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This easy-to-make Starbucks Lemon Loaf is loaded with delicious lemon flavor, and topped with amazing icing. It’s even BETTER than Starbucks!
This delicious Starbucks Lemon Loaf is the perfect cross between a quick bread and a cake! It’s similar to both our White Chocolate Lemon Bread, and our Lemon Bundt Cake – moist, delicious, and perfectly lemony!
Even better than Starbucks!
We love all things lemon during the summer, like our favorite Lemon Curd.
Well, raise your hand if you love the Starbucks Lemon Loaf! Yes, I see you raising your hand – I’m right there with you! There is something about that delicious, moist cake that keeps us all coming back for more.
It’s a rich, moist, perfectly flavored lemon loaf cake topped with a delicious layer of lemon frosting. There is no way I’m sharing a slice.
I’m here to tell you that you can make this delicious lemon loaf recipe right at home, and it will taste EVEN BETTER than Starbucks!
Better than Starbucks Lemon Loaf
Unlike other recipes I tried, I added Greek yogurt to this cake recipe and a little more oil.
With these additions, this copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf recipe is spot-on! The ultimate moist, delicious lemon cake!
PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 5 x 9″ loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper. (With a pencil, trace the bottom of the pan on a piece of parchment paper and cut it out with scissors.)
Spray the pan and parchment paper with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
DRY INGREDIENTS. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
WET INGREDIENTS. With a stand or hand mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract, lemon juice, oil, and yogurt. Mix until evenly combined.
COMBINE. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the lemon zest, and mix until just combined.
BAKE. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes, or until the center is fully set, and a toothpick inserted comes out crumb free.
COOL. After baking, let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the pan, invert and remove from the pan, removing the parchment paper from the bottom. Let the cake finish cooling on a wire rack
FROSTING. Combine the butter, lemon juice, and lemon extract with a hand or stand mixer. Gradually add the powdered sugar, and beat until smooth and creamy.
Evenly spread the frosting over the top of the loaf. Refrigerate to let the frosting set completely before slicing. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.
Frosting + Decorating Tips
Grainy icing. Here are a few common reasons this could happen:
- Poor sugar quality: Use “pure sugar cane” powdered sugar and sift the sugar.
- Not enough fat (in this case the butter).
- Not using room temperature butter.
- Be sure to add the powdered sugar slowly, beating well between each addition.
Toppings. The thick frosting on this loaf is not only pretty, but delicious. Sometimes it’s fun to adjust a recipe and try something new.
- Drizzle with a lemon glaze.
- Simply dust with powdered sugar.
- Add a dollop of Whipped Cream and strawberries to each slice.
Ingredient Tips
Fresh lemons. Use about 3 medium-sized lemons to produce enough juice to use in this recipe. (A medium-sized lemon can produce 2-3 tablespoons of juice).
The peel of one of the lemons can be used to produce 1 tablespoon of zest. Using a citrus zester is the easiest, but you can also use the small side of a cheese grater.
Flour. The flour can be replaced with a 1:1 gluten-free baking substitute
Room-temperature ingredients mix together better than cold. Set the eggs, butter, lemons, and yogurt out on the counter for about 30 minutes before using them in the recipe.
Recipe Tips
Different size pans. Since every oven seems to cook a little differently, use the following information as a guide. Keep a close eye on the cake toward the end of the baking time and adjust as needed.
The cake is done when an inserted toothpick/skewer comes out clean.
- Bundt pan: Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour the pan generously. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Mini loaves: Preheat oven to 350°F and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Muffins: Preheat oven to 350° F for 20-25 minutes.
What to do if the outside is browning, but the inside isn’t done:
- Loosely place a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the cake as it finishes baking.
- Reduce the oven temperature by 25°.
- Be sure the pan isn’t too close to the heating element. It should be positioned in the center of the oven.
- Use a rose nail to help spread the heat to the center of the cake for a more even bake. Also known as a flower nail or cake nail.
Storing Info
STORE. Lemon Loaf can be stored in an airtight container for 4-5 days. We do not recommend keeping it in the refrigerator as it will dry the cake out faster!
FREEZE. For long-term storage, go ahead and keep it in the freezer.
