Starbucks Lemon Loaf Recipe

Emma Johnson

Easy Starbucks Lemon Loaf Recipe with simple ingredients like lemon juice, flour, sour cream, and powdered sugar icing on top.

Prep Time 18

Cook Time 52

Total Time 1 10

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Servings 10 slices

Calories 410 kcal

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan well or line it with parchment paper.
I usually leave a little parchment hanging over the sides because it makes lifting the loaf out easier later. The first time I skipped that step, I ended up struggling to get the loaf out cleanly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
The cornstarch helps soften the crumb a bit, which gives the loaf that bakery-style texture. It is a small thing, but I noticed the difference when I tested batches without it.
Set the dry ingredients aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth and slightly lighter in color.
Add the vegetable oil, sour cream, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Stir until fully combined.
At this point the batter smells really lemony already, especially from the fresh zest. Fresh lemons honestly carry this whole recipe.

Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined.
Do not overmix the batter. A few small lumps are completely fine. Overmixing can make the loaf dense instead of soft.
The batter should look smooth and fairly thick but still easy to pour.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top gently.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Around the 40-minute mark, I usually loosely place foil over the top if it looks like it is browning too quickly.
The loaf is done when the top looks golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
The smell during baking is honestly hard to beat. The whole kitchen smells buttery, sweet, and bright from the lemon.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack.
This part matters because the loaf is still delicate when hot. The first time I tried moving it too early, the middle cracked apart slightly.
Let it cool completely before adding icing.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth.
The icing should be thick but pourable. If it seems too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If it feels too thick, add a tiny splash of lemon juice.
I like the icing slightly thicker because it gives that classic Starbucks-style layer on top.

Pour the icing over the cooled loaf and let it spread naturally down the sides.
Some people like perfectly clean icing, but honestly I think slight drips down the edges make it look more homemade and inviting.
Let the icing set for about 20 minutes before slicing.

Use room temperature eggs for smoother batter.
Zest the lemons before juicing them. I still forget this sometimes.
Measure flour carefully by spooning it into the measuring cup instead of scooping directly.
Use parchment paper for easier removal.
Let the loaf rest overnight if possible because the lemon flavor gets even better the next day.
Store the loaf covered so it stays moist.
Add extra zest to the icing if you want stronger lemon flavor.

Keyword Starbucks Lemon Loaf Recipe