This copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf recipe has a rich, decadent and light crumb and is made with a few simple ingredients bursting with fresh lemon flavor and further topped with a sweet tangy lemon glaze. So perfectly lemony!
I am a lemon desserts lover, and love sharing lemon desserts like Lemon Yogurt Cake, Lemon Crinkle Cookies or these Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.
But this lemon cake by Starbucks has a special place in my heart as it has remained a personal favorite on the menu for quite so long. So, I had to perfect the recipe which took many attempts.
This recipe is even better than Starbucks lemon loaf!
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Bake this delicious loaf with few basic ingredients in about 1 hour.
- This copycat Starbucks bread has a soft, moist and pillowy crumb.
- The tangy sweet lemon glaze makes it simply irresistible.
- This lemon loaf is one of the best copycat recipes without a doubt just like this Starbucks Blueberry Scones or this Blueberry Biscuits.
Ingredients
- Lemon zest + lemon juice are the hero for this loaf. Use fresh for optimal flavor.
- All-purpose flour provides structure to this cake.
- Buttermilk adds tanginess and a tender crumb.
- Vegetable oil gives moistness.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutes & Variations
- Substitute the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour to make a gluten-free version.
- Use bottled lemon juice in place of fresh lemon juice for this recipe. However, I recommend fresh lemon juice for best result.
- Use full fat Greek yogurt and sour cream to replace buttermilk.
- Use canola oil as another option instead of vegetable oil.
This recipe hasn't undergone testing with alternative substitutions or variations. If you decide to replace or incorporate any ingredients, we'd appreciate hearing about your experience. Please share your feedback in the comments section below!
Baking Pro Tips
1. Unless a recipe says otherwise, always use room-temperature ingredients. This helps them mix together smoothly and evenly, for perfect results every time.
2. Ditch the measuring cups and grab your digital scale. Weighing dry ingredients in grams ensures perfect accuracy and consistent results.
How to Make Starbucks Lemon Loaf
Detailed Instructions Below! See the key steps here, then head to the recipe card below for full instructions.
1. In a medium bowl sift and whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl mix the lemon zest with sugar.
3. Take a large bowl and using an electric beater, beat the eggs for 2 - 3 minutes until they are light and fluffy.
4. Add sugar and oil and beat for one minute until mixed. Add buttermilk, vanilla extract and lemon juice, and beat until incorporated.
5. Gently fold the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
6. Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan. In the preheated oven at 350 F and bake for 45 - 50 minutes. Take the cake out of the cake pan and let it sit on the wire rack to cool it completely. Prepare the lemon glaze and drizzle over the cake.
Expert Tips
- Avoid overmixing the cake batter to prevent a tough, rubbery texture caused by overmixing that activates gluten strands. Simply combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients until just mixed.
- Maintain a thick consistency for the icing for a proper Starbucks loaf experience. If the icing is runny, add more powdered sugar until reaching the desired thickness.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, by all means. Use a Bundt pan of your choice and bake in a preheated oven at 325 F. Grease the pan properly so that the cake will not stick to the pan. Bake the cake for 60 - 90 minutes. Insert a tooth pick in the center of the cake and if comes out clean, your cake is ready. Similarly, prepare the mini loaf pans and bake in the preheated 350 F for about 30 - 35 minutes. Keep an eye on the baking time as it may vary.
Yes, you can make muffins out of the cake batter. Prepare the starbucks lemon cake copycat recipe batter as instructed and then using an ice-cream scoop pour the cake batter into the muffin liners and bake at preheated oven at 350 F for 20 - 23 minutes.
I do not recommend it, I think it makes the flavor intense too quickly. I also want to avoid the artificial flavors in this recipe. The fresh lemon juice and lemon zest give the perfect and fresh lemon flavor.
Yes, you can double this recipe easily. Prepare two loaf pans (9 x 5) or use a 9 x 13 inch sheet pan. Keep an eye on the baking time.
How to Store
Note
Do not apply the lemon glaze on the lemon loaf in case you want to save it.
Room Temperature
Store the cake pieces in an airtight container and place it on the counter for 2 - 3 days.
Freezing Instructions
Take the individual Starbucks Lemon cake pieces and spread them on a baking tray. Place the tray in the freezer until the pieces harden. Then wrap each piece into a plastic wrap and further add a sheet of foil to it. Stash the cake pieces into a ziploc bag or an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months.
Did you make this recipe? Give it a 🌟 rating with a comment.
Join The Side Baker newsletter & get a free e-book + weekly recipes.
Connect on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Tiktok.
Related Quick Bread/Loaves Recipes
Recipe
Starbucks Lemon Loaf
Equipment
- 1 9' x 5' pan
Ingredients
Starbucks Lemon Loaf
- 2 cup all purpose flour (240 g)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder (7.5 g)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda (1.25 g)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil (96 g)
- 1 cup castor sugar (200 g)
- ¾ cup butter milk (182 ml)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (3 ml)
- 1 zest of one lemon (only yellow part)
- 4 tablespoon lemon juice (juice of one big lemon)
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar (125 g)
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice (45 ml)
Instructions
Starbucks Lemon Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Take a 9 x 5 inch pan and grease it using a baking spray. Set aside.
- Take a medium sized bowl and whisk together all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl, rub together sugar and lemon zest. This will infuse the oils from lemon zest into the sugar.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs for 3 - 4 minutes until the eggs are pale and fluffy.
- Add sugar and oil and beat for another minute until combined.
- Add butter milk, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix only until combined. Do not over mix.
- Pour the cake batter into the cake pan. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes until a cake tester or tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Take out the cake and let it sit in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then take it out and place on the wire rack and let the cake cool completely.
Lemon Glaze
- Sift the icing sugar in a medium sized bowl. Add one tablespoon lemon juice and mix and add more lemon juice until you get the desired consistency of the glaze. Make a thick glaze.
- Pour the glaze over the cold cake.
Notes
- Avoid overmixing the cake batter to prevent a tough, rubbery texture caused by overmixing that activates gluten strands. Simply combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients until just mixed.
- Maintain a thick consistency for the icing for a proper Starbucks loaf experience. If the icing is runny, add more powdered sugar until reaching the desired thickness.
Leave a Reply