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If you love 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!
This lemon loaf tops the list of favorite lemon desserts, along with Lemon Pound Cake and Lemon Blueberry Muffins.
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 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.
- There’s sour cream 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.
Developing the Perfect Lemon Loaf Recipe
The first lemon loaf recipe I tried was too dry – so I knew I needed a little more sour cream and an extra egg to keep it tender and moist. Then the next one wasn’t quite lemony enough. Finally, number 3 was just 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.
Top Tips
- We have received a lot of comments in regards to the icing. The 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’ve updated the recipe with less liquid to start for the icing, but 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 it 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. It can however have a “fake” taste so be cautious using too much.
Store and Freezing
Your Lemon Loaf will remain fresh for up to 5-6 days when properly stored, or up to 6 months in the freezer.
- Store leftover Lemon Loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days. Do not refrigerate as this can dry out the cake.
- For long term storage, you can freeze the Lemon Loaf and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Place frosted lemon loaf (whole or slices) on a sheet pan and pop it into the freezer for 2-3 hours. Once it’s frozen, wrap it up in plastic wrap and a layer of foil, then into an airtight freezer container. Unfrosted lemon loaf you can just wrap and freeze.
More Lemon Desserts
Lovely Lemon Recipes
- Honey Lemon Chicken and Green Beans
- Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Lemon Pepper Wings
- Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
Starbucks Copycat Lemon Loaf
Ingredients
Lemon Loaf
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and at room temperature
- 1/4 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
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sour cream or buttermilk
Lemon Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar add more until desired consistency is reached
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons cream or milk adjust as needed for consistency
Instructions
Lemon Loaf
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Grease and flour an 9×5-inch loaf pan, or line with parchment paper.
- In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together. Set aside.Â
- 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.
- Add the melted butter and the oil. Mix to incorporate.
- Add the vanilla, lemon extract, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix on medium speed until all ingredients are combined.
- Add in the sour cream and mix well.Â
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, approximately ⅓ of the mixture. Mix until almost incorporated and add more. Continue until all the flour is incorporated in the wet mixture. 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.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
- 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.
- Cool completely. Once the loaf is cool, prepare your glaze by mixing all ingredients together
Lemon Icing
- 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.
- Remove the cooled loaf from the pan and drizzle or pour over top.Â
Notes
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.Â
- Melt butter in the microwave then let it cool for a few minutes before adding to the batter.Â
- The original recipe used buttermilk, but I adjusted and now use sour cream instead. It provides more moisture, preventing the bread from turning out dry.Â
- This recipe uses a 9×5-inch loaf pan. The size is important! You can use an 8×4-inch pan, but will need to adjust the time and temperature. It would also result in a thicker loaf and you risk losing moisture.
- This recipe was updated in May 2022 when we adjusted a few ingredients and swapped out buttermilk for sour cream, reduced the butter and added oil. This adds more moisture to the bread.
- If you preferred the old recipe – use ½ cup buttermilk instead of sour cream, omit the oil and add an additional ¼ cup of melted butter, and reduce the amount of baking powder and vanilla to ½ teaspoon each. Bake in an 8.5×4.5 loaf pan.Â
Hi! I’ve made this as a loaf before to rave reviews, awesome recipe! I’m wondering, if I were to double the recipe & use a 9×13 baking dish, would that work instead of 2 loaf pans? What kind of cook time would you think would you recommend?
Thanks!
Hi April, I’ve used an 8×8 pan to make quick bread, just not with this recipe so I can’t specifically say how this one will turn out. However, I think it would be fine, you just need to bake it for about 20-30 minutes. Check the center until it’s finished.
Hi ?,
I love this recipe and I made it many many times.
For some reasons the middle of my cake always always sinks .
Any idea why ? ( I don’t open the oven door, I follow the recipe, )
Hi Edith, There are a variety of reasons that could happen. Maybe this post could help: https://delishably.com/desserts/Baking-Tips-Why-a-Cake-Sinks-in-the-Middle-and-How-to-Stop-It
I’ve been having the same exact issue! I’ve baked this in the past and it never has been giving me issue, until recently. I have researched why it’s sinking too but cannot find a cause for the sinking.
I haven’t made this yet but am going to I’m wondering what everyone perfects And how the lemon extract made a difference and sour cream/ buttermilk which ones work best
Hi! I want to make this a lot but…. here where I live I don’t have buttermilk or sourcream. Do you know how can I make those? Or how can I substitute them? Thanks!
Hi Anto, Try this post: How to Make Buttermilk. You need milk and vinegar or lemon juice. Good luck!
