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!

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 tender and packed so much lemon flavor in every single bite.

When I was a student, I’d go to Starbucks on a Sunday to do homework. And without a doubt – I’d always order a slice of their lemon loaf. It has the perfect balance of delicious butteriness without being greasy, and the lemon flavor packs a punch without being sour whatsoever.

So I wanted to find the perfect Starbucks copycat lemon loaf recipe so that I could make a delicious lemon loaf at home and eat 3 slices without the embarrassment of ordering all 3 from the Barista.

Starbucks Copycat Lemon Loaf Recipe

To develop the perfect lemon loaf from scratch – I had to do some sleuthing. I first looked at the Starbucks website to see the ingredient list for their lemon loaf. While there’s a ton of ingredients I didn’t understand that are obviously only used in commercial kitchens, I did learn a lot about the ingredients they use.

• They use butter instead of oil for the fat.
• They’re using lemon juice, lemon peel and lemon oil for the lemon flavor.
• Both baking powder & baking soda to help it rise beautifully.
• And there’s buttermilk to keep it moist.

So in order to get a recipe that’s close as possible to the original – I wanted to make sure I had those ingredients in my recipe too. Obviously, they don’t show the exact proportions on their website, so from there it was time to start experimenting in the kitchen.

The first lemon loaf recipe I tried was too dry – so I knew I needed a little more milk and an extra egg to keep it tender and moist. Then the next one wasn’t quite lemony enough. Finally, #3 was juuuuuuuust right. Tender, moist, and bursting with fresh sunshine lemon flavor.

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. However – I know it’s a little harder to come by. So feel free to leave the lemon extract out. Your lemon loaf will still be delicious.

Whether you’ve tried the lemon loaf from Starbucks or not – you definitely need to try Starbucks copycat lemon loaf recipe. It’s perfect for breakfast, a midmorning snack, or even dessert. And the bright lemon flavor makes it taste like sunshine in delicious pound cake form.

For more lemon desserts, make sure to try these other favorites!

• Lemon Blueberry Cake
• Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
• Lemon Cheesecake
• Lemon Zucchini Bread

Bring your other restaurant favorites with these copycat recipes!

• Bib & Blue Salad (Macaroni Grill Copycat)
• The Best Copycat Bang Bang Shrimp
• Teriyaki Chicken Salad (Red Robin Copycat)
• Jalapeno Ranch Dip Recipe (Chuy’s Copycat)

Print Recipe

4.67 from 6 votes

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 Time20 mins

Cook Time50 mins

Total Time1 hr 10 mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lemon loaf

Servings: 8 slices

Author: Fiona

Ingredients

Lemon Loaf

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract*
• zest of 1 large lemon or use 1 and 1/2 lemons if you don't have lemon extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/3 cup buttermilk sour cream works too

Lemon Icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1-2 tablespoons cream or milk

Instructions

Lemon Loaf

• Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Grease and flour an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan, or line with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt.
• In a separate bowl beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy - this will take at least 3 minutes.
• Mix in the eggs 1 at a time. Then mix in the vanilla extract, optional lemon extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
• With the mixer on low speed, mix in about 1/2 of the flour mixture followed by about 1/2 of the buttermilk. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Repeat the process with the rest of the flour mixture and buttermilk.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. It will be done when 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.
• Cool the loaf fully before icing (otherwise, the icing will melt through the cake and run off the sides). 

Lemon Icing

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

Notes

*Optional. The lemon extract will make the flavor more similar to the Starbucks version. 

Fiona

Fiona blogs over at Just So Tasty where she shares easy, classic recipes for desserts & sweet treats. A peanut butter lover, chocolate connoisseur, and sprinkle addict – she hopes to make your life sweeter, one cookie at a time. She also teaches yoga, because life is all about balance.