October 3, 2023
Review RecipeStarbucks Lemon Loaf
If you like the Starbucks lemon loaf, then you will love this copycat version. This bread is moist, yet light and topped off with a sweet lemon glaze.
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Table of Contents
This copycat Starbucks lemon loaf recipe is a moist, flavorful bread that tastes just like the original. It even includes the sweet lemon icing drizzled on the top making it the perfect baked good to enjoy with your next cup of coffee!
Starbucks Lemon Loaf Ingredients
You’ll need:
For the Lemon Loaf
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- Zest of 1 large lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Lemon Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar, add more until you reach desired consistency
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon milk
SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS
ICING: You can leave the icing off your lemon bread if you don’t want the added sweetness. You could also use store-bought icing if preferred.
SOUR CREAM: You can substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream at a 1:1 ratio if you prefer.
How To Make This Starbucks Lemon Loaf Recipe
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, set aside.
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your loaf at the lower end of the recommended baking time.
STEP TWO: In a large bowl add the eggs, sugar, and sour cream. Use an electric mixer to beat together until smooth.
STEP THREE: With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the vegetable oil while continuing to beat together.
STEP FOUR: Add the lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla extract then beat to combine.
PRO TIP:
If you want a more vibrant and brighter yellow, you can do that by adding in less lemon extract and increasing the zest amount for more color and flavor.
STEP FIVE: Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined.
PRO TIP:
Be careful not to overmix the batter.
STEP SIX: Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
STEP SEVEN: Bake for 43 to 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
PRO TIP:
In the last 10 to 15 minutes check the top of the bread. If it is getting too browned, tent a piece of foil over the top to prevent it from browning further.
STEP EIGHT: Once the loaf is done baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the loaf pan before removing and adding the glaze.
STEP NINE: To make the icing, in a medium bowl add the powdered sugar, milk, and lemon juice. Whisk together until it is smooth and well combined.
STEP TEN: Evenly drizzle glaze over top of the loaf before slicing and serving.
PRO TIP:
Place bread on a wire rack before pouring the glaze on top so that any excess glaze will run through the rack rather than leaving a puddle around your bread.
How To Serve
Lemon lovers can enjoy a slice of this citruly loaf along with a warm cup of coffee, a pumpkin spice latte, or whipped hot chocolate. If you are looking for a cold drink to enjoy this treat with, try a glass of our iced tea.
If you enjoy this delicious lemon loaf recipe, check out these other lemon quick bread recipes: lemon poppy seed bread and lemon blueberry bread.
MORE LEMON FLAVOR RECIPES
STORAGE
ON THE COUNTER: It’s best to store leftover loaf on the countertop at room temperature for up to 5 days. We don’t recommend storing this in the fridge as it will dry it out faster.
IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze your moist lemon cake for up to 6 months by placing it in an airtight container, or wrapping it in plastic wrap and placing it in a freezer bag.
You can save yourself the trip to Starbucks now that you know how to make this delicious lemon cake at home. This is a great option to have for brunch or breakfast or even to serve as a dessert dish. This loaf cake is bursting with sweet and zesty lemon flavor.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I store this loaf?
We recommend keeping this lemon loaf on the counter rather than in the fridge where it will dry out faster.
Can I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil in this lemon loaf cake recipe?
Olive oil has a fairly strong taste and will affect the flavor of this loaf. We recommend sticking to vegetable oil.
Can I freeze this loaf cake?
This great recipe freezes really well. Wrap in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container and freeze for up to six months.
MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars
- Lemon Lasagna
- Lemon Bar
- Lemon Cheesecake Bars
- Carrot Bread
- Lemon Meltaways
- Lemon Coffee Cake
- Ding Dong Cake
- Chocolate Puddles
- Lemon Cake
- Blueberry Bread
- Strawberry Tres Leches Cake
- Banana Bread
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Strawberry Rhubarb Bread
- Snickerdoodle Bread
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Lemon Chiffon Cake
Starbucks Lemon Loaf
If you like the Starbucks lemon loaf, then you will love this copycat version. This bread is moist, yet light and topped off with a sweet lemon glaze.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8
Ingredients
Lemon loaf
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large zest lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar, add more until desired consistency is reached
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
Lemon Loaf
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, and set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, sugar, and sour cream. Use a hand mixer to beat together until smooth.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the oil while continuing to beat together.
