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!!
For freezing this loaf, do you recommend adding the glaze before I freeze it? Or will come out weird when it unfreezes?
Thanks!
Add it after you thaw it, will be much better that way.
Hi Averie
I LOVE the Starbucks lemon loaf!! The pictures for this copycat look fantastic, but the recipe seems a bit unconventional. I’ve always found the best results for pound cakes come from using butter and creaming it with the sugar, not from using oil. Would that work for this recipe? Additionally, I only have lemon oil on hand, but from what I gather it’s interchangeable with lemon extract.
Thanks.
-Cindy
Did you read everything I went to to get this to taste like the Starbucks loaf? And read the post where I addressed oil/extract?
Please do so and then make as written for perfect copycat results.
This was amazing. I did make a change only because I was out of canola oil and used avocado oil as a replacement. It was really delicious and will definitely be making this again.
Thanks for the five star review and glad it was amazing with the avocado oil!
If you want to use an alternative oil in a lemon dessert, this is my fave lemon cake of all time! https://www.averiecooks.com/lemon-olive-oil-cake/
Mine came out quite dense & a little dry. The only think I changed was that I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. I was careful not to overmix and my batter was a little lumper than yours in the video. Any idea what I did wrong to not get the moist fluffiness of the Starbucks loaf?
Mine came out quite dense & a little dry. The only think I changed was that I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. I was careful not to overmix and my batter was a little lumper than yours in the video. Any idea what I did wrong to not get the moist fluffiness of the Starbucks loaf?
Probably over-added the flour with too heavy of a hand and dried out the batter is my guess or accidentally mismeasuring it. I would say too much flour for the quantity of liquids. Something to pay attention to for the next time. Thanks for trying the recipe.
hi averie, can i use buttermilk instead of sour cream ? need to get rid of my buttermilk 😉
Did you read everything I went to to perfect this recipe? It was veryyyy challenging so if you make any changes at all, not sure how they will effect the final result.
WOW!!! This is spot on. I love the Starbucks lemon loaf, and now thanks to you I can make it on my own. It is so much better fresh and homemade. Who knew it was so easy?! Although I realize that is due to all the time you invested to figure it out. Thank you!!
This cake is fantastic! It taste like the lemon
Loaf at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Best of all it is easy to make, and bakes up beautifully!
WOW!!! This is spot on. I love the Starbucks lemon loaf, and now thanks to you I can make it on my own. It is so much better fresh and homemade. Who knew it was so easy?! Although I realize that is due to all the time you invested to figure it out. Thank you!!
Yes definitely an easy recipe to make, once the recipe has been developed which was not easy at all, probably my hardest copycat recipe ever to try to perfect. Glad it was spot on for you and you loved it!
Over the course of my life I have baked many types of cakes.
This is by far the best Lemon Cake recipe I have ever used.
My friends and family think that I’m a “genius” in the kitchen, not knowing I was using a “fool proof” recipe and following instructions.
The most original compliment I can give Ms Averie about her recipe is that it “travels well”.
I’m based in Spain and this recipe works as well here as it does back in California.
In other words, she did her homework and “benchmarked” the recipe. Impressive!
Thank you so very much for your hard work and efforts, they are greatly appreciated.
Javier
Over the course of my life I have baked many types of cakes.
This is by far the best Lemon Cake recipe I have ever used.
My friends and family think that I’m a “genius” in the kitchen, not knowing I was using a “fool proof” recipe and following instructions.
The most original compliment I can give Ms Averie about her recipe is that it “travels well”.
I’m based in Spain and this recipe works as well here as it does back in California.
In other words, she did her homework and “benchmarked” the recipe. Impressive!
Thank you so very much for your hard work and efforts, they are greatly appreciated.
Javier
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this recipe makes you look like a kitchen genius and that you’re successful making it in both CA and in Spain, with different types of flour, sugar, etc. and that it still works great for you! Love hearing that!
Hi!!! Would it work if i switch from lemon to lime? It looks deliciou
I haven’t ever tried that. Obviously the flavor profile is very different but if you’re up for that, go for it.
Sooo yunmy! I did not think I like lemon loaf until now. I was looking for something to make with lemon extract since I ordered the wrong spice. I am glad I came across this recipe, this one is definitely a keeper for sure!
Sooo yunmy! I did not think I like lemon loaf until now. I was looking for something to make with lemon extract since I ordered the wrong spice. I am glad I came across this recipe, this one is definitely a keeper for sure!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that my recipe changed your mind about lemon loaf!
Wow, craving a moist dense lemon loaf and saw this recipe. SO EASY! Shockingly spot on, Yes 2tbsp lemon extract a must, baked perfectly almost too pretty to slice! This recipe is a keeper, thanks for sharing!
Wow, craving a moist dense lemon loaf and saw this recipe. SO EASY! Shockingly spot on, Yes 2tbsp lemon extract a must, baked perfectly almost too pretty to slice! This recipe is a keeper, thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this turned out perfectly for you and that it’s a keeper!
I didn’t have enough eggs for this recipe – but decided it give it a shot using just 2. Still delicious! Moist and tangy and perfectly slightly dense.