- To freeze it without the frosting, allow the cake to completely cool, wrap the loaf with plastic wrap, then again with aluminum foil.
- To freeze with frosting, flash freeze first by placing the cake (whole or sliced) on a baking sheet. Freeze for 2-3 hours, then wrap. Label and freeze for up to 6 months.
Recipe FAQ
To buy a Lemon Loaf at my local Starbucks will cost $3.65 per slice. To make my own loaf, which contains several slices, only costs about $5.
If you have trouble locating lemon pudding, try ordering from Amazon OR use vanilla pudding instead. If you choose to use vanilla pudding, add a little extra lemon extract.
For more yummy quick bread loaves, try:
- Cream Cheese Filled Banana Bread
- Glazed Almond Poppy Seed Bread
- Cinnamon Bread
- Snickerdoodle Bread
- Pumpkin Bread
Starbucks Lemon Loaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3.4 oz instant lemon pudding mix
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- zest of 1 lemon
Frosting
- 3 tbsp butter soft but not melted
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 5 x 9" loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper. (With a pencil, trace the bottom of the pan on a piece of parchment paper and cut it out with scissors.) Spray the pan and parchment paper with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
- n a mixing bowl, combine the flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With a stand or hand mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract, lemon juice, oil, and yogurt. Mix until evenly combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the lemon zest, and mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes, or until the center is fully set, and a toothpick inserted comes out crumb free.
- After baking, let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the pan, invert and remove from the pan, removing the parchment paper from the bottom. Let the cake finish cooling on a wire rack
- For frosting. Combine the butter, lemon juice, and lemon extract with a hand or stand mixer. Gradually add the powdered sugar, and beat until smooth and creamy. Evenly spread the frosting over the top of the loaf. Refrigerate to let the frosting set completely before slicing. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thanks, Erin! For more great recipes from her, be sure to go to Delightful E Made.
Made this today! Was very moist and good! I think the frosting/icing was too lemony for me though. Perhaps next time, I’ll just make regular icing and add lemon zest for a touch of lemon flavor.
This recipe was perfect! Starbucks’ lemon loaf is my favorite sweet on the go! So i wanted to share it with everyone but wasnt willing to buy 15 pieces from Starbucks! !!i made this one and it topped even theirs! I served it at a church function! Everyone loved it! I followed the recipe to the T, i am about to make it again but i only have regular ( vanilla activia) yogurt on hand. I saw another reviewer say she used regular yogurt and it came out great. ..so i will let you know how it turns out for me. I’m hoping i don’t have to do a do over and go to the store to get real Greek yogurt. …we shall see! Look out for my update!
I love hearing the recipe turned out great!! Let me know how it goes with the regular vanilla yogurt. 😉
Did not go great using the regular yogurt. It is possible that i should have used more dry ingredients to compensate for the extra moisture…. it tasted ok, just never dried out while cooking. I did remake with Greek yogurt and had to use the foil method to keep the outside from burning while the center got a chance to cook. Do you think a water bath would help it cook more evenly?
Wow!!!! I usually stay away from copycat recipes that claim to be as good as or better than the original, because they usually don’t compare to the original. (In my opinion) However, this one far exceeded my expectations. I followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change a thing. Perfect luscious, lemony flavor that I love and crave from Starbucks. Thank you for passing this recipe along! It is a hit with everyone in my family.
Starbucks lemon loaf is my absolute go too….but I now found yours and it is better, not so dry. I had to substitute sour cream for the yogurt…turned out great. Thank you for the recipe.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I am currently enjoying a slice while writing this. I love Starbucks lemon loaf and this tasted A LOT like it. I tossed in some poppyseeds and it was delicious! This will definitely be a staple recipe in my house. THANKS!
I’m so glad you liked it!! And poppyseeds would be a great addition. 😉 Will try that next time!!
Was super excited to make this because starbucks lemon loaf is my FAVORITE!
I made it according the recipe and used a metal loaf pan and it cracked right in the middle and browned on the outsides almost to a crisp and was still doughy in the middle! Is there a good way to avoid this?
