Blueberry love

Hi, everyone, I hope you all had a relaxing weekend enjoying the last of the summer weekends.  Today I’d like to celebrate my most important fruit of the summer…blueberries. On the weekend I baked two of these loaves (cakes really) one was meant for a girls brunch, but never made it through the afternoon.  

By God’s good graces, today’s recipe is simple and quick to just throw together before running to get breakfast done.  After the batter is whipped up, and the blueberries are mixed in, bake it for about 50 minutes. Simple!  And that’s how I bring my favorite summer berry into my cakes. And ladies please don't forget to use really Greek yogurt for the yogurt the recipe calls for, Fage yogurt to be exact. Enjoy!

Zingy Blueberry-Lemon Yogurt Loaf made with freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, Greek Fage yogurt and Juicy blueberries. Is then lightly brushed with a lemon syrup then drizzled with a vanilla glaze.

Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Loaf

For the Loaf:
1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed

For the Lemon Syrup:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar

For the Vanilla Glaze:
1 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.

While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.

Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.

To make the vanilla glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2 tablespoons of the vanilla extract and water. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of water if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.
Yields: 1-9×5 loaf