The Best Lemon Loaf (Better-Than-Starbucks Copycat) — It took years, but I finally recreated it!! Easy, no mixer, no cake mix, dangerously good, and SPOT ON!! You’re going to love this lemon bread recipe!
Table of Contents
Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf Recipe
This iced lemon loaf cake recipe has been beyond a long time in the making. I’ve been trying to make this copycat Starbucks lemon loaf on and off for years. I can’t even tell you how much I have obsessed, tried, trialed, and failed at it. Until now.
If you’ve ever had Starbucks’ Lemon Loaf, you know how good it is. Full of lemon flavor, moist, dense, and rich. Anything that good I shouldn’t want to learn how to make at home, but I couldn’t leave well enough alone.
I’ve tried countless internet recipes for lemon bread and some were ‘fine’ but not quite perfect, while others were total fails. And I definitely didn’t want to go the cake mix route.
I even sent one almost-a-possibility-but-not-quite to my mom to have her trial it.
Something as ‘simple’ as a lemon loaf cake eluded me for ages until I rediscovered and slightly adapted my own 2012 recipe for Blueberry Yogurt Cake with Lemon Vanilla Glaze. It’s an easy, no-mixer, one-bowl, whisk-together batter.
This lemon loaf cake is soft, springy, and moist without being heavy or dry, problems which often plague pound cake. Nor is it oily, which sometimes happens with the Starbucks’ version. Plus, you probably have all the ingredients on hand to make it and you can pronounce every ingredient used.
The lemon loaf cake itself is perfectly lemony, and the lemon glaze boosts the lemon flavor even more. Lemon lovers will be in their glory!
And just think of all that money you’ll save by making it at home. That’s almost dangerous.
Ingredients in Lemon Loaf
To make this copycat Starbucks lemon loaf recipe, you’ll need:
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Sour cream
- Canola oil
- Lemon zest
- Lemon extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
And to make the lemon bread glaze, you’ll need:
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Lemon juice
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Lemon Loaf
This Starbucks recipe for lemon loaf couldn’t be easier to make! Here’s a look at how this recipe comes together:
- First, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and sour cream before drizzling in the oil.
- Stir in the lemon zest and extract, followed by the dry ingredients.
- Turn the lemon loaf batter into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan and bake until the top is domed, set, and toothpick inserted in the center crack comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no batter.
- The copycat Starbucks lemon loaf needs to cool for at least 30 minutes before drizzling with the glaze!
Lemon Loaf FAQs
Yes, this lemon bread freezes incredibly well. It can be frozen up to 6 months.
Just be sure to glaze the bread AFTER it’s been frozen and thawed (the glaze can be frozen, but the texture changes slightly).
Of course, just note that your bake time will vary depending on the size of your pans.
One reader reported success making seven mini loaves and baking them at 350ºF for about 35 minutes, if that helps. However, I can’t speak from personal experience.
Most likely, yes. You’d need to bake two 9×5-inch loaves.
A few readers have also asked if they can double the recipe and bake the batter in a 9×13-inch pan or a metal bundt pan. Both options would likely work, although I can’t say for sure.
I don’t recommend doing so, as that would change the taste of the lemon bread too much. If you want a lemon olive oil dessert, make my Lemon Olive Oil Cake recipe instead.
I’ve had quite a few readers ask about using gluten-free flour in this copycat Starbucks lemon pound cake recipe. I’ve only made the recipe as written, but readers have reported success using either Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour or Cup4Cup gluten-free flour.
I can’t say for sure if using a gluten-free flour will work, but this is what readers have recommended!
No! Do NOT use lemon oil and lemon extract interchangeably because they’re not — oil is much more potent and intense.
No, do NOT use lemon juice in place of lemon extract because it’s not strong enough and the acidity can alter the overall results.
I used 2 tablespoons of lemon extract because no actual lemon juice is used in the loaf and I found 2 tablespoons lemon extract necessary for full-bodied lemon flavor, but you can add it to taste.
What Readers Are Saying
As you can see on the recipe card, this copycat Starbucks recipe for lemon loaf has over 1,500 reviews on it. And if you scroll to the very bottom of this post, you’ll see the 1,000+ comments that readers have left.
To say that this lemon bread recipe has been tried and tested — and loved! — is an understatement!