The last time i made this the same thing happened to me. But i realized it after i finally tested the cake at 45 minutes. If i had tested it sooner it would have come out perfectly. So next time, Karli, poke the cake in several spots around 35-40 minutes (closer to 40, so it won’t fall) that way the heat will get to that center area. It still tasted wonderful tho! !! My only problem was getting the icing to stop looking so grainy. .
I blame the uneven cooking on my electric oven. ..
First you have two different problems:
Just before you put the loaf in the oven put a bit of a trench in the centre of the batter to combat the fact that it will rise higher in the centre as it bakes. You want the batter to be deepest on the sides when it goes in the oven to avoid the cracking problem.
If it’s crispy on the outside and doughy in the centre then your oven is too hot and it’s baking too fast to bake through. Don’t poke holes in the cake, turn down your oven and bake it for a longer time until the cake tester comes out clean with several tests as close to the centre as possible. You could also have your pan too close to the heating element. Is it in the middle of your oven? You may think your oven is set to the correct temperature but a lot of ovens aren’t calibrated correctly. To find out for sure buy an oven thermometer https://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Precision-Products-Classic-Thermometer/dp/B0000DJUYR/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1485713308&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=oven+thermometer&psc=1
I would like to make this recipe but it is for a tea party on Thursday, but I only have time to bake it on Sunday. If I freeze it would it still be okay? Can someone help? Thanks
I think it would be okay to freeze, although I haven’t tried it myself. I would bake it Sunday, freeze it and then pull it out Wednesday night and then be sure to make the frosting for it the day of. 🙂
For anyone wondering about freezing this, I was once told by a Starbucks employee that their loaves come to the store frozen and they thaw them as they need them. So, I would guess that freezing would work fine. Definitely trying this recipe and will try freezing half the loaf, to keep hubby and I from eating it all in one sitting (we adore SB’s lemon loaf)! Will report the results here.
Thanks so much for the tip!! Hope that helps anyone wanting to know!
I would love to do this one… however, I can’t find any instant lemon pudding mix in our area. can anyone suggest a substitute? Would really appreciate it… thanks in advance!
Perhaps just use vanilla pudding and add extra lemon zest to the mix.
I just made this. Of course,the local stores didn’t have Greek yogurt, so I went with plain yogurt. I doubled your recipe and it made a regular loaf and two mini loaves. The frosting was spot on! It turned out delish and just as beautiful. My family loved it. I almost didn’t want to share. Haha. Thanks!
Oh! Also, I used parchment paper because the idea of wax paper worried me…plus, I didn’t have any on hand anyway. Ha. Again, thanks!
I have a question. Do you think you could add blueberries and make it a blueberry lemon bread?
Hi Joelle,
Believe it or not, you can make your own Greek yogurt by draining regular yogurt! I know it sounds crazy, but I tried it the other day. I accidentally grabbed the wrong tub of yogurt to make tzatziki and I didn’t want to go back to the store. I looked it up on the interwebs and all you have to do is put the regular yogurt (I bought organic whole yogurt) into a colander/strainer and let it sit and drain. The longer it drains the thicker it gets. I hope this helps!
Take care,
Liz
I LOVE Starbucks Lemon Loaf and just came home from a trip where we stopped and got some along with our coffee. It is such a treat but so expensive. I hope to try this recipe very soon however I do have a question. Being that I am somewhat of a novice at different techniques this one has me stumped. You said to use wax paper on the bottom of the loaf pan. I have read and have experienced that wax paper melts. I am not sure that I am comfortable using this technique only for fear of ruining my loaf. Please let me know if this is something all of you tried and what experience you had using the wax paper.
When using wax paper in the oven, you must make sure that it is completely covered by the batter you are trying to bake. You cannot leave the paper exposed directly to heat or it will melt. For instance, if you place a sheet on a cookie pan and try to bake cookies it will melt and smoke up your oven. When using it as a cake pan liner, it should work fine as the batter covers the entire surface of the paper. Hope this helps!
Use parchment paper instead. It is designed to bake with. Wax paper is not. No wax. No problems.
Wax paper will melt into your foods. I agree parchment paper will give you the same effect without the “chemicals” or burn of the wax.
Use parchment paper for baking, NOTwax paper!
Recipe looks delicious- definitely trying it.
Thanks for sharing, Cynthia!!
Anyone ever added blueberries?