Gluten-Free Blueberry Loaf Cake

This Gluten-Free Blueberry Loaf Cake is soft, moist, and packed with fresh blueberries – it tastes just like a giant blueberry muffin in loaf form! The thick batter keeps the berries from sinking, giving you even blueberry distribution in every slice. With a hint of lemon zest and vanilla, this cake is fragrant, light, and perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert.

This recipe uses simple pantry ingredients and is ready to bake in about 20 minutes of prep time. The result is a golden-brown loaf that looks bakery-worthy and is guaranteed to impress—even those who aren’t gluten-free!

Ingredients

150 g (¾ cup) sugar – caster, superfine, or granulated
Zest of 1 lemon – preferably organic and unwaxed
85 g (¾ stick) unsalted butter – melted and slightly cooled
75 g (⅓ cup) full-fat plain or Greek yoghurt – at room temperature
2 large eggs – at room temperature
½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
240 g (2 cups) gluten-free flour blend – plain (without xanthan gum)
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp xanthan gum (skip if your flour blend already has it)
¼ tsp salt
325 g (2½ cups) fresh blueberries

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare your oven & loaf tin:
- Move the oven rack to the middle position.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
- Line a 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf tin with parchment paper.
Mix the sugar and lemon zest:
- Place sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl.
- Rub zest into sugar using your fingertips until fragrant and well mixed.
Add wet ingredients:
- Whisk in melted butter, yoghurt, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and combined.
Mix dry ingredients:
- In a separate bowl, whisk together gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt.
Combine and add blueberries:
- Add dry ingredients and blueberries on top of the wet mixture.
- Gently fold together with a spatula until you have a thick, smooth batter.
- Make sure no dry flour pockets remain.
Rest the batter:
- Let the batter sit at room temperature for 3-4 minutes to thicken.
Fill the loaf tin:
- Transfer batter into prepared tin and smooth the top.
- Optional: Place very thin strips of cold butter along the center for a beautiful split while baking.
Bake the loaf:
- Bake for about 1 hour or until golden brown, risen, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- If the top is browning too quickly, cover with foil and continue baking.
Cool and serve:
- Allow cake to cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes.
- Carefully remove from tin and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Tips & Tricks

Use fresh blueberries: Fresh berries work best. Frozen ones can make the cake too dense and extend baking time.
Rub lemon zest into sugar: This releases more natural oils, giving a stronger lemon aroma.
Let the batter rest: This helps the flour absorb moisture, thickening the batter and preventing blueberries from sinking.
Control browning: If the top browns too fast, cover with foil for the last part of baking.
Perfect crack on top: Thin strips of butter placed in the center encourage an even, beautiful split.

Storage

Store the blueberry loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3–4 days. You can also freeze slices for up to 2 months—just wrap them well.