Starbucks Copycat Lemon Loaf

I’ve been on a lemon kick lately! If you are too – then you need to try this Starbucks Copycat Lemon Loaf! This lemon loaf cake is full of lemon flavor and topped with a sweet lemon glaze! It is a perfect summertime treat and makes a perfect dessert to go with a cup of tea.

Starbucks Famous Lemon Loaf

Have you ever tried the lemon loaf from Starbucks? As much as I love homemade treats, I can’t turn down a slice of their lemon pound cake. It’s so moist and packed so much lemon flavor in every single bite. One of my favorite treats when I hit town.

I don’t often visit Starbucks when I go to town even though I only live about 25 – 30 minutes from a Starbucks. My desire to create the lemon loaf had me in search of the perfect Starbucks copycat lemon loaf recipe so that I could make a delicious lemon loaf at home.

Starbucks Copycat Lemon Loaf – Recipe

I did some searching and knowing that this is a commercial pastry and may contain ingredients that I won’t be using. So, I opted for the most popular recipe that includes a cup of sour cream. I have found recipes using a cake mix and lemon pudding to recipes that are all made from scratch, and the latter is what I opted for.

These are the requirements I looked for:

1. Use lemon juice, lemon zest and lemon extract
2. Both baking powder & baking soda to help it rise beautifully.
3. Sour cream to keep it moist.

To get a lemon flavor that was the most similar to the Starbucks version, I used lemon juice, lemon zest and lemon extract. I found that the lemon extract made the flavor the most similar to the Starbucks version.

Tips:

• Glaze/Icing – The powdered sugar proportions in the recipe include a note to add more powdered sugar as needed until you have a nice thick consistency. This can vary from kitchen to kitchen depending on personal preference, and what type of milk you use. I followed the recipe for the icing but ended up with more of a glaze than a thick icing. Keep in mind that you may have to play around with it to get a flavor and texture that you love.
• Check for browning as the loaf bakes. If the top is getting too brown, cover with foil.
• If you want more lemon flavor in the bread and the icing, use lemon extract along with the lemon juice. The flavor will be more intense.

Starbucks Copycat Lemon Loaf

If you love the lemon desserts – then you need to try this Starbucks Copycat Lemon Loaf! It’s buttery, moist, bursting with lemon flavor, and topped with sweet lemon glaze.

Prep Time – 20minutes mins

Cook Time – 50minutes mins

Total Time – 1hour hour 10minutes mins

Ingredients:

Lemon Loaf

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract* or add additional ½ tablespoon of lemon zest
• 2 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup sour cream 

Lemon Icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar – add more until desired consistency is reached
• 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1-2 tablespoons cream or milk adjust as needed for consistency

Instructions:

Lemon Loaf

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or line with parchment paper.

2. In a medium size bowl, mix the dry ingredients – combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together. Set aside. 

3. Prepare wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl, with a electric mixer on medium speed, mix the granulated sugar and the eggs for 2 minutes. The extra time helps to incorporate air into the batter which makes the bread more fluffy.

4. Gradually add the oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Mix to incorporate.

5. Add in the sour cream and mix well. 

7. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mix stirring until there are no lumps. Don’t over mix. Sometimes I will use my hand mixture but finish with a spatula when I only have a little bit of dry flour left.

8. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan.

9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the top feels firm to the touch. If after about 30-40 minutes the top is browning too much, tent a piece of aluminum foil over top and continue baking.

10. Cool – allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 – 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the loaf is cool, prepare your glaze by mixing all ingredients together

Lemon Icing:

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and cream/milk until smooth. Add in more powdered sugar or cream as needed for desired consistency.
2. Remove the cooled loaf from the pan and drizzle or pour over top.

Enjoy!