Here are just a few 5-star reviews that have been left on this lemon loaf cake recipe:
“Delightful! This loaf did not last long in my household – lemony and delicious and a recipe I always come back to.” — Stephanie
“I have been making this recipe for a few years! Always gets the best reviews! I poke holes in it so when I add the glaze it goes into the loaf! This is my go to recipe when I am asked to bring a dessert!” — Joan Kasaris
“Simple, yet delicious! Baked mine for 40 minutes. It’s a dense, flavourful cake and will be my go-to lemon loaf recipe from now on since I have too been looking for the perfect lemon loaf for a long time. Thanks for finding it for me!!!” — Vivi
“Hard to believe a recipe so quick and easy tastes so good. Passed some out to friends and they were amazed at texture and flavor. I followed the reciperight to the end.” — Roger Drenga
“This recipe is incredibly delicious, and this was also my very first time baking a lemon loaf. I’m so happy how it turned out, and everyone in our house loved it. Thank you!” — Danielle
Recipe Video
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The Best Lemon Loaf (Better-Than-Starbucks Copycat)
Ingredients
Lemon Loaf
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream or Greek yogurt
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon extract, to taste (not teaspoons)*
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, or as necessary for consistency
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
Make the Loaf:
- To a large bowl, add the eggs, sugar, sour cream, and whisk vigorously until smooth and combined.
- Drizzle in the oil while whisking to combine.
- Add the lemon zest, lemon extract, and whisk to combine. Note – I used 2 tablespoons of lemon extract because no actual lemon juice is used in the loaf and I found 2 tablespoons lemon extract necessary for full-bodied lemon flavor, but add to taste.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and stir until just combined, don’t overmix. Some lumps will be present and that’s okay, don’t try to stir them smooth.
- Turn the batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Bake for about 50 to 52 minutes, or until top is domed, set, and toothpick inserted in the center crack comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no batter. In the last 10 minutes of baking, tent pan with foil (loosely drape a sheet of foil over pan) to prevent excessive browning on the top and sides of bread before center cooks through.
- Allow loaf to cool in pan on top of a wire rack for at least 30 minutes (I cooled 4 hours) before turning out onto rack to cool completely before glazing.
Make the Lemon Glaze:
- To a small bowl, add the confectioner’s sugar and slowly drizzle in the lemon juice while whisking until smooth and combined. You may need to play with the sugar and lemon juice amounts a bit as necessary for desired consistency and flavor.
- Evenly drizzle glaze over bread before slicing and serving.
- Extra glaze can be spread on the cut surface of the bread like you’d spread butter on toast and it soaks right in making the bread even moister and more lemony. Or you can halve the glaze recipe if you’re not a glaze person.
Video
Notes
- *Don’t use lemon oil and lemon extract interchangeably because they’re not; oil is much more potent and intense. Don’t use lemon juice in place of lemon extract because it’s not strong enough and the acidity can alter the overall results.
- Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months; I don’t recommend storing it in the fridge because it’ll dry out.
- Recipe adapted from my Blueberry Yogurt Cake with Lemon Vanilla Glaze.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Lemon Desserts:
Lemon Lemonies – Like brownies, but made with lemon and white chocolate! Dense, chewy, not cakey and packed with big, bold lemon flavor!
Lightened Up Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake — No BUTTER in this healthier cake with big juicy blueberries and refreshing lemon! It’s a keeper!
Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting – Soft, fluffy, moist, very lemony cupcakes from scratch! Easy one-bowl, no-mixer recipe for cupcakes that taste like they’re from a bakery!
The Best Lemon Bars – Truly the best lemon bars I’ve ever had!
Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze – Almost more berries than cake in this soft, fluffy cake!
Soft and Chewy Lemon Cookies — Packed with big, bold lemon flavor for all you lemon lovers! They’re soft, chewy and not at all cakey!
Lemon Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Glaze — An easy buttermilk cake with big lemon flavor!! Soft, fluffy, and foolproof if you like puckering up!!
Softbatch Glazed Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies — Big, bold lemon flavor packed into super soft cookies thanks to the cream cheese!! Tangy-sweet perfection! Lemon lovers are going to adore these easy cookies!!
Baked Lemon Donuts with Lemon Glaze — They taste like the Starbucks lemon loaf, but in donut (or mini muffin) form!! Easy, no mixer recipe with a tart-yet-sweet lemon glaze that’s PERFECT! Lemon lovers will adore them!!
