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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.
About to make this for the second time. The girls at work loved it! Just like Starbucks! My loaf started to cave in when I took it out of the over, but by flipping the pan over and letting the cake cool upside down, the problem was solved. This is a keeper! Thank you!!
Perfection. These are delicious! Remember to cream butter with sugars first when mixing batter and frosting. The room temperature butter will then mix perfectly. Thank you for this recipe. 5+
It was definitely longer then a five minute prep time— I wouldn’t have minded if it would have turned out, I doubled the recipe, exactly and baked at 3:50 for 55 minutes until the toothpick came all clean. when I turned the pans over one caved in and was all soupy inside but the outside was getting close to looking burnt boo-hoo. Not sure what happened.:(
I’m sorry to hear the loaves didn’t bake through the center. Thanks for giving the recipe a try! We have a few tips in the post for that. Perhaps these tips might help:
-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.
Can you tell me how exactly to use a flower nail? I think i t have one from my Wilton cake decorating class. Do I just put the point into the center of loaf, how deeply?
So you will put the flower nail in the bottom of the cake pan, with the nail part pointing up. Make sure to spray it well with cooking spray so the cake will slide right out. Then you’ll pour the batter into the pan and all around the nail. You’ll bake as usual but it should help distribute that heat more evenly to the center of the cake. Hope that helps!!
I made this cake and someone asked me if they paid me would i make cakes for them bc now they think im a baker. It was super good. I did not have lemon extract tho so i was worried about the end result. It was still amazing. I tripled the lemon zest and it still had a very strong fresh lemon flavor. Thank you for the recipe.
Can we use sour cream in place of yogurt
Is lemon season , this recipe super easy to make the loft, I didn’t put lemon pudding, cuz I kept forgetting get it 😣, but still tasty tho . I will make it again with puddly 😃
You’ll have to let us know how you like it with the pudding when you make it again.
This is such a hit even with my pickiest of eaters! Thanks so much for this recipe! I’ve always been a fan of Starbucks version, but it’s so nice to be able to bake it at home. 🍋💛
Yay! So glad to hear that. Yes, it is nice to have a full loaf to enjoy or share with the whole family.
The room temperature butter never blended in either in the cake or in the frosting. Not sure how to remedy?
It may just need to be softened a bit more if it’s not incorporating.
Seriously the best lemon loaf. Love the lemon flavor and comes out perfect every time.
So glad to hear this recipe is a hit!!
I have been baking this delicious loaf for quite awhile. I would like to make some as Christmas gifts for my neighbours. Do you think I can double the recipe?