Confession time
Starbuck’s Lemon Loaf
Ingredients:
for the cake:
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with floured no-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, add the eggs, sugar, sour cream, oil and whisk vigorously until smooth and combined. Finally, add the lemon zest, lemon extract, and stir well to combine.
Then, stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and stir until just combined. It’s okay if it’s a bit lumpy. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 50 to 52 minutes.
Optional: 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 before turning out onto cooling rack to finish cooling before glazing.
For the glaze, in a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and combined. You may need to play with the sugar and lemon juice amounts a bit for desired consistency and flavor (I prefer mine to be thick.)
Evenly spread or drizzle glaze over bread before slicing and serving.
Cook’s Notes: Cake will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Don’t store it in the fridge because it’ll dry out.
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with floured no-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, add the eggs, sugar, sour cream, oil and whisk vigorously until smooth and combined. Finally, add the lemon zest, lemon extract, and stir well to combine.
- Then, stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and stir until just combined. It’s okay if it’s a bit lumpy. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 50 to 52 minutes.
- Optional: 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 before turning out onto cooling rack to finish cooling before glazing.
- For the glaze, in a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and combined. You may need to play with the sugar and lemon juice amounts a bit for desired consistency and flavor (I prefer mine to be thick.)
- Evenly spread or drizzle glaze over bread before slicing and serving.
Cake will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Don’t store it in the fridge because it’ll dry out.
I think I might try making the glaze thinner, poke holes all over the loaf while still warm and slowly spoon the glaze over the cake, allowing it to soak in. May have to try this!
Sounds like a great idea to me!
I am going to make several of these tomorrow to use up an abundance of my fresh eggs, then freeze for winter! Thanks for the recipe!
YES! This should freeze really well!
High altitude adjustments please, 6800 feet………….. Thanks
I am really not sure – I am so sorry! I do believe you'll have to add additional flour. Perhaps one of our readers on here will be familiar with high altitude adjustments and can help us!
Looks luscious! No doubt it is! Best wishes on the new website..anxious to see it.
Thank you Marsha! Hopefully by Friday!
sounds yummy…..will try it for the first fall cribbage game~~ Also love that you didn't have time for all the photos….I like it much better this way!!
Thanks for the feedback Judy! I am glad you aren't missing those step-by-step photos. I always debate whether to do them or not anyway. Some of my readers who are learning to cook & bake love them and others could totally do without! Ha! I need to find a good balance 🙂 Hope you love this one!
Did you really use 2 tablespoons of lemon extract? Seems like an awful lot. Please let me know as I want to make one this weekend
Yep – that is correct! You can use 1-2 tbsp. 🙂
What about using lemon juice instead of extract….
Thanks so much. Am looking forward to baking this as I love to try new recipes and have a bunch of homegrown Meyer lemons in the freezer just waiting to go into something yummy!!!
I hope you enjoy this recipe and I bet those Meyer lemons will be fantastic in this recipe.
Thank you! I plan to make this for my Starbuck's loving friend on her birthday!
If anything makes me happy it’s lemons and therefore lemon cake. It looks amazingly yammy.
Hope you love it Marianna! Lemon is my favorite too!
Did you ever come up with the recipe for Starbucks Ginger cake? Thank you!
I’m working on it! Isn’t really happy with my first attempt and I won’t share until it’s perfect! 🙂
Is it possible to use a lemon juice or zest the whole lemon instead of using the extract? This recipe looks to die for, but I don’t have that extract handy 🙁
Wow, I made the cake; it rocks.
Glad you loved it Marianna!
Just to clarify, it should be a dense cake. Right?
I’m another one who has fresh lemon juice and/or zest, rather than lemon extract. I love lemons and this recipe looks awesome.
Absolutely – use what you love! I like lemon extract because it is a stronger, more concentrated lemon flavor. It is made from fresh lemons so I think you can’t go wrong with whatever way you love!
Just made it! It smells amazingly lemony! Rats! Might have to glaze it in the morning……..can’t wait! Keep those recipes coming! Ginger loaf nexxxxxxxt! 😉
Thanx Brandie!
Could you substitute lemon juice instead of lemon extract if you don’t have any? Thanks!
Just saw another comment that included my question so never mind thanks!! Can’t wait to make this!
Wow! This sounds so good! I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing!
Hello,
I would like to make and mail this lemon cake to my kids for Easter. I live in Montana, my kids live in Hawaii. I use the USPS for my mailings and it usually gets there in 3 to 4 days. Do you think it will be ok to consume with the chance it may get a little warm when it reaches Hawaii? Thank you. This cake looks very yummy.
OH MY GOD!!! Cannot even explain how good this is. My best friend is in love with all things lemon (something we definitely agree on) so I decided to look up a recipe. SO thankful I stumbled on this one. Delicious! We’re going to be making this for Easter now. One for her family, one for mine. Thank you so much!!
My little son seems to be a citrus lover, so I split a slice of lemon loaf with him at Starbucks the other day. He loved it! Now my idea is to make it for his 2nd birthday. Do you think I could make this and pour the batter into a muffin tin instead for birthday cupcakes?