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!!
Okay, I have to giggle, but bear with me a moment.
This very well could be the best lemon loaf, but I wouldn’t know (!). I didn’t get any!
I made this (as written, no deviations) and took it to a meeting this morning. After setting it up in the kitchen, and from the very first slice taken, I heard “Oh, my God”s. When I took a break after a half hour to grab a slice for myself, I was S.O.L. IT WAS ALL GONE. It had been inhaled! As I was leaving, a member told me that she and an older gentleman agreed it’s the best cake they’ve ever had. I did manage to finger-wipe some crumbs, and it is, indeed, moist and delicious. And it smelled heavenly while it was baking. So I guess I’ll just have to make another one, huh.
Thanks for an excellent recipe. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m sorry that you didn’t get any but after a half hour if it was all gone, that’s a great sign! And that’s nice to hear that an older couple said it was the best cake they’ve had!
This stuff is delicious! I substituted the lemon zest for 2 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice and it turned out fine. This is definitely my new favorite recipe!
I’m glad this is your new favorite recipe and that the lemon zest did the trick!
Hi there
I’m a little sceptical about making this as it has veg oil in and I always use butter. Have you tried it with butter. I’ve made so so many of these and not quite found the one, usually my cakes are too light so don’t hold their shape when sliced. I’ve made a lemon pound loaf cake today. It looks great and holds its shape but I feel the texture is not tight
Make this as written – read all the great reviews and read my post about HOW HARD I worked to get this just right. It’s perfect as written IMO and in the opinions of hundreds of others.
this was my first lemon loaf and it was perfect. only thing changed was adding zest to the glaze ( I had too much) and poking holes in the warm cake to glaze. I wanted a crusty top so poured half after 5 minutes of being out of the oven to seep into the holes and then again after 25. It was delicious and stick to your fork kind of moist.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was stick to your fork kind of moist; that is my kinda dessert!
I LOVE lemon loaf and this is the only recipe I use now. It is perfect every time and each time I serve it to others they ask for the recipe. Moist but not too moist and lovely lemony taste. I use the 2 tbs of lemon extract and follow all your instructions to the letter, just can’t see the point of messing with a good thing. I cannot vouch for how well leftovers store because I never have any.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you can appreciate not messing with a good thing :)
This recipe is spot on! It’s perfectly sweet, moist, and lemony. This recipe is slightly more dense than the Starbucks lemon loaf. I’ve made it twice now and the only alteration I made was whipping the egg whites and folding them in to the matter after incorporating the flour in order to aerate the batter it worked perfectly and my loaf was more light and delicate.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that you think the recipe is spot on!
WOW! This is so good! I had a craving for baked lemon goods and I came across this recipe! I didn’t have everything on hand. I used 1c of mayo since I had no sour cream or yogurt. Used a loose, unpacked cup of dark brown sugar because I’m super low on granulated sugar. Lastly, I only had a little less than 1T of lemon zest. Everything else was followed per the recipe. I have a gas oven and this baked at exactly 52 minutes (loosely covered during last 10 mins of baking). I used the entire 2T of lemon extract and I’m glad I did. This is delightful with tea! The glaze is so good. Thanks for sharing! When I make this again, I hope to have the exact ingredients on hand because I know it will be even better. Side note: Surprisingly, the mayo worked (reg, full fat mayo). I think the sour cream will make it slightly crumblier and drier (which is fine & desired). It’s still perfectly moist and flavorful with the substitutions I had to make though. Yuuummm.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad your improvisations worked well and happy to hear the full 2 tbsp lemon extract worked great!
First of all let me state that I am not a baker. That being said, this seems like an easy recipe, I followed it to the letter. Not very lemony – what did I do wrong?
Perhaps you didn’t measure the lemon extract correctly or the brand you used was on the weaker side.
My husband and I are both Starbucks Lemon Loaf addicts. I’ve tried many copycat recipes over the years. Most are tasty but none have been “it.” This recipe is truly IT. For the few who mentioned texture, if you’ve had Starbucks you know it is a very dense, moist texture. That’s how it is supposed to be. If you’re looking for lighter, more cake-like, the Starbucks recipe is not it. This is a fabulous recipe that I am looking forward to sharing for years to come. Thank you.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad my recipe is The One for you! I’m glad that this is IT!
Can you freeze this?
I never have personally so I can’t say for sure how it will be.
I just baked the lemon cake and it looks perfect thank you for sharing
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad the cake looks perfect!
Thank you! I followed the directions exactly and it’s perfect. My girls love it. You’re awesome!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is perfect and your girls loved it!
Just made this still hot but smells fabulous!!!! I just added raspberries!!!!! I hope it taste as wonderful as it smells!!!!! Thank you
Had 1 question I could zest 2 lemons but did not get much zest????? What can I do next time if I don’t have lemons?????? Or much zest????😢
I would say just buy an extra lemon or so to make sure you get enough. Or possibly your zesting tool isn’t too sharp and you may want to look into that too. Raspberries sound wonderful in this!
This recipe is spot on! Much better than Starbucks! My new go to lemon loaf recipe. THANK YOU for being so kind and generous with this valuable asset to us bakers in dire need of a lemon loaf fix that’s homemade.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad much better than Starbucks for you! And thanks for the nice compliments, I appreciate it :)
Hi
This recipe looks like somehing I’ve been looking all over the internet for. My sister law makes a lovely lemon loaf butt she hasn’t had the time to give me the recipe….maybe she doesn’t want to share it with me :(
Can you help me with the gram measurements please? We don’t use cups in the UK. Is all purpose flour plain flour?
I think so regarding the flour but you can of course google and research it to make sure. There are online calculators to help you with the measurement conversion because I don’t use grams.
I’ve made this recipe many times since I first found it and I love it. I always add frozen organic blueberries and it turns out perfect every time. I’d like to try it in a bundt cake pan and add an orange cranberry relish that I have leftover from another recipe. Any advice on how to do that or if it’s possible to bake in a bundt pan?
Bundt pan I would say is fine. The rest you would have to experiment and see how it goes. This was a *very* finicky and tricky recipe to perfect so I am hesitant to mess with it.