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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 the jam be left out or swapped for something else?
Hey Mary,
You can omit the jam. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Omg I’m making this today. Curious – Did you sift the flour before mixing?
Thanks!
Hey Kathy,
I did not sift the flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
It’s really good but 276 kcals? Is that right? If that’s for the loaf and there are 12 slices, then there are about 23,000 calories per slice? Am I reading your numbers correctly? Please help.
Hey Jerri,
Sorry for the confusion, this should read 276 calories per slice. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Delicious! Blueberries bursting with each bite!
Yes! Thank you so much Meghanne! xTieghan
I tried this out and loved it and so did my husband. It was even better the next day when the glaze had time to sink into the cake. The thyme was a great addition to the cake. I’m trying the s’mores skillet cookie next. Yum!
I am so glad you loved this recipe, Liana!! I hope you love the s’mores just as much!! xTieghan
Can you switch out blueberry s for another berry
Hey Jenna,
Sure you can absolutely do this! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
My family loves this loaf. It is easy and delicious and uses up some of the lemon thyme I planted this year. Thank you ?
Thank you so much Ann! I am so happy this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This recipe is perfect…but also a little forgiving for adjustments. I prefer following baking recipes exactly the first time I make them but in this case… I didn’t have the right size loaf pan so I used two smaller loaf pans. I had more fresh blueberries in my fridge which were about to turn bad so I used them all (maybe 1/2 cup more than the recipe). When I zested my lemon, I had a very generous TBSP and since I was using more blueberries, I tossed it all in. If it didn’t turn out, I knew it would be my fault but it was perfect. I think it would have been equally perfect if I hadn’t needed these adjustments. I’ve searched for a great lemon blueberry loaf recipe and none have been as good as this one, The thyme is essential and makes it special! I might add a bit of thyme into the loaf batter next time…
Hi Shanne! I am really glad this turned out well for you! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Wow!! This was delicious! I couldn’t wait any longer so drizzled my glaze a bit early. Man oh man delicious!
I am so glad this turned out so well for you, Cheri! xTieghan
My blueberries are late bloomers, but they came straight from the bush to this delicious blueberry bread. I was determined to only use what was in the fridge, so i went with yogurt instead of sour cream. It was easy, scrumptious — thank you!
Thank you so much Valle! I am really glad this turned out so amazing for you! xTieghan
Yum yum yum! Made this with fresh wild blueberries picked from the mountain side, blueberry-haskap jam, and fresh thyme from the garden.
Aw I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much Jenna! xTieghan
I just had to dish this out to neighbors because I couldn’t keep my hands off of it. I was stress baking today and this definitely hit the spot…the entire half loaf that I consumed this afternoon. Amazing, as always.
Thank you Hannah! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
I am looking to try this tomorrow! I see the recipe calls for both salted butter and salt. I just want to verify that this is correct.
Thank you!
Thank you so much Mike! I am really glad this turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
Excellent! Fresh blueberries with lemon thyme in the glaze. Great recipe! I may also try this with raspberries and raspberry jam swirls. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you Marla! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I made this cake last night and it was so divine and delicious. My family absolutely loved it! It was light, and just enough sweetness. Perfect for summer. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe. You are very talented. I found your website on Pinterest and was immediately drawn in by your gorgeous photography.
Aw you are too kind! I am really glad you have been enjoying my recipes, Bolanle! I hope you continue to enjoy them! Thank you! xTieghan