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

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

A slice of Starbucks iced Lemon Loaf costs about $4.25, depending on where you purchase it. This recipe makes two lemon loaves, each baked in a 9x5-inch loaf pan, using about $10 to $12 worth of ingredients.

What is lemon glaze made of? ›

Lemon glaze requires only two ingredients: powdered sugar and lemon juice.

Does lemon loaf have egg? ›

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 ...

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

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

Should lemon loaf be refrigerated? ›

Lemon bread stores fabulously well at room temperature due to the lemon and oil for up to three days. Afterwards, it should be refrigerated – if it lasts that long!

How much is the Kardashian cake? ›

Viral Kardashian birthday cake is rumored to cost $7,000, and TikTok is perplexed. The Kardashian family's favorite celebratory cake is going viral on TikTok — and stirring rumors about its price tag.

What are the 3 basic ingredients in glaze? ›

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

What's the difference between frosting and glazing? ›

Icing is a little thinner than frosting and is often poured or piped over coffee cakes, pound cakes, doughnuts and cookies—and it usually hardens when it dries. Glaze is the thinnest and most fluid of the three, and it will set but won't harden as much as icing.

Is confectioners sugar the same as icing sugar? ›

Yes! Powdered sugar, confectioners' sugar (including confectioners sugar and confectioner's sugar too), icing sugar, and 10X (a reference to the size of the particles) are all the same.

Can I use lemon juice instead of lemon extract? ›

Opt for two tablespoons of lemon juice for every tablespoon of lemon extract if you want a potent lemon flavor. In baked goods, you may need to adjust the ratio of other liquid or dry ingredients to get the right final texture.

What does lemon cake contain? ›

Very basic ingredients including a base of creamed butter + sugar, eggs, lemon, milk, and flour. We left out the brown sugar and replaced with more granulated sugar. No rhyme or reason here—just didn't feel like reaching for both types of sugar this time. Between the cake and frosting, you'll need 2-3 lemons.

Why did my lemon loaf sink? ›

Too much: If you accidentally overmeasure your baking soda or powder it can also cause your cake or loaf to sink in the middle. High altitude: If you're baking at a higher altitude you'll need less leavening to achieve the same result as sea level. Without proper altitude adjustments, your products may sink.

How many carbs are in a lemon loaf cake? ›

Your Fresh Market Sliced Lemon Loaf Cake (1 slice) contains 22g total carbs, 22g net carbs, 6g fat, 2g protein, and 150 calories.

How much sugar is in a Starbucks pumpkin loaf? ›

One slice of Starbucks pumpkin bread contains almost 40 grams of sugar.

How much is whole cake in Starbucks? ›

Starbucks' last new cafe offering is the Chocolate Caramel Fudge Cake – 3 layers of chocolate cake with chocolate and caramel fudge in between, topped off by a Belgian chocolate ganache. It costs P195 for a slice and P1,550 for a whole cake.

How expensive is a cake pop from Starbucks? ›

Generally speaking, Starbucks cake pops cost between $1.50 and $2.25 dollars, depending on the location. This is due to the fact that cost for the same item may vary greatly from one location to the next, due to a variety of factors like market economies, type of cake pop, and location-based promotions.

How much is the Tom Cruise cake? ›

The annual cake from Cruise, 61, has become the stuff of legend in Hollywood. The famous “Tom Cruise Cake” is a white chocolate-coconut Bundt cake from Doan's Bakery in California that has a hefty price tag of $125.

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