A quick bread with simple ingredients, similar to a light pound cake (less fat and a tad less sweet) that bakes to a golden brown and is covered with the most eye-catching pink icing. The flavors are amazing together, you can use fresh or frozen fruit, the crumb is soft, and the cake keeps well. It's one of our favorite recipes to make for Easter and Mother's Day brunch.

Wooden board with blackberry bread with interior showing and pink glaze.

This moist blackberry loaf is an easy quick bread to make whenever you crave berries.

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A few reasons that make it irresistible

Great texture and flavor: you'll love how soft and perfectly dense this quick bread is. The flavors pair very, very well together.
It keeps well: the crumb stays wonderful for a few days in the refrigerator. It also freezes well, always well-wrapped.
It's versatile: use fresh or frozen blackberries and vary the type of liquid for the powdered sugar glaze, like orange juice (instead of or in addition to the lemon), creme de cassis liquor or bottled blackberry juice.

Blackberry season doesn't last long, and this blog has several blackberry recipes to take advantage of these unique berries.

We even have beautiful blackberry tea cakes made with almond flour. They're more rustic yet perfect for afternoon tea—and so delicious!

Two slices of blackberry bread with pink glaze on wooden board.

Ingredient list

Blackberries: you can use fresh, juicy blackberries or frozen ones directly from the freezer, no need to thaw them. Wild blackberries can also be used.
Lemon: fresh lemon juice and fresh lemon zest deliver the best results.
Unsalted butter.
Yogurt: you need to use a plain, natural, unsweetened one, such as Greek yogurt.
Sugar: both regular, white granulated sugar and brown sugar (light or dark) are used for the best flavor and sweetness.
Eggs: fresh, large.
Vanilla extract.
All-purpose flour or cake flour.
Salt.

Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.

Wooden table with bowls containing ingredients for blackberry bread including lemons, eggs, butter, flour, yogurt, vanilla, sugar.

Variations & substitutions

Replace the yogurt with sour cream.
Replace the butter with vegetable oil, same volume (cups).
Citrus: orange goes very well with blackberries.
Berries: blackberries can be swapped for or used together with raspberries.

Steps to make the lemon batter

This is a butter-based recipe.

Using a hand-held electric mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment makes mixing much easier.

Blackberries: add them whole and last. Don't use the electric or stand mixer to mix them, as they will crush the fruit. Use a large silicon spatula to lightly incorporate them into the lemon batter.

Vanilla and zest added to cake batter in a glass bowl on a wooden surface.

The batter might look curdled when the flavorings are added, but it will smooth out after the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Sifting flour mixture over bowl set on a wooden surface.

Sifting the flour mixture creates a fluffier texture and helps integrate the dry ingredients better.

You can sift the dry ingredients before adding them in a separate bowl or have them measured and sifted as you add them, as I do.

Wooden surface with loaf pan containing blackberry bread batter.

The loaf pan should not be filled more than ⅔ of its capacity (¾ at the most). This allows the batter to grow during baking without overflowing.

Partial view of baked blackberry loaf in the pan on a wire rack set on a wooden surface.

As it bakes, this blackberry bread will rise and crack in the middle which is fine.

⭐️ Kitchen Tip

To remove the loaf more easily, line the pan with a strip of parchment paper as wide as the pan, covering the bottom and two short sides. The tow longer sides will be unlined but greased. When ready to unmold, run a smooth-bladed knife around the edges to loosen up any bit that might be stuck, and carefully lift the loaf with the help of the paper.

Blackberry glaze

This pink icing adds an eye-catching, dramatic color to this blackberry lemon bread! It's a simple powdered sugar glaze, so you know it's incredibly easy to prepare.

Colander with blackberry pulp over a white bowl with juice.

Blackberry juice: crush some berries through a colander set over a small bowl and collect the juice. Or use bottled blackberry juice.

Pink glaze being poured in a white bowl.

Put powdered sugar in a medium bowl and mix with the juices until you have a smooth, pourable, but not runny mixture; it should be similar to thick honey.

Pour the glaze over the cool loaf down the middle and let it drip down the sides. Let dry before cutting and serving.

Pink glaze dripping from a loaf on a parchment paper on a wooden table; white bowl and spoon.

Kitchen notes

Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Creaming: this step is essential to achieving a light and soft crumb. The butter must be at room temperature; otherwise, it won't integrate well with the rest of the ingredients.
Berries: add the blackberries last. Don't use an electric or stand mixer to incorporate them, as the fruit will be crushed. Use a spatula to lightly incorporate them into the lemon batter.
Pan sizes: make it in a loaf pan, double the recipe and use a tube pan. For muffins, it will yield about 12, maybe more, depending on how large your blackberries are.
Glaze: you can also use lemon glaze by using lemon juice instead of blackberry. It will be white and not pink. Also, if you like a boozy touch, use creme de cassis liquor instead of berry juice which will also render a pinkish icing.
Flavor variation: orange juice and orange zest can be substituted for the lemon. As we already know from the Orange Blackberry Muffin loaf, it's a wonderful pairing. I'm still partial to lemon, but it is a great option. A mix of both works well too.

Top view of slice of lemon blackberry loaf cake on wooden surface.

Troubleshooting common issues:

Texture: overmixing the batter can result in a tough, dense bread, while undermixing can result in a crumbly or dry texture. To avoid this, it's essential to mix the batter just until the dry ingredients are incorporated and then gently fold in the berries.
When is the bread done? If the bread is underbaked, it may be too moist and dense, while overbaking can result in a loaf of dry and crumbly bread. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick or cake tester into the center - if it comes out clean, the bread is ready.
Flavor: Achieving the right balance of lemon and blackberry flavor can also be challenging. Using too much lemon juice or zest can overpower the delicate flavor of the berries, while using too few can result in a bland bake. Start with the amounts given in the recipe and adjust in future bakes. Or if you're used to baking lemon cakes, use those amounts to guide you.
Storage: homemade loaves can dry out if not stored properly. To keep it fresh, wrap tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or frozen for up to two months.

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