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!
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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
The Best Lemon Loaf (Better-Than-Starbucks Copycat)
Video
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.
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!!
I was looking for a nice easy and simple lemon loaf to use up the surplus of lemons my tree produced this winter. I realized too late that the recipe called for lemon extract instead of juice lol whoops! I know the notes said not to, but I added lemon juice and extra zest instead of extract. It came out with a milder flavor, but I made up for it by making extra icing and it’s still delicious!!
Thank you for the 5 star review and for sharing your lovely photo! I love the way you garnished it with lemons on top, this is just beautiful! And I’m glad to hear that lemon juice worked just fine in place of the extract – and you made up for it with extra lemon juice. Such a beautiful dessert – one of the best pictures I’ve ever seen from one of my readers!
This is absolutely delicious!!!!
Thank you, Kayla, I appreciate that so much!!! 🍋
Question – can you omit the baking powder so it doesn’t rise? I want to use in a mini-tartlet pan that has a design, so am hoping for more of a flat top. Thanks!!!
I would say that doesn’t sound like a great idea because even though you won’t have a domed top, you will also have a really dense bread. If you’re OK with something very dense then maybe it would be fine but I think the texture would more like pound cake then lemon loaf.
Isn’t 2 Table spoons of lemon extract a bit much? im scared to ruin the recipe.
Did you read the blog post about all of the attempts that I spent to create the perfect copycat recipe? In my many trials and many errors, I found that this is required for enough lemon flavor. However, always trust your gut. Do what you think is best!
will do thanks!! ill let you know how it turns out :)
Roro, I just made this recipe on 2-13-2026 and I used the full 2 tablespoons of extract. I wish I hadn’t. The first time I made it I only used 1 tablespoon and it was great. This time, I used 2 and it just tasted like chemicals. ugh! It was the same extract as the first time: Watkins Lemon Extract. So, back to 1 tablespoon for me!
Hi Cindee, Yes i actually did not follow the recipe and i just used 1 tbsp of extract. It came out perfect thankfully! So yes lets stick to 1 tbsp.
we love this recipe so much. I have been making it with 1/2 sucralose 1/2 granulated sugar to help lower impact on blood sugar. Have also used it as basis for orange loaf by swapping lemon extract and zest fir orange extract and zest. have also added chopped pecans and frozen whole cranberries to the orange loaf. It is so delicious!!!!
Thanks for the five star review, Elizabeth, and for sharing all of the variations and ways that you’ve made this loaf! I’m so impressed! Love this!
I made this today for a friend who broke her ankle and called it a healing treat. It is delicious and definitely a keeper.
She loved it.
oh, I’m so sorry for your friend! That sounds horrifically painful and awful. I hope this loaf put a smile on her face. How kind of you to do this for her!
Absolutely the best lemon loaf to date!!!
Everyone agrees!!! Thank you so very much!!!!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Susan, and I’m thrilled to hear that this is the best lemon loaf you’ve tried and that everyone agrees!
Love making this lemon is my favorite ❤️
Thanks so much, Gloria, and I’m glad to hear this is a favorite for you!
It’s more the good. It’s scrumptious! So moist so lemony. Itis perfect
Thanks for letting me know this was scrumptious for you, Wendy, and just perfect!
Hello. Haven’t tried yet but can we replace canola or vegetable oil with butter or ghee?
I actually tested this recipe soooo many times as I wrote about in the post and frankly I would stick with what I state in the recipe card for best results. I haven’t tried the ghee and butter was not as good as with oil for the texture.
Used this recipe for a coffee tasting. Everyone absolutely fell in love with it, thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Thao, and I’m so glad that everyone fell in love with this loaf!
perfect
it was perfect, delicious. I was worried because I didn’t have foil but it came out golden after 52 minutes. Picture is before the glaze. thank you for recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Laurie, and for sharing your lovely photo! I am glad it turned out perfectly for you!
I made this exactly as written and it was really good. I would say a perfect lemon loaf except for one thing. It wasn’t a high as starbucks lemon loaf. Everyone loved it though
I’m glad the taste was great! Height of the loaf, if you use a 9×5-inch loaf pan, it should nicely fill the pan. If your baking soda was slightly older, that could have impeded the rising a bit so that could be something to doublecheck in the future.
My loaf was as high as the ones you have pictures of. I just wish it was a bigger loaf I guess like Starbucks loaves. I am not sure how it would cook if I did 1.5 times the recipe. Again it was excellent in terms of taste and crumb
Is it baking soda or baking powder?
Baking powder as written in the recipe card.
Thanks. You mentioned baking soda in the comment so I got confused
It was a typo then. Always go by what it says in the recipe card!
I get hundreds of comments a week and sometimes I’m responding to them on the fly from my phone or whatever and my memory is not perfect with the recipe is. So just as a lesson always go by what the recipe card says and not buy what is written in comments.
This recipe is delicious! I couldn’t find my metal loaf pan, so I made these cakes in a small disposable loaf tin and some cupcake liners. I probably should have cooked it at 375 F in my gas oven for better top browning. This is my problem, maybe not yours.
A YouTuber (The Farmers Table) used 1/2 tsp vanilla in the glaze when she demonstrated her version of this recipe. I tried it both ways and the glaze with the vanilla was so much better. The vanilla really punches up the lemon flavor. Funny how that works.
Thanks for the 5 star review, Janet, and for sharing your experiments with vanilla in the icing. I am glad to hear that it worked well as cupcakes. Lemon anything, in most any oven, is a tricky line to walk because the slightest little bit of browning it can look “burnt” when really it’s not. But that’s where icing can be very helpful!
So moist and just the right amount of lemon
Thanks Christy and I’m glad to hear the lemon amount was just right for you!