- Add the lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla extract, then beat to combine.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until just combined, be careful not to overmix. Some lumps may still remain, and that’s okay. Don’t over-mixover mix the batter trying to get them.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 43 to 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Once the loaf is done baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the loaf pan before removing and adding the glaze.
Lemon Icing
- In a medium mixing bowl, add powdered sugar, milk, and lemon juice. Whisk together until smooth and combined.
- Evenly drizzle glaze over bread.
- Slice loaf and serve.
Video
Notes
- Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your loaf at the lower end of the recommended baking time.
- If you want a more vibrant and brighter yellow, you can do that by adding in less lemon extract and increasing the zest amount for more color and flavor.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- In the last 10 to 15 minutes, check the top of the bread. If it is getting too browned, tent a piece of foil over the top to prevent it from browning further.
- Place bread on a wire rack before pouring the sweet lemon glaze on top so that any excess glaze will run through the rack rather than leaving a puddle around your bread.
Nutrition
Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 159mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 284IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 2mg
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Comments
Sally says
Can all purpose flour be substituted to others flours more importantly gluten free flour?
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Sally – I think gluten-free flour would work fine! Enjoy 🙂
Jeannette Shields says
Sally, I have made this with King Arthur all purpose gluten free flour and it is delicious! I live alone, so it takes me a few days to eat it all. As you may already know, when you make something gluten free with flour as the main ingredient, after 3-4 days, it becomes grainy. That said, living alone, it took me 5 days to eat the whole thing. I still enjoyed it and I definitely urge you to try it.
Grey says
I just made this today, and it is amazing! Tastes just like the Starbucks one. Thank You for the recipe.
Jannine says
Absolutely delicious. I’ve tried close to 15 different “copycat” recipes and this is far and away the closest to the Starbucks lemon loaf. The instructions on the glaze could be a little more precise, as in saying how thick it should be, but overall this recipe is a keeper. Thank you for posting it.
Jannine says
I have FINALLY found a true Starbucks copy cat Lemon Loaf recipe. Thank you! I have made over a dozen “just like Starbucks” recipes and there is none closer to the “real thing” than your recipe. The texture is spot on, the lemon flavor is the correct intensity and it didn’t get too dark and crusty, like so many other recipes I have tried. I am seriously addicted to Starbucks Lemon Loaf and now that I can make it at home, I am thrilled! Thank you for an amazing recipe.
Stephanie says
If I don’t have any lemon extract on hand, can I just use lemon juice and zest? How much would you recommend?
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Stephanie – I am not sure how the taste will be impacted without the lemon extract, we haven’t tested it without it.
Becky says
Hi Stephanie,
I used all of the zest and two tablespoons of the juice from 2 average sized lemons and it turned out perfect.
Gail says
This lemon cake is so yummy and super easy.. My husband and I love this. I have one in oven now. Was thinking of pouring a small amount of fresh lemon juice over loaf right out of oven for even more lemony flavor.
Becky says
This is excellent and very simple to make! The only changes that I made was to use 2 average sized lemons and since I had no lemon extract I used the juice from the lemons and it was delicious! My only complaint is that I only made one loaf! Thank you for sharing the recipe, it’s a keeper!
Sophia says
Instead of a whole loaf, can I use the batter to make muffins?
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Sophia – we haven’t tried that so I’m not sure how they would hold up. Please let me know if you give it a go! Enjoy!
Nicole says
Can this be made ahead AND frozen. Adding the glaze after thawed I would assume.
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Nicole – that should work fine, enjoy!
Antonina says
I love lemon cake, thanks for the recipe. I would add a glaze frosting on the cake.
Brenda Dickson says
I just made this last week and I did put the icing on. The bread is sweet and tart and moist.