Starbucks' Lemon Loaf Cake - the True Copycat Recipe (2024)

Starbucks’ Lemon Loaf Cake is the True Copycat Recipe for the moist, fluffy yet dense, lemon bread loaf. This lemon cake recipe is topped with a delicious creamy powdered sugar lemon glaze.

Starbucks' Lemon Loaf Cake - the True Copycat Recipe (1)

I am so excited to share this recipe with you! Whenever I go to Starbucks, I just have to have their Lemon Loaf Cake. It has a very pronounced lemony flavor, super moist, fluffy yet dense, almost bread pudding-like consistency, topped with a delicious white glaze.

The search for the perfect copycat Lemon Cake Recipe:

I have been trying to figure out what it’s made of for a long time. I have searched online for copycat recipes, looking for ones with the same texture as the Starbucks original Lemon Cake recipe. Testing at least 3 lemon cake recipes that looked similar to the Starbucks loaf, each one of them concluding to be disappointing.

One major flaw in all the lemon cake recipes shared was the lack of moisture inside the loaf. I tried soaking the lemon bread with lemon syrup, but it only made the outside a little moist. Everything that I tried didn’t come close to the sought after Starbucks Lemon Loaf.

Starbucks' Lemon Loaf Cake - the True Copycat Recipe (2)
All the copycat recipes failed to give off a lemony flavor without the sourness that comes with it. Adding lemon just didn’t give that proper taste. I usually am able to recreate recipes and not being able to recreate this one left me all the more disappointed.

There was a copycat recipe that used Yellow Cake Mix with pudding. Seeing that it used store-bought mix, I didn’t even bother looking more into the recipe. I don’t like using something that comes from a box if I am going to go through the trouble of making it at home. But, when all of those other lemon bread recipes did not work, I decided that I had nothing to lose, so I was going to try it.

Starbucks' Lemon Loaf Cake - the True Copycat Recipe (3)

Oh, how happy I am that I tried the recipe! While I would rather use all natural ingredients, that does not include a box of store-bought mix, I am able to get past that fact ONLY because this recipe produces an amazing, exact copy of the Starbucks Lemon Cake Loaf!

Can I replace Lemon Pudding?

The lemony-ness in this lemon cake recipe comes from the artificial lemon flavoring in the Lemon Pudding. You can use plain boxed Pudding and add 2-3 teaspoons of lemon emulsion & 2-3 drops of the lemon oil to achieve the same taste.

I made my version of what I think the powdered sugar lemon glaze should look and taste like, but the rest of the recipe comes from Picky-Palate.com, this recipe is truly a God-sent.

Enjoy!

Other great dessert recipes to try!

  • Cranberry Bliss Coffee Cake Recipe– Coffee cake with cranberries and white chocolate, topped with a cream cheese frosting!
  • Poppy Seed Cake w/ Lemon Glaze– A poppy-seed twist off this lemon loaf cake recipe.
  • Pillow Soft Plum Coffee Cake – Another great coffee cake to enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea. 😉

Starbuck’s Lemon Loaf Cake – the True Copycat Recipe

Starbucks' Lemon Loaf Cake - the True Copycat Recipe (4)

4.78 from 22 votes

Starbucks’ Lemon Loaf Cake is the True Copycat Recipe for the moist, fluffy yet dense, lemon bread loaf. This lemon cake recipe is topped with a delicious creamy powdered sugar lemon glaze.

Author: Picky Palate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lemon cake, lemon loaf cake

Calories: 254 kcal

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 20 slices

Ingredients

Lemon Loaf Cake

Lemon Topping

Instructions

Make Lemon Loaf

  1. Turn oven to 350°F. Line 2 loaf pans with foil & spray with nonstick spray, or butter and flour the pans. Set aside.

  2. Combine all the wet ingredients and whisk until well combined.

  3. Place all dry ingredients in a bowl, add about 1 cup of wet ingredients, beat with a mixer on low speed for about 15 seconds, then add the rest of the ingredients and beat on low speed for another 15-20 seconds. DO NOT over beat, or your cake will deflate.

  4. Divide batter evenly between two loaf pans.

  5. Place in the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, until golden in color or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

  6. Remove from oven and let rest in the pan for 5 minutes, before removing and allowing to cool on a cooling rack.

Make Icing

  1. Beat 1/2 stick butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 4 tbsp lemon juice & 1 tsp lemon emulsion until smooth and supple.

  2. Spread evenly on top of both cakes.

  3. Allow the glaze to harden up before slicing.

Recipe Notes

This recipe can be used to make a cake, cupcakes or even small individual squares like I did using a brownie square pan (see link to picture below the post).

Nutrition Facts

Starbuck’s Lemon Loaf Cake – the True Copycat Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 254Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 39mg13%

Sodium 249mg11%

Potassium 51mg1%

Carbohydrates 40g13%

Sugar 23g26%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 130IU3%

Vitamin C 1.2mg1%

Calcium 79mg8%

Iron 0.7mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Starbucks' Lemon Loaf Cake - the True Copycat Recipe (5)

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Starbucks' Lemon Loaf Cake - the True Copycat Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is lemon loaf made of? ›

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until creamy. Blend in milk. In another bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and lemon rind.

