There’s nothing quite like a simple loaf cake for an easy bake, and this blackberry loaf cake is the perfect way to enjoy seasonal berries. Bursting with juicy blackberries in every slice, it’s soft, light, and so easy to make.
I love to pick blackberries from the garden or from bramble patches I find when on a walk in the countryside or by the river. Many of them don’t make it home of course as we eat them right away!
Those that do often find their way into a seasonal bake like this loaf cake, or are used for blackberry jam.
This is an autumnal spin on my rhubarb loaf cake, that is great served warm with custard or cream or sliced alongside a cup of coffee or tea!
This is a one-bowl recipe so it is really simple to prepare. No mixer needed, you just rub in the butter and sugar like making a crumble!
Ingredients
Here is a list of the ingredients you will need for this easy blackberry loaf. You’ll find the quantities together with the full directions in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- eggs – my preference is for large free-range eggs.
- butter – I use unsalted butter in all baking. You can use a dairy-free alternative if needed.
- light brown sugar – using this kind of sugar enhances the flavour and also gives the cake a slight light brown colour, both of which you would miss out on if you used white caster sugar.
- self-raising flour
- blackberries – I tend to use fresh but frozen or tinned blackberries (drained of all juice/syrup) will also work well.
- lemon – the zest of a lemon enhances the blackberry flavour and adds a bit of zing.
Instructions
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this blackberry loaf cake recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Weigh out the self-raising flour, butter, and light brown sugar and put them in a mixing bowl. Rub the ingredients together with your fingers until it forms the texture of fine breadcrumbs.
Step 2. Add the eggs and mix well with a wooden spoon until well combined.
Step 3. Add most of the blackberries (reserve a few for the top of the cake) and all the lemon zest to the cake batter and then stir through gently. Don’t mix too much as the blackberries might disintegrate and make the cake mixture turn grey!
Step 4: Grease and line a 2 lb (900 g) loaf tin. Spoon the cake mixture into the lined tin. Press the remaining blackberries into the top of the mixture.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer or cake tester comes out clean from the centre. Cover the cake with foil from around 40 minutes to stop the top of the cake browning too much.
Step 5. Remove the tin from the oven once fully cooked and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
Remove the cake from the tin using the lining paper, peel off the paper, and leave the cake to cool fully on a cooling rack.
I love this cake served just as it is. If you like you can make a lemon icing to drizzle over the top.
Storage
After baking, let the cake cool fully and you can store it in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
If you would like to freeze the cake, wrap it well in greaseproof paper and then a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Variations
- You can vary this recipe according to the fruit you have available, for example you could swap the blackberries for raspberries or mixed berries.
- Add a crumble topping by mixing brown sugar and cinnamon, then stirring in melted butter, and finally stirring in flour until it forms a crumble texture, then sprinkling on top before baking for a blackberry crumble loaf cake.
- Sprinkle demerara sugar on top before baking for a crunchy sugar topping.
Top Tip
Feel free to use frozen blackberries for this recipe if you can’t get fresh.
Frozen are often cheaper and available all year round.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Blackberry Loaf Cake
Ingredients
- 250 g (2 cups) self-raising flour
- 175 g (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 175 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 150 g (1 cup) blackberries
- 1 lemon for zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Weigh out the self-raising flour, butter, and light brown sugar and put them in a mixing bowl. Rub the ingredients together with your fingers until it forms the texture of fine breadcrumbs.250 g self-raising flour, 175 g unsalted butter, 175 g light brown sugar
- Add the eggs and mix well with a wooden spoon until well combined.2 large eggs
- Add most of the blackberries (reserve a few for the top of the cake) and all the lemon zest to the cake batter and then stir through gently. Don’t mix too much as the blackberries might disintegrate and make the cake mixture turn grey!150 g blackberries, 1 lemon
- Grease and line a 2 lb (900 g) loaf tin. Spoon the cake mixture into the lined tin. Press the remaining blackberries into the top of the mixture.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer or cake tester comes out clean from the centre. Cover the cake with foil from around 40 minutes to stop the top of the cake browning too much.
- Remove the tin from the oven once fully cooked and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Remove the cake from the tin using the lining paper, peel off the paper, and leave the cake to cool fully on a cooling rack.
Notes
- You can vary this recipe according to the fruit you have available, for example you could swap the blackberries for raspberries or mixed berries.
- Add a crumble topping by mixing brown sugar and cinnamon, then stirring in melted butter, and finally stirring in flour until it forms a crumble texture, then sprinkling on top before baking for a blackberry crumble loaf cake.
- Sprinkle demerara sugar on top before baking for a crunchy sugar topping.
bakingqueen74 says
We love this simple blackberry loaf cake which is a delicious way to enjoy blackberries!