This is also good with first grinding 2 TBS cooking grade lavender flowers with the sugar in the food processor. Try it!
The lavender flowers sound amazing! Thanks for the 5 star review!
Keeping my fingers crossed that this turns out. It didn’t seem like enough flour and batter was thinner than that in the video. I am encouraged that my baked loaf looks the same as in the video. I did put the sugar and lemon zest in the mini processor to chop the strings of zest finer. That should not have affected the batter. I will give the recipe 5 stars so as not to take away from a recipe I have not tasted yet. I am a big lemon extract fan.
As long as it baked up fine, I see no reason why it won’t taste great too. Sometimes the camera can be deceiving on things like batter thickness or exact color of the finished product. Thanks for the 5 star review.
Oh la la! Délicieux. Best lemon poundcake ever. So easy to make.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you enjoyed it and think it’s the best ever!
Outstanding lemon bread.
It tastes so lemony, I just love it.
I didn’t even know that there was a Starbuck Lemon Bread until someone give me a slice. Looked for a recipe on Google and found your. I really cannot tell them apart.
I will certainly look up more recipes on your site.
Thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this bread turned out outstanding for you!
Thanks for another AWESOME recipe. This lemon loaf is SOOOOO GOOD. Help! I can’t stop eating it!!
Do you mind sharing what brand of lemon extract do you use?
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this hit the spot! I honestly use store brand lemon extract from my local grocery store. Cheap and does the trick :)
Everyone I have given this to has loved it! And I do too!
Glad it is a hit with everyone!
I made this on the weekend.. brought it to a baby shower.. everyone loved it..
Great recipe
Glad it was a hit a the shower!
Thanks for the quick response! I took your suggestions and it came out a much lighter brown than before. The inner cake was, with no surprise, super delicious again. :)
So glad my suggestions worked and you are happy with the lighter result!
I made this last week for my friends and they loved it! I added about 1tbsp of fresh lemon curd for the base of my glaze and it took it to an all new flavor level.
I had to do a little fix-up on my cake edges though. I used a glass loaf pan greased with floured spray and I was shocked to see that my cake was quite dark on the sides and bottom when the middle still wasn’t done. Does this ever happen to you? Or do you have any idea why it could happen? Your pic above looks soo good! — how do I duplicate that color?
Sometimes when baking loaves of bread that can happen. I would say tent the pan with foil in the last 20 minutes or so and/or turn your oven down by 25 degrees. Sometimes it’s just unavoidable though that the sides get a little browner than you’d prefer.
Could I substitute applesauce for oil here to moisten the cake?
I’ve only made it as written and suggest you do the same for optimal results.
Hi Averie! I want to make this for church this week, but want to make it in a 9×13 pan to get more icing coverage :) If I double the recipe and baked in a 9×13, how long would it need in the oven?
It’s hard to say because I always make it in a loaf pan so it needs to cook for an hour, give or take. Being baked in a flatter pan, and then also doubling, very hard to say. My guess would be 40ish mins but start checking early. Could also take up to 50ish…just bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
I made this yesterday, and it was fabulous!!! Thank you for sharing your masterpiece. My husband’s exact words were “you’ve outdone yourself on this one”. He couldn’t rave enough about the full-bodied flavour, and how moist it turned out. He said this recipe is a “keeper”. 😀😀
Thanks for the 5 star rating and high praise! Glad this is a total keeper for you guys!
Thanks for this great recipe! i am not a baker and often mess things up (despite following recipes carefully)…but this was so easy and turned out perfect! Thanks for attaching videos to your recipes–it really helps us non-bakers. I will definitely try your other recipes now.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Glad the videos help!
I would like to know if I need to bake longer if I double the recipe and use a larger loaf pan? Please advise. Thank you.
It’s really hard to say since I have only made it as written – use your judgment and bake until done.
Just made the lemon loaf today, wonderful , just used 1 tablespoon of extra , very nice, perhaps 1/2 tablespoons next time , thanks so much?
Glad that you enjoyed the recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! This is easily the best lemon loaf I have ever made. I have been making your lemon loaf recipe for 2+ years now and it gets SO many compliments every time. Just wanted to reach out and comment to thank you for this recipe as it has become a staple and go-to gift in our house!
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad you love it and that’s it’s a familiar staple with lots of compliments when you make it!