An easy blackberry loaf cake recipe made in a 2 lb loaf tin with sweet and juicy foraged blackberries and a zingy lemon drizzle topping!
It's a delicious seasonal cake that's perfect for afternoon tea, autumn picnics, and school bake sales! You might also like my apple loaf cake too!
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With a fluffy and moist sponge studded with fresh juicy blackberries, this easy blackberry cake is made for blackberry season!
My kids love going blackberry picking at the end of the summer holidays. We always come back with purple-stained hands and purple-stained clothes, but I don't mind if we've got a good crop of blackberries from the local hedgerows.
👩🍳 Love blackberries? Try my easy blackberry traybake and blackberry crumble!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- A delicious seasonal cake using foraged blackberries.
- Made in one bowl.
- The blackberry cake can be frozen, so make two and freeze one for another day.
🛒 Ingredient notes
Blackberries - if you can't get hold of fresh blackberries, you can use frozen blackberries straight from the freezer (there's no need to defrost them first).
Plain Flour - a small amount is used to coat the blackberries, which helps to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the tin.
Butter - softened unsalted butter, or use soft margarine (like Stork).
Sugar - white caster sugar or golden caster sugar can be used.
Eggs - 4 large eggs at room temperature.
Flour - self-raising flour is used, as it already has the raising agent incorporated into it. You can make your own by mixing plain flour with baking powder (2 teaspoons of baking powder to 150g of plain flour).
Ground Almonds - helps to keep the cake moist and adds a lovely nutty flavour.
Lemon - use an unwaxed lemon. The zest is mixed into the sponge, and the juice is combined with caster sugar to make the drizzle topping.
🔪 How to make blackberry loaf cake
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Preheat the oven to 180°c (160 °fan/ Gas 4/ 350F) and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking paper or non-stick parchment paper. Coat the blackberries in the plain flour and set aside.
Two: In a large bowl cream together the softened butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy.
Three: Beat in the eggs.
Four: Fold in the self-raising flour, ground almonds, and lemon zest.
Five: Spoon half the mixture into the loaf tin, then fold the flour coated blackberries through the rest of the cake batter left in the mixing bowl.
Six: Spoon in the rest of the batter and level the top with a palette knife.
Seven: Bake in the oven for 1 hr 10 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean (without raw batter on it). Quickly mix together the caster sugar with enough lemon juice to make a runny drizzle and spoon it over the top of the cake. Leave the cake to cool before removing it from the tin and slicing.
Top Tips
- Help prevent the blackberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake by first coating them with a little bit of plain flour and then folding them into only half of the cake batter (spoon the batter without the blackberries into the loaf tin first).
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature before starting the recipe, especially the eggs. This will help achieve a light fluffy texture to the cake.
- Fold the flour carefully into the cake mixture rather than beating it in and losing all of the air.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the blackberry loaf cake for afternoon tea, picnics, and as a seasonal after-school snack! Spread thick slices with homemade lemon curd for a treat!
You can also serve the blackberry cake for dessert with homemade honeycomb ice cream or creamy custard.
📖 Variations
- Swap the lemon zest for lime zest or orange zest.
- Use other seasonal berries such as blueberries or raspberries. You might like to try my blueberry and banana bread!
- Make a crumble topping rather than using a lemon drizzle.
- Replace the ground almonds with desiccated coconut for a tropical twist!
- Fold in white chocolate chips or chunks into the cake batter along with the blackberries. The sweet creaminess of white chocolate pairs beautifully with the tartness of the blackberries.
🥡 Storage
Store - Store in an airtight container or cake tin for up to 4 days.
Freeze - Once cool, wrap in baking paper or clingfilm, then a layer of foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Blackberry season lasts from August to October in the UK. Blackberries are at their best in late August and early September.
Here are a few recipe ideas!
1. Blackberry Jam
2. Blackberry Crumble
3. Blackberry Oat Bars
4. Blackberry Muffins
5. Blackberry and Apple Turnovers
6. Blackberry Compote
7. Blackberry Coulis
Blackberries contain more immune-boosting vitamin C than blueberries. They also contain high levels of manganese and vitamin K. They have antibacterial properties too, which can help to prevent tooth infections.
Yes, you can use frozen blackberries for this recipe. Just make sure you defrost them completely and drain any excess liquid before adding them to the batter. You may also want to toss them in a bit of flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Yes, you can experiment with various fruits like raspberries, blueberries, or a combination of different berries. However, different fruits may have varying moisture levels, so you may need to adjust the recipe slightly
Yes! Swirl a tablespoon of blackberry jam into the cake batter for added flavour and moisture.
😋 More loaf cake recipes
- Lime and Coconut Loaf Cake
- Blackcurrant Loaf Cake
- Marzipan Loaf Cake
- Lemon Curd Loaf Cake
- Madeira Loaf Cake
- Golden Syrup Loaf Cake
- Lardy Cake
Blackberry recipes to try
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Recipe
Easy Blackberry Loaf Cake
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Equipment
- Wooden Spoon
- Baking Paper
Ingredients
- 175 g Blackberries fresh or frozen (no need to defrost frozen blackberries)
- 1 tablespoon Plain Flour
- 225 g Unsalted Butter softened
- 225 g Caster Sugar
- 4 Eggs large
- 200 g Self Raising Flour
- 30 g Ground Almonds
- 1 Lemon zest
For the drizzle
- 60 g Caster Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°c (160 °fan/ Gas 4/ 350F) and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking paper or non stick parchment paper.
- Coat the blackberries in the plain flour and set aside175 g Blackberries, 1 tablespoon Plain Flour
- In a large bowl cream together the softened butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy.225 g Unsalted Butter, 225 g Caster Sugar
- Beat in the eggs.4 Eggs
- Fold in the self-raising flour, ground almonds, and lemon zest.200 g Self Raising Flour, 30 g Ground Almonds, 1 Lemon
- Spoon half the mixture into the loaf tin, then fold the flour coated blackberries through the rest of the cake batter left in the mixing bowl.
- Spoon the rest of the batter into the tin and level the top with a palette knife.
- Bake in the oven for 1 hr 10 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean (without raw batter on it).
- Mix together the caster sugar with enough lemon juice to make a runny drizzle and spoon it over the top of the cake whilst still warm. Leave the cake to cool before removing from the tin and slicing.60 g Caster Sugar, 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
Notes
- Swap the lemon zest for lime zest or orange zest.
- Use other seasonal berries such as blueberries or raspberries. You might like to try my blueberry and banana bread!
- Make a crumble topping rather than using a lemon drizzle.
- Replace the ground almonds with desiccated coconut!
Dana
Never thought to use blackberries in a bread like this, it's SO GOOD. What a fantastic recipe. Everybody loved it.
Aimee Mars
This is pure heaven. I love using the blackberries vs. traditional blueberries. The drizzle is what makes it for me!
Cam
I had a bunch of fresh blackberries to use and this was the perfect recipe to use them! Turned out perfect and was so delicious.
Gina Abernathy
Love recipes using blackberries. Delicious!
Heather
Love a good loaf cake and this blackberry one didn't disappoint! Loved the addition of lemon in it too!
Kay
Love the flavours of blackberry and lemon together so had to give this one a go. It was very easy and turned out lovely. Had to freeze some of it to avoid eating it all in one day!
Anna
It’s really tasty but the blackberries are so seedy when baked. Is that normal?