I baked this yesterday and it came out so amazing! It was the first bread recipe I have done in quite sometime and it was so simple to make with all the common ingredients. I posted a photo on my Instagram @csteuwer
That’s awesome Chelsea! Thanks for stopping by.
Can I use less sugar? If so how less can I go without it making a big difference?
You could try cutting the sugar a little bit, but I’m not sure how much it will alter the taste. It’s not overly sweet as it is.
I made this last week and it turned out so good! And my brother loved this cake so much that he asked me for the recipe and he is in the kitchen right now making it himself! 😀
NICE!! Thank you so much Hiba for the awesome feedback.
I only have powdered buttermilk with me. Could I use it for this recipe and how? Thanks!
I googled it and it sounds like you could. It’s not something I’ve tried though.
Fabulous! So easy and so moist!
Thank you Laura!
So I’m in quarantine because I have COVID and I tried this recipe because I love the loaf cakes and haven’t been able to get one and this taste so good almost the same. I will definitely be making this again
Hi Miranda, Thanks for your feedback, glad you enjoyed the lemon loaf! Sorry to hear about your illness and I hope you’re on the mend very soon!
I tried out this recipe because my dad loves the starbucks loaf and, knowing i’m a baker, was wondering if I could make something similar at home!
I think this recipe was great but the one thing I would change would be the amount of lemon. I’ve found that increasing the zest by 1 more lemon and the extract by 1/2 a teaspoon really did the trick!
Hi Navya Sharma, Thanks for the awesome feed back.
This was delicious! Even my picky teenager told me I needed to make this again, soon. I did not have the lemon extract and just added a little extra lemon juice and it was great. I will definitely make this again!
That’s awesome Kristina! Thanks for stopping by.
Will the Starbucks Copycat Lemon Loaf come out just as good if you MILK instead of BUTTERMILK?
Buttermilk has acid that reacts with the other ingredients. It would alter the flavor and possibly the texture. I’d recommend using sour cream instead of milk. Or make buttermilk using these instructions: How to Make Buttermilk
Do you think it can be doubled for a bundt cake?
Yes it would work. Not sure if you’d need to double the recipe though. Measure your bundt pan and measure the loaf pan by filling the loaf pan 3/4 with water and then pour that into the bundt pan. If it fill at least halfway you’re good with one batch.
I’m not an experienced baker but the Starbucks iced lemon pound cake is one of my favorites so I had to try this recipe. It turned out pretty well! I checked it at 55 minutes and it was completely done, if not a tad over. It also did brown quickly on top so thanks for the tip. I put a little tin foil hat on at about 30 minutes in. I used milk and vinegar to make buttermilk and wonder if that would have had an impact on the baking time? My oven doesn’t usually run hot. Thanks! Will definitely make it again.
The vinegar/milk shouldn’t cause a difference in the baking time. I think some ovens are just different. Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi! How much lemon juice did you add to the milk to make buttermilk?
Hi Sophia, we have a whole post on how to make buttermilk here: https://www.yellowblissroad.com/how-to-make-buttermilk/
The used 1/3 cup 1% milk and 1/3 tablespoon vinegar to make the buttermilk
I have two teenage girls who love Starbucks Lemon loaf so I made this on the weekend and it was a huge hit. Both my girls thought it was delicious, better than Starbucks. My only disappointment was that I only have 9×5 loaf pans so my loaf wasn’t as high as the Starbucks version.
Thanks for a great recipe, I’ll definitely make again
You are so welcome Melanie! Thanks for stopping by.
This cake was fabulous!
Thank you Vivian!
Hi! This lemon cake was fabulous!
I made this for the first time last night and took it to our first dinner party since we have been released from a 2 month lockdown in Spain. Everyone loved it and raved about it! It came out perfect. The only thing i really changed is, we dont get sour cream here so I used my homemade kefir instead. I added just a little more than the recipe because some people said it was on the dry side. I served it with plain natural yogurt which was a great addition and helped even out the sugar. Thank you, this will be one of my favorites.
You are so welcome Julie! thank you for your feedback.
Do you think it will turn out without the lemon zest?
It will, but the lemon zest add more intense lemon flavor than just the juice.
I made this for my son’s graduation “party” (the family-only COVID-19 version), and it was fantastic!! My son loves the Starbucks version and said this one was WAY better! My mother and husband couldn’t stop raving about it. Absolutely outstanding recipe. I will definitely be making this one again!
That is so awesome Rebecca! Thank you for stopping by.