Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Cake (Quick Discard Recipe)

If sunshine had a bake sale table, this Sourdough Lemon Blueberry Cake would absolutely be on it. Bright with lemon zest, packed with juicy blueberries and finished with a tangy glaze, this Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Loaf Cake is one of those easy bakes that somehow feels both cheerful and slightly fancy. It's soft, fresh, deeply lemony and exactly the kind of sourdough discard cake you'll want to make on repeat through spring and summer.

Jump to:

• Recipe Highlights
• Sourdough Baking In Spring/Summer
• Ingredient Notes
• Step-By-Step Method + Tips
• Storage
• Serving Suggestions
• More Sourdough Discard Cakes
• Sourdough Lemon Blueberry Cake (In A Loaf Tin)

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost for you! Thank you!

Sourdough Baking In Spring/Summer

My Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread recipe is one of the most popular sourdough recipes on the blog, especially once spring rolls around and everyone starts craving brighter, fruitier bakes. And honestly, I get it - it's delicious, very pretty when sliced, and just feels like warm-weather baking in the best way.

Seb and I both love it for breakfast, but I wanted to take those same flavours and turn them into something softer, sweeter and more dessert-like. That's how this Sourdough Lemon Blueberry Cake came about.

It has all the things I love in a warm-season bake: a tender crumb, a proper lemon flavour, plenty of blueberry goodness and no need to fuss with active sourdough starter. Just use your leftover sourdough discard and you're halfway there.

Ingredient Notes

Here's what you'll need for this easy recipe:

• Granulated sugar + lemon zest. Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar before anything else is one of the best little tricks for stronger lemon flavour. It helps release the natural oils from the zest and makes the whole loaf smell incredible before it's even baked.
• Eggs. Use room temperature eggs if you can - they blend more smoothly into the batter.
• Vegetable oil. Keeps the cake moist and soft for days. You can also use a neutral oil or melted coconut oil if preferred.
• Sourdough discard. This recipe is perfect for leftover sourdough discard, but active starter can also be used since the cake batter is not long fermented. It adds a subtle tang and moisture, but doesn't make the cake taste overly "sour".
• Sour cream or thick Greek yoghurt. Both work well. Sour cream gives a slightly richer texture, while Greek yoghurt keeps it a little lighter.
• Plain flour, baking powder and salt. The dry ingredients keep the loaf structured but tender. You'll also need a tablespoon of flour to toss the fresh blueberries.
• Fresh blueberries. Fresh blueberries work best here for even distribution and less bleeding, though frozen can work in a pinch if added straight from frozen (they tend to sink, though).
• Icing/ powdered sugar + lemon juice. For the simple pourable glaze on top.

Full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Step-By-Step Method + Tips

Prep your tin and preheat the oven

Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) and lightly grease and line a prepared loaf pan or bread loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper.

Top tip: Leave a little overhang on the long sides to help lift the whole loaf out later.

Make lemon sugar

In a large bowl, rub the granulated sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips for about 30 seconds.

Why this matters: This is the easiest way to get maximum lemon flavour into the cake without adding extracts or artificial flavouring.

Mix the wet ingredients

Using a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer, whisk in the oil, then the eggs, followed by the sourdough discard and sour cream until smooth.

Don't worry if the mixture looks slightly split at this stage - it usually comes together once the flour goes in.

Combine the dry ingredients

In a separate bowl or medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently until just combined.

Top tip: Don't overmix. A few small streaks are fine - overworking the cake batter can make the loaf dense instead of soft and tender.

Stop the blueberries sinking

Toss the fresh blueberries with a tablespoon of flour, then gently fold them into the batter.

Extra anti-sink trick: Spoon a thin layer of plain batter into the prepared pan first, then fold the blueberries into the rest and spoon that on top. It gives them less chance to sink straight to the bottom.

Bake

Transfer the batter to the tin and level the top of the batter.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and a cake tester or skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with moist crumbs (blueberry juice is fine, wet batter is not).

Best doneness check: If you like baking by temperature, the internal temperature should be around 95-98°C (203-209°F) in the centre.

If the top of the cake is browning too quickly, loosely tent it with aluminum foil for the last 15 minutes.

Cool properly

Leave the cake in the tin for 15-20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Why cooling matters: If you glaze it too soon, the icing will melt straight off instead of setting nicely.

Glaze the loaf

Mix the icing sugar with enough lemon juice to make a thick but pourable glaze, then spoon or drizzle over the cooled loaf.

You can keep it simple, or finish with a little extra lemon zest on top for a prettier finish.

Storage

Store the whole loaf or individual slices in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

For longer storage, freeze the loaf without the glaze. Wrap well in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature, then glaze before serving if you like.

Serving Suggestions

This Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Loaf Cake is lovely:

• with coffee or tea for afternoon tea
• slightly chilled on a warm day
• for breakfast with yoghurt or cream cheese and berries
• as dessert with whipped cream or a spoonful of lemon curd
• cut into individual slices for picnics or lunchboxes

It also makes a very good "just one more slice" kind of cake, which is both its charm and its danger.

More Sourdough Discard Cakes

If you love easy sourdough discard recipes, loaf cakes (or quick bread recipes, for my American readers) are one of the nicest ways to bake with discard - simple, reliable and perfect for seasonal flavours like lemon, berries and beyond. One of our summer favourites is buttery Sourdough Discard Raspberry White Chocolate Loaf Cake.