Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf Cake

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This copycat Starbucks lemon loaf cake features rich lemon pound cake bursting with flavor that stays moist for days. You can make this whole cake for what Starbie's charges for one singe slice!

I love lemon desserts like my lemon layer cake, lemon curd cake, and lemon chocolate chip cookies. This lemon pound cake is tender, moist, and has the perfect amount of lemon flavor. Then we make it even better with a simple sweet glaze. We love a big thick slice for brunch, with a cup of coffee, or at a tea party. It is also fantastic cubed up in trifles. Love Starbucks desserts? Be sure to try my gingerbread loaf too.

 Why This Recipe Works: A Sprinkle of Food Science

1. Oil Not Butter: Oil is liquid at room temperature which makes this cake super moist and tender for days.
2. Sour Cream: It is high in fat and moisture and gives us a moist and tender cake. Bonus: The acid tenderizes that gluten for a melt in your mouth texture.
3. Lemon x 2: Fresh lemon zest brings brightness but can sometimes disappear when baking in a hot oven. Lemon extract ensures the perfect flavor in every bite.

Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips

1. Sour Cream: You can also use an equal amount of Greek yogurt.
2. Eggs: Bring to room temperature to help everything together smoothly. Short on time? Place in a cup of warm not hot water for 5-10 minutes.
3. Lemon Extract: Be sure to use extract not oil which is too concentrated and intense.
4. Oil: Any neutral flavored oil such as canola oil can be used.
5. Lemons: When zesting use just the bright yellow peel as the white pitch underneath is vey bitter. Avoid bottled juice for the best flavor use freshly squeezed.
6. Flour: Measure correctly by spooning into a measuring cup and leveling with a knife. Never dip your cup into the flour as you'll overmeasure and get a dry dense cake.

Krystle's Tips: Steal My Culinary School Secrets

1. Use a Light Colored Metal Baking Pan: It promotes even broken and retains heat well. If you only have glass you may need to add a few minutes to the baking time.
2. Perfect Release: I use both baking spray which contains both oil and flour.
3. Don't Overmix: This can overdevelop the gluten and lead to a tough dense cake.
4. Don't Overbake: Bake until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Overbaking will make it try.
5. No Peeking: The sudden change in oven temperature could cause the center to collapse.

Serve With

Chai Tea Latte

Caramel Frappuccino

Vanilla Frappuccino

Copycat Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte

French Toast Muffins

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📖 Recipe

Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf

Starbucks Lemon Loaf: Rich pound cake bursting with lemon flavor. Your favorite coffee house treat, easily made at home!

5 from 23 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Cake

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 Large Slices

Calories: 613kcal

Author: Krystle Smith

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Ingredients

For the Loaf Cake

• ▢ 3 Eggs
• ▢ 1 Cup White Sugar
• ▢ 1 Cup Sour Cream
• ▢ ½ Cup Vegetable Oil
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Lemon Zest
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Lemon Extract
• ▢ 1 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
• ▢ 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• ▢ ½ Teaspoon Salt

For the Glaze

• ▢ 1 Cup Powdered Confectioners Sugar
• ▢ 2-3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice

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Instructions

For the Cake

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• In a large bowl whisk egg, sour cream, sugar, and oil until well combined. Stir in lemon zest, and lemon extract.
• Add flour, baking powder, and salt, then stir until just combined.
• Bake for 50-52 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• If needed: Loosely cover the pan with foil during the last 10-15 minutes of baking to prevent excess browning around the edges.
• Cool in pan for 25-30 minutes.

For the Glaze

• In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Add more lemon juice or a bit of milk if needed to reach your desired consistency.
• Evenly spread or drizzle over cake.

Nutrition

Calories: 613kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 337mg | Potassium: 536mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 6.7mg | Calcium: 314mg | Iron: 2.1mg

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