilk or coconut milk. Do you think it would work? Thank you
Kate
Hi! I haven’t yet, sorry. You could see what others may have tried that has worked.
Chiara
Instead of the sugar I used a cup of apple sauce. I reduced a bit the wet ingredients (1/2 cup yogurt and 1/4 cup oil). Still delicious!
Sukhmani Thind
Could I use coconut oil or avocado oil instead of olive oil?
Kate
I believe so! I just haven’t tried to be 100% certain.
Lorie
Do you add any of the juice from the lemons to the cake batter or use it only in the glaze?
Kate
Hi Laurie, the juice is used in the glaze only.
Molly
Super Yummy! Some modifications I did: Used only 1/2 cup of sugar which was perfectly sweet. I subbed (melted) coconut oil in place of the olive oil, and divided up the milk/yogurt with 1 part almond milk and one part yogurt. It turned out so scrumptious! Will definitely be making again. Thanks for your delicious recipes!
Vanessa
Can this be made with spelt flour instead? Also, would using turbinado sugar work? Thanks a lot! I’m eager to try this.
Kate
Hi Vanessa! You could sure try it. I think spelt is a fairly safe bet. Turbinado sugar might make your cake a little less fluffy/with a little more texture. I bet it would still be good, though. Please report back if you do!
Vanessa
I am also wondering if turbinado sugar would work okay in this instead of regular sugar. Thanks!
Bryn
This cake looks scrumptious! Would it be possible to use this batter to make cupcakes instead of a loaf cake?
Kate
Hi Bryn, I think so! Keep the temp the same, but they’ll be done baking before a loaf would be. Bake “until the top is golden and the sides just start to pull away from the sides of the pan. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.”
Caroline V
Just made this for the second time as muffins and with frozen raspberries. Used 3/4 cup of sugar but then topped them off with a berry/lemon glaze. It was DIVINE! Thanks, Kate for another amazing recipe!
ASHLYN
Sooo good!! I used whole wheat pastry flour did everything else exactly as the recipe says. I think I used Greek yogurt because that’s what we had. My loaf pan is glass so I reduced the oven temp by 25* and baked it for an hour!
Just perfect! Can’t wait to make the orange poppyseed next :D
Lesley Chang
Can I add lemon juice instead of lemon zest in step 3? If so, how much lemon juice do I add?
Kate
Hi Lesley! I’d recommend using lemon zest if at all possible. Lemon juice offers less flavor and could throw off the moisture balance in the recipe. If you only have juice, you might still find the cake nicely lemony after you add the glaze, which uses lemon juice.
Jaihanne
Just tried this. It smells heavenly! Only had one lime to use. Going to give it to my mother in law, as a lockdown treat!