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Celebrating the weekend with this sweet Swirled Blueberry Lemon Thyme Cake. Perfect for summertime baking. Sweet lemony sour cream cake swirled with a mix of fresh blueberries and blueberry jam. This cake is mouthwatering and oh so delicious. Every bite is layered with fresh berries, jam, and hints of lemon. Finish this simple cake with a lemon-thyme glaze that’s unique and delicious. This is the perfect berry-filled pound cake for any and all occasions. Bonus? It’s simpler to make than you’d think, and so very pretty…with very little effort.
Happy last Friday of May – happy almost June! You guys, I have to admit, I am feeling excited. June is so very close and things are starting to feel summery. It’s a fun time of year. We have three months of nice weather, amazing summer produce, and lots of summer baking to look forward too.
But right now, what I’m most excited about is this simple loaf cake, which is somewhat shocking to me. One, because there’s no chocolate involved…which is usually a must for me when it comes to cakes. And two, this is a loaf cake, not a layer cake. We all know how much I love a good layer cake, but I challenged myself to create a simple loaf style pound cake as a change of pace. It’s something I’ve never created before and I love creating new to me recipes.
Jumping right into the details today, because well, I want us all to do a little Friday night baking…it’s my favorite night to bake!
The inspiration.
As I mentioned above, I wanted to create something fresh, new, and different. I’ve never shared any kind of pound cake, or loaf cake for that matter, so I decided a lemony blueberry cake was the perfect fit. Fresh summer flavors in a simple loaf style cake.
I recently stocked up on plenty of fresh blueberries, so I knew I was good to go there. Additionally, I had plenty of fresh thyme in the fridge from my last herb order. I decided to put the two together and create a pound cake bursting with berries and hinted lightly with floral thyme and fresh lemon.
It was perfect. Bursting with flavor and juicy berries…and best enjoyed with a scoop of ice cream. Or maybe a little homemade whipped cream plus a warm cup of coffee. Perfect Sunday morning brunch, afternoon snack, or late night dessert. You can’t go wrong.
How you make this blueberry lemon thyme cake.
It’s quick, easy, and so simple.
Cream some butter with lots of lemon zest and a touch of sugar. Then add eggs and sour cream.
Now, the sour cream is KEY. You can also use Greek yogurt, but I’ve decided that sour cream will give you the best flavor and the most amount of moisture too. This is my first time baking with sour cream, but it will not be my last. It’s a game-changer and I’m just a little bit obsessed.
Once all the wet ingredients have been mixed. Simply beat in the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Then stir in lots of blueberries.
And now we swirl in jam…
Because I LOVE a jammy cake and a mix of fresh berries to sweeten the concentrated jam. It’s a winning combination that never gets old.
So, layer half of the batter into a loaf pan, next swirl in a tablespoon or so of sweet blueberry jam. Spoon over the remaining batter, then add one more swirls of jam, a small handful of berries, and a sprinkling of sugar on top to finish.
At this point, it’s time to bake. Like most pound cakes, this takes about an hour in the oven…which is a long while. But I promise, the wait will be worth it!
While the cake bakes, make the glaze.
The glaze is where the thyme comes in.
First things first, please do not let the use of thyme scare you away. If you’ve never tossed thyme in with your berries, now is the time to start. It’s not an intense flavor, but it lends a really nice floral touch. I love the combination of lemon, thyme, and blueberries. It’s a simple ingredient to toss into the mix but adds so much.
That said, you are of course welcome to omit the thyme from the cake. It’s totally up to you, but I love the herbal addition.
The rest is simple. Mix powdered sugar with lemon juice and that thyme…and that’s your glaze.
Simple. Simple.
Once the cake has cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top, slice, and enjoy!
Every bite is bursting with sweet blueberries, hinted with lemon and thyme, and perfectly sweet too.
Of course, I highly recommend you serve each slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s the only way to really enjoy a slice of berry-filled cake.
Some helpful suggestions…
You can really use whatever berry you love or have an abundance of in the fridge or in the freezer. Blackberries, raspberries, or a combo of your favorites…all will work, and all will be delicious.
If you don’t cook with sour cream, try using plain Greek yogurt. That works nicely too!
So make this today, tomorrow, this weekend, and from now until the start of fall. Fingers crossed that this blueberry cake will become your new “back pocket” summer cake recipe. So, with that, I will leave you with this yummy, but simple loaf style blueberry lemon cake.
Happiest (almost June) baking to you all! Hope you guys enjoy this cake as much as I do!
