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!
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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!!
Hi Averie! I just found your recipe recently and made it for my husband, who just LOVES lemon loaf. He said your recipe is the best he’s had! Thank you so much for sharing. I have a question though. While he loves the loaf, I was not sure I had done it right. It was more bread-like than I thought it should be. I was looking more for a fine lose crumb like a cupcake, but my loaf had more of a stiffer texture. Do you know if maybe I messed up? or perhaps do you think I can substitute the AP flour with cake flour to get a more cake like texture? Sorry for the long-windedness. and thank you for reading!!
ALice
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad this was the best lemon loaf your husband has ever had!
This does not have a ‘light’ texture per se, it’s more on the dense side for me, but it shouldn’t be overly dry or stiff. I would say, don’t overmix the batter once you add the flour. Don’t overbake it either. And you could experiment with cake flour for a silkier texture but it’s not always a 1:1 substitution with cake flour to AP flour.
I had soooo many fails with this loaf, like probably at least 10+ before I got it just right so I personally don’t mess with the recipe and just make it as is. Good luck. Keep me posted what you try.
Thank you so much for the reply! I will let you know if I end up playing around with the recipe. I should also mention that my husband all but forbade me from messing with this perfect lemon loaf!
My advice generally is to leave well enough alone if you someone says ‘it’s the best I’ve ever had’ . :)
This recipe looks AMAZING! I have not tried it yet but most definitely want to. Although I need to know, is there an adaptation to make these as Muffins? I figure the batter/recipe would be the same, just different baking instructions/baking time and/or different temperature? I would love to make these for a school function and individually wrap them as Muffins. Please let me know if you can…I will be so excited to try it!!!
Many others have made them as muffins if you scroll through the comments. I never have. Enjoy!
Really enjoyed this recipe. It was my first time making lemon loaf and my son adores the Starbucks version. I feel next time I’d adjust slightly and use 2 eggs instead of 3 (seemed too eggy and dense for me) reduce lemon extract to 1 T. (I used 1.5 T.) and use slightly less zest. Overall a great cake – very zingy lemon flavour!
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad you liked it overall! As always with baking, adjust to what you think is best for your tastes. Hope the changes give you exactly what you’re looking for.
Most wonderful moist, lemony goodness. My hubby loves the Lemon Poppyseed Loaf from Starbuck’s, so I used your recipe and added 2 Tbsp Poppyseeds. Turned out perfect!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this turned out great with the poppyseed addition!
Can I make this substituting gluten free baking flour as well as flax seed eggs and dairy free sour cream
I have only made it as written so cannot really guess what will happen if you change things.
I doubled the receipe to give one to my older son. It easily adapted and I actually increased baking time by 10 minutes. The smell was heavenly and the taste was pure lemon heaven. I used 3 tbsp. lemon extract to the batter. Awesome loaves and so perfect.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you’re double batch was a big success!
Thank you for sharing this terrific recipe! I made a couple of changes and it still turned out great — melted butter instead of veg oil, reduced the sugar to 3/4 c, and added 1 T poppy seed. I also made a lemon glaze that I brushed on top of the loaf once cooled using icing sugar and lemon juice. The loaf was a hit with everyone at the office!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that everyone at your office loved it!
I made this yesterday and followed the recipe. After it came out of the oven I let it cool for an hour and then glazed it as directed. The loaf was slightly warm and tasted delicious! When I tried another piece before going to bed it had a bitter after taste. The kids wouldn’t even finish their piece of cake which made me sad. When I tried it the first time that wasn’t the case. I made sure when zesting the lemon not to get down to the bitter white part of the rind. Any input as to why this might have happened? It was so yummy until the bitterness came through later.
I really cannot say…maybe the extract you used had some funky bitterness going on, could be the zest, sometimes baking powder that’s off can do that, it’s hard to say guessing from afar. Thanks for trying the recipe.
I thought we were out of yogurt and we never have sour cream. I found cream cheese in the fridge, otherwise followed the recipe exactly. It’s beautiful! It does feel odd not using lemon juice and using oil instead of butter. But hey, sometimes you have to try something new to get new results. I used grapeseed oil. Thanks so much for this versatile recipe. We will use it in so many ways.
Thanks for the five star review and glad you were able to improvise with what you had on hand! Oil for cakes/breads keeps them so much moister IMO than butter.
Have you tried adding poppy seeds to make it a lemon poppy seed loaf?
I haven’t personally but other commenters have done so with success.
This was awesome! I made it into a 9×13 cake instead so it didn’t have to bake so long, and just sprinkled powdered sugar on top. Amazing. :)
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad this came out great in a 9×13 pan!
Can this recipe be used for a 2-layer cake using 2 8″ pans?
Probably although I haven’t personally tried it.
Would you need to change anything in this recipe for baking at High Altitude? I live in Albuquerque, NM and I’m always trying to figure out what I need to do to increase or decrease ingredients. Please help! I’d love to bake this for a baby shower brunch!
I really don’t know since I’ve only made this recipe where I live which is not at altitude.
I have made this bread more times than I can recall. Everyone loves it and as a result, it has been shared with many of my neighbors and friends. In fact, I am making another batch today.
Thanks for the five star review and glad this is a repeat favorite for you and your friends and neighbors!
So good! I made this last week and it was perfection. I wanted to make a lemon blueberry loaf… do you think I could add a cup of blueberries without messing up this amazing recipe??
Thanks for the five star review and yes I think 1 cup of blueberries will be just fine.
Worked out just fine! Thank you! I think I’ve made this recipe 6x in the last month and am making a double batch today.. Minus the blueberries. It was good but why mess with perfection??
One of the best lemon loafs I have made and i love lemon, so have made a few… i doubled the recipe, and i did not have Greek yogurt handy (as i had just made tzatziki and then found this recipe) ..so i used half sour cream and half buttermilk..it was still amazing ,,, also added lemon rind in glaze ,, because i am a bit of lemon ‘nut’ … I like that it was not dense like many loaves ..it was lighter in texture … going to make this one again, and again
Thanks for the five star review and glad that you found this loaf to be amazing and I appreciate you saying you’ve tried quite a few other lemon loaf recipes!
Will this recipe double with the same great results?
I would assume so but can’t say for sure because I’ve never doubled it.
Oh yes, it doubles well if you’re looking to make 2 loaves at a time.