How much does a lemon loaf cake cost at Starbucks? ›

A single slice of iced lemon loaf at starbucks will cost you about $3.60. This recipe for an entire loaf costs roughly $4.21 worth of ingredients. A slice from this loaf that's equal in weight to a starbucks slice costs $0.61 cents! That's six homemade slices for the cost of one starbucks slice!

What is lemon glaze made of? ›

Lemon glaze requires only two ingredients: powdered sugar and lemon juice. Some recipes call for milk, but such a small amount of milk dilutes the lemony punch without adding much in return.

How many calories in a slice of lemon loaf cake from Starbucks? ›

There are 397 calories in 1 serving of Starbucks Lemon Loaf Cake.

Why is my lemon loaf dry? ›

If you have too much flour in a recipe and not enough fat, like butter or oil, your cake is going to be dry and hard. For best results, I would encourage you to use a scale when baking, but if you don't have a scale, then just make sure you're using measuring cups correctly.

Does Starbucks lemon loaf have dairy? ›

ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR [WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID], SUGAR, EGGS, BUTTER [CREAM (MILK), NATURAL FLAVOR], POWDERED SUGAR [SUGAR, CORNSTARCH], BUTTERMILK [CULTURED LOWFAT MILK, NONFAT MILK, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SODIUM CITRATE, LOCUST BEAN GUM, CARRAGEENAN, MONO- AND ...

What is a Starbucks birthday cake? ›

Bite-sized vanilla cake mixed with vanilla buttercream, dipped in pink chocolaty icing and topped with white sprinkles. - VEGETARIAN. 160 calories, 16g sugar, 8g fat.

Are Starbucks cakes frozen? ›

Starbucks pastries are delivered to the stores frozen and they're thawed out on a daily basis,” Laura (@lauraxvo) wrote. “So they're shipped frozen and then pulled to thaw the night before sale and are good for two days wrapped up and then the extras get donated!” another explained.

How much are Starbucks cake balls? ›

How Much Is A Cake Pop at Starbucks? One average cake pop costs us from $1.5 to $2, although the price sometimes soars to $2.25 or more.

What are the 3 basic ingredients in glaze? ›

A BASE GLAZE is a mixture of these three basic groups: SILICA, FLUX AND ALUMINA.

What are the 3 active ingredients of glaze? ›

All standard ceramic glazes contain the following components:
  • Glass former- silica (SiO2), melting point 3119 degrees Fahrenheit. (RO2)
  • Flux- lowers the melting point of silica; provides the great variety of surfaces in ceramic glazes. ...
  • Stabilizer- alumina, keeps the glaze on a vertical surface; stiffens the melt. (
Jul 15, 2019

Can lemon juice expire? ›

The answer is yes. Levels of preservatives vary from brand to brand, so it is important to check the label on the bottle. Or better yet, finish it up instead of letting it linger in the pantry or fridge. No sense cluttering up your kitchen with bottles of anything, including lemon juice, that you can't use.

How much is a loaf at Starbucks? ›

Meanwhile, the Starbucks iced lemon loaf costs somewhere in the $2.45 range, according to menuandprice.org.

How many carbs in a lemon loaf from Starbucks? ›

✔️Whole Loaf w/ Icing: 598 Calories l 79g Carbs l 60g Protein l 2g Fat. 🍋Ingredients: 90g Flour. 1 Lemon- Zest.

How many grams is a lemon loaf at Starbucks? ›

Nutrition Facts
  • Total Fat 19g. 24%
  • Saturated Fat 9g. 45%
  • Trans Fat 0.5g.
  • Total Carbs 63g. 23%
  • Net Carbs 62g.
  • Dietary Fiber 1g. 4%
  • Total Sugars 40g.

What is lemon bar crust made of? ›

The crust in most lemon bars usually starts with creaming or rubbing softened butter with a mixture of flour and sugar. Instead of softened butter, I prefer to use melted butter.

What is loaf made of? ›

A bread loaf is the most common form in which bread is available at bakeries around the world. Bread loaves, whether made with whole wheat flour, refined flour, multi-grain, or other flours, has five main ingredients: flour, salt, sugar, water and yeast.

What are the ingredients in Bake Shop lemon sliced loaf cake? ›

SUGAR, ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), EGGS, SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, MILK, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, WHEY, WHEAT GLUTEN, EMULSIFIER (MONOGLYCERIDES, PROPYLENE GLYCOL ...

Why is lemon loaf dense? ›

If a recipe includes a lot of acid such as lemon juice and buttermilk and isn't lifted with enough baking powder, the cake will taste dense. In that case, you may need the addition of baking soda which will react with the acid and create a fluffier crumb.

References

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