Looking for other blueberry recipes? Here are some favorites…
Blueberry Swirl Coffee Cake Muffins
Bursting Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake
Bursting Blueberry Cardamom Buckle
Lastly, if you make this swirled blueberry lemon thyme cake be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Swirled Blueberry Lemon Thyme Cake
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 336 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 2 tablespoons blueberry jam
Lemon Thyme Glaze
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a (9x5 inch) loaf pan.2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and lemon zest until combined. Add the sour cream and vanilla, beating until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold in 1 1/4 cups blueberries.3. Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of blueberry jam, leaving a few streaks of jam throughout the batter. Add the remaining batter and then swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon jam. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 cup blueberries and 1 tablespoon sugar. 4. Transfer to the oven and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until center is just set. Let cool before glazing. 5. Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, and lemon juice until smooth and drizzly. Stir in the thyme, if using. 6. Drizzle the glaze over the cake. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
To Freeze: Bake as directed, cool completely, then tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze in a freezer bag or freezer safe container for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or on the counter for a few hours.
To Make Gluten Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour.
Storing: this cake keeps well for 3-4 days at room temperature.
This post was originally published on May 29, 2020
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Just one question- am I supposed to be using an electric mixer at all or could I do everything by hand?
Hey Tiffany,
You can mix this cake by hand. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was AMAZING! We could have eaten the whole loaf in one sitting! So fresh tasting and light. I halved the sugar topping and it was still good. Might use a crunchier sugar like turbinado next time.
Great! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Another WINNER from HBH! Every recipe I try, I love and it goes into my folder of saved “go-to” recipes! This was a huge crowd pleaser, so moist, and absolutely delicious. My oven is a little funky, so I put it in for 45min, checked at 40min and was perfect then! So my bake time was 40min, outside was a perfect golden brown, and a stick came out perfectly clean.
Wow that is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much Kayla! xTieghan
Made this today with the following alterations: Used strained greek yogurt instead of the sour cream; did not have blueberry jam for the swirls, so i had to forgo that; and no fresh thyme but i let the dried thyme mingle for 1 hour or so in the lemon juice. Next time I will have to try using wild blueberries. Also i made it on my Airfryer in a metal loaf pan. At 350F for about 45 min and it was done. It is so good with the glaze. Thank you 🙂
Thank you so much Alex!! I am really glad this recipe turned out so amazing for you! xTieghan
This is my third time making this recipe, it’s easy to follow, looks great, and it’s delicious !!
Thank you so much Naomi!! I am really happy to hear that! xTieghan
This is a AWESOME recipe but needed a tiny bit more lemon for me. I modified it slightly to make it more lemon-forward. For anyone using fatty sour cream, I would recommend reducing the amount used to a 1/4 cup or maybe even a few tablespoons, since I also added in the juice of 4 lemons plus the recommended zest otherwise it might come out soggy instead of crumby. I also only cooked mine for 45 minutes, but you should know your bakeware/your climate/your oven. The jam swirl is game-changing. I would also recommend always tossing berries fresh or frozen in flour before incorporating so they stay dispersed instead of sinking!
Amazing! Thank you so much for trying this one, Nisha! xTieghan
My first time making one of your recipes. This was sooooo good! Really easy too. I might add more lemon zest next time. (I love lemon). I probably didn’t add as much as I should have anyway!
Thank you so much Rebecca! xTieghan
This was absolutely AMAZING. I am completely obsessed. I made the recipe to a T and it came out moist, perfect and absolutely delicious. This will be my go-to recipe whenever I need to bring someone a dessert! It is so pretty as well.
Love to hear that! Thank you so much for trying this Arnela! xTieghan
I usually only make chocolate desserts but this looked just soo good! I’m very happy that I made this tonight. I used blackberry jam and thawed frozen berries. I cooked it for 60 minutes but it still needed to a go a little longer (though my oven isnt the best so thats why). Overall, a wonderful recipe! The lemon glaze is so delish.
Thank you so much Ling Ling!! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes! xTieghan
Tried this tonight and it’s a new family favorite. It was simple to make and everyone loved it. It’s a perfect, fresh dessert for the summer.
Thank you so much Katherine! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
Would it be best to freeze the loaf without the glaze and put the glaze on after it defrosts?
Thanks,
Sharon
Hi Sharon,
Yes I would recommend to freeze first and then glaze later. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
Planning to make this beautiful loaf for a cottage weekend. Will be freezing it to take. Would it be best to glaze before freezing or glaze it when it defrosts?
Thanks,
Sharon
Hi Sharon,
I would recommend glazing after you defrost. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I am a new Covid cook – this was my first attempt at anything like this. While I considered it a fail (the blueberries and jam settled at the bottom) I am trying it again. It was UGLY but YUMMY! Hopefully my next attempt goes better!
Thank you so much Brandon! xTieghan
Love this recipe! I made this already in a regular loaf pan and it was absolutely delicious! I would like to recreate it in a bundt pan for a dinner party. Should I double the recipe and maybe bake time, or will it be alright as is? Thanks!
Hi Jen,
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! There wouldn’t be enough batter for a bundt pan, but I have not tested doubling the recipe so I’m not sure the results you would get. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is the most delicious cake I’ve ever tried or baked. Thank you so for this recipe!!!
Thank you so much for trying this Irina!! xTieghan