When I was in college and about to spend hours in the library studying for a final or writing a paper, I would almost always make a pitstop at Starbucks. I’d usually order the largest dark brew I could, along with a slice of their glorious, glazed lemon cake.
Sweet, moist and bursting with bright lemon, this lemon cake was the perfect motivation to get my work done. Finish a paragraph, take a bite. Memorize an equation, take another bite.
Since graduating, my love for this cake hasn’t diminished. So you can imagine how excited I was when I came across Lola Baxter’s almost perfect copycat Starbucks lemon loaf recipe at Taste of Home. Made with only a few simple ingredients and ready in less than an hour, I was finally able to re-create my favorite Starbucks treat right at home. Along with some spot-on Starbucks copycats drinks, my kitchen practically transformed into a Starbucks that morning.
Ingredients for Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf
- Butter: Soften the butter to room temperature so it creams easily with the butter.
- Sugar: We use 1 cup of granulated sugar to sweeten these gorgeous lemon loaves. Don’t swap brown sugar for granulated sugar. Brown sugar’s molasses, caramel flavor won’t pair well with the delicate, refreshing lemon flavor.
- Eggs: Why bake with room temperature eggs? They emulsify into the batter better, creating a lovely texture. Cold eggs will seize the butter and cause it to lump, which messes up the batter’s emulsification.
- Lemon zest: Do not, I repeat, do not grate the white pith into your batter! The lemon’s pith (the white part underneath the yellow skin) is very bitter. Grate the lemon skin just enough to expose that white pith without getting any of it into the batter. Who knew there was a technique on how to zest a lemon properly?
- Extracts: If you really want this to taste just like a copycat Starbucks lemon loaf, you must use lemon extract for the correct amount of punchy lemon flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Quick breads have a very distinct texture: a tight crumb that’s still tender and moist. All-purpose flour is the perfect type of flour to achieve that.
- Baking soda: You’ll only need a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to make this Starbucks recipe for lemon loaf rise so it’s tall and tender.
- Sour cream: A bit of sour cream creates a gorgeous tangy richness that really brings out the brightness from the lemon. Plus, sour cream moistens the loaf so every bite is sink-your-teeth-in soft.
- Icing: It’s not a copycat Starbucks recipe for lemon loaf without the lemon icing! All you’ll need is confectioners’ sugar, grated lemon zest and lemon juice. Fresh lemon juice is always best!
Directions
Step 1: Prep the pans
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 5-3/4x3x2-inch loaf pans with baking spray or with a smear of butter followed by a coating of flour.
Editor’s Tip: To grease the pans with butter and flour, drop a dollop of softened butter or shortening into the loaf pans and, using your hand or a pastry brush, smear it along the bottom and sides of the pans. Then, sprinkle about a tablespoon of flour in each pan and tap it around until the whole pan is covered, tossing any flour that doesn’t stick.
Step 2: Mix the batter
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until they’re fluffy and pale yellow, five to seven minutes. Next, add in the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well in between each addition. Then, beat in the lemon zest, lemon extract and vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda together. Alternate beating the flour mixture and the sour cream into the egg mixture until all the ingredients are well combined.
Step 3: Bake
Once the batter is done, split it between the two greased loaf pans. Pop them into the preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
When the loaves are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool at room temperature in the pans for about 10 minutes. After that, remove the loaves from the pans and let them cool completely to room temp on wire racks.
Step 4: Ice
While the loaves are cooling, stir the confectioners’ sugar, grated lemon zest and lemon juice in a small bowl. Spoon the icing over the loaves, allowing some of it to run down the sides.
Slice each loaf into six pieces.
Recipe Variations
- Bake in one loaf pan: Want one loaf instead of two mini ones? No problem! According to our baking pan conversions guide, you can bake this copycat Starbucks recipe for lemon loaf in an 8×4-inch loaf pan. Add five extra minutes to the baking time. You could use a 9×5-inch loaf pan, but know the loaf will be considerably flatter.
- Add berries: Oomph up this lemon loaf by adding a handful of berries into the batter. Raspberries, strawberries and blueberries are excellent choices. If you have some berries left over, scatter them on top of the loaves after icing!
- Finish with frosting instead: For frosting fans, omit the lemon glaze and smooth or pipe on tangy cream cheese frosting or the lemon frosting from this lemon cake recipe.
How to Store Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf
Because this copycat Starbucks lemon loaf contains sour cream, we recommend storing it in the fridge. Press storage wrap against the cut side to prevent it from drying out, and keep the loaves in an airtight container. They can last in the fridge for up to five days.
Can you freeze copycat Starbucks lemon loaf?
Absolutely! To freeze unfrosted loaves, allow them to cool to room temperature, then wrap each one tightly in storage wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. They can last up to two months in the freezer. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge.
To freeze frosted loaves, pop the loaves, uncovered, in the freezer for one hour to flash freeze. Then, wrap each loaf in storage wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to two months, and thaw overnight in the fridge.
Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf Tips
Can you make muffins from this Starbucks lemon loaf cake recipe?
Our Test Kitchen doesn’t recommend turning this copycat Starbucks lemon loaf recipe into muffins. You won’t get as much of the fluffy cake center, and instead, end up with something that mostly has the texture of the outside edges.
Can you use store-bought lemon juice instead of fresh lemon juice?
While store-bought lemon juice is convenient, it’s had more time to oxidize and contains more preservatives, so it usually doesn’t have the same zing and brightness that fresh lemons give a recipe. Plus, lemons last a long time in the fridge, so there’s no reason to not keep some on hand! If you want to use store-bought lemon juice anyway, make sure it’s the frozen kind, and that the only ingredient is lemon juice.
What can you do if the icing is too runny?
If the icing is too runny, you need more confectioners’ sugar! Start with a 1/4 cup, then add until the icing is the consistency you need. To keep your icing from becoming grainy, make sure you’re not using granulated sugar—only confectioners’ sugar—and always sift it beforehand.
What can you use if you don’t have lemon extract?
Lemon extract isn’t something we use often, so it’s totally understandable if you don’t have any on hand. (If you do grab a bottle, use the rest of it up in these recipes that use lemon extract.) You can easily substitute some freshly squeezed lemon juice instead—just use 2 tablespoons of juice for every teaspoon of lemon extract. Consider reducing the other liquid ingredients by a little less than 2 tablespoons to compensate.
Is loaf cake the same as pound cake?
Loaf cake and pound cake are similar, but there are some important distinctions. Traditional pound cake is made with one pound each of butter, eggs, sugar and flour. Loaf cake simply refers to any cake that is baked in a loaf pan. This can include pound cake recipes, or other cakes and quick breads that boast a cakelike texture.
