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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
This is undeniably THE best lemon loaf. I am addicted to the amazing lemony taste. The people I have given it to think it is better than Starbucks. I have substituted flax eggs for chicken eggs as I have an egg allergy and it is so moist and delicious
Thank you Kathy! Fantastic feedback, thanks for stopping by.
I doubled the recipe, adding more lemon zest and lemon juice. Baked on convection for 50 minutes in 2 9/5 loaf pans. They turned out beautifully, will definitely make them again, a keeper
Nice! Thanks for your feedback Dianne.
Excited
I made it today. Absolutely mind-blowingly good!! So delicious, moist and the flavor incredibly outstanding. My husband was thrilled. Thank you!
You are so welcome Nevelda! Thanks for stopping by to share.
Followed recipe exactly. Too dry! Tasted OK but No where near Starbucks.
Same here. Turned out too dry.
I made the copy cat lemon loaf and it was so yummy my husband even loves it
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Robin.
Here is my feedback. I made the recipe exactly how it was written (I always do that with every recipe) and today I made it again and did some tweaks on it and it came out absolutely incredible. My daughter said, “mom, Starbucks has nothing on you, this is better”. Best compliment.
Here is what I did…. I like my loaf to be taller, so I did a recipe and a half for my 9×5 pan. I also doubled just the sour cream. I used lemon oil instead of the extract, I do not like the fake taste lemon extract has. And for the glaze, I made it really thick and I put 1/2 of it when it was still kinda warm and the other half I thinned out a bit and poured over when the loaf was cooled off. That way I got that perfect glaze thickness and looked perfect.
But all together, its an amazing recipe and a keeper for sure. Thank you Fiona!!!
Fantastic feedback Diana! Thank you so much for stopping by to share.
followed the recipe exactly and middle caved in, it was super dry and didn’t really taste like lemons. still tasted good though.
I made this lemon loaf and made sure to measure the pan to ensure it was the right size. Also, I measured the ingredients exactly only to have it explode out over the pan all over the bottom of my oven and racks. Not impressed.
I have made this delicious recipe many times using the sour cream.
Today I had some buttermilk to use up.
I still like the loaf but was worried as It didn’t rise the same as when baked with the sour cream. It did taste as delicious.
Whenever I make it I always share it and the recipients always want the recipe.
Nice! Love the feedback Lynne, thanks for stopping by to share.
So so so delucious!!
This recipe was great! But the only complaint I had was with the way it cooked was a bit odd I would recommend dividing up the batter into two pans or just cooking with the tin foil on it the whole time because mine got a bit dry and cooked kinda unevenly.
This is the second try on this recipe and each time I’ve made it, it comes out like rubber. What am I doing wrong? I followed the instructions to the letter, used extra zest instead of the extract.
In your comment regarding lemon extract you say you can leave it out. If you do, should I up the amount of lemon juice? Thanks so much! I cannot wait to try this recipe!!
You can increase it a little, but not so much that it thins out the batter. So maybe a tablespoon or so. But keep in mind this won’t add as much lemon flavor. I highly recommend following the recipe if you can for the best results.
This is so yummy! We’ve made it at least twice now and a real hit in our house!
I do wonder… if I doubled the recipe, could I make some in the pan and a version of lemon cupcakes with the other?
I haven’t tried making cupcakes with this recipe, but it’s definitely worth a try!
so good! made it twice and both times it’s been amazing. just wondering if the 398 calories is per slice or the entire bread?
It is per slice, based on 8 slices in a loaf.
Thank you for the recipe! The Starbucks lemon Loaf has a delicate but tasty lemon flavor which I love. So I think this recipe may use a bit too more lemon juice then I prefer. Do you think I can use 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice without ruining the consistency?
It likely wouldn’t affect the batter, so you can try using less if you want to.
Thank you! I just made mine and it isn’t as tall as the Starbuck’s one. I made sure all my ingredients were fresh before using them. Do you think using an 8×4 inch pan would give a better rise?
Possibly. But keep in mind it’s a copycat recipe, not an exact replica, so there will be some differences.
Thank you! Also, last question but when you say to add melted butter that is room temperature, mine becomes thick again, is it fine to leave it like that or should I mix the butter with the sugar instead?
Just let the butter cool a bit so it’s not hot, but also not back to a solid.
Came out great! I was out of lemon extract so used lime and out of fresh lemons so used jarred lemon juice and a box of lemon jello. Turned out super moist and lemony. 🙂
Sounds like some great swaps when you’re in a pinch.
Finally! I have a terrific, heavy-gauge metal 9 x 5 inch pan that bakes breads about 10 min faster in my oven. That, and a long period of experimentation led me here. This is the recipe I’ve been searching for. The right amount of leavening at last. Thank you for this recipe. I have been through many others but none as good as this one.
PS I used 2 Tbs of zest, plus 1 tsp of good quality lemon extract (Watkins) and the lemon juice. It is none too lemony for me. I know the flavor will develop by tomorrow. I’ll check back in if it becomes too lemony.
You are so welcome! Love your feedback, thanks for stopping by.
Absolutely delicious, used buttermilk recipe, will definitely try your other recipes.
Thank you Sana! Love your feedback.
Yummy! Y’all this is a good recipe for lemon loaf and my daughter said it is just like Starbucks. I used gfJules gluten free flour just like regular flour and it was perfect. I have not made lemon loaf in years due to gluten allergy, but now with this #1 gluten free flour by Jules, I will make it often. If you are gluten free, don’t worry,, your whole family will eat this. Mine has eaten half the loaf. This recipe is heaven sent and I love it. Next time, I will just make two lemon loaves.
Fantastic feedback kim! Thank you so much for stopping by.
I’m trying this today for my sons birthday, as he loves Starbucks lemon loaf. Curious if you think I could make it a two layer cake to put extra icing in the middle? Would you double the recipe or just split in two rounds? Or should I just stuck with a loaf?
Hi Jen, I would just stick with the loaf. I haven’t tried turning this into a cake.