I have a weakness for Starbucks, especially their delectable lemon bread. It’s a dangerously delightful treat that resembles the most heavenly pound cake you can imagine: a harmonious blend of richness, density, moistness, and buttery goodness. What makes it truly exceptional is the dual infusion of lemon essence, both in the cake itself and the delectable sweet frosting.
But here’s the exciting news: you no longer have to venture out to Starbucks to savor this delightful creation. After some delightful experimentation in my own kitchen, I unraveled the secret behind recreating the renowned Starbucks Lemon Loaf.
With a generous amount of tinkering, I discovered that the key lies in the abundant use of lemon extract, creating an explosion of citrusy zest in every single bite. The cake and frosting work in perfect harmony to deliver an irresistible burst of lemony goodness that will leave you craving more.
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With this homemade recipe, I can savor a slice of lemon bread whenever I want. Now all I need is some good coffee, some music, and a boisterous crowd of people in my kitchen, and I’m good to go.
Recipe Notes:
Do not stop beating the butter and other ingredients. This step really takes at least 5 minutes, but it’s important. You want the mixture to be light in color and fluffy.
When checking the doneness of the lemon bread, you want some crumbs to stick to the toothpick, but you don’t want the toothpick to have raw dough on it.
Allow the lemon bread to cool completely before pouring the icing over the top.
If you prefer a thicker or thinner frosting, you can achieve your desired consistency by adding more powdered sugar or more milk.
The frosting will run off the cake and pool a bit on the plate. I like to put the icing that falls from the cake on top of the cake. You can also let the frosting sit for about 15 minutes in the bowl to begin to harden before pouring it over the cake. Less will escape this way.
If you don’t have lemon extract you can replace it with lemon zest. The flavor will still be good, but it may change the texture of the lemon bread and frosting.
Mimic Starbucks Lemon Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9×4 loaf pan with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla, and lemon extract.
Mix slowly until just combined, then mix on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
Stir in flour mixture until just combined.
Add the buttermilk.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool in pan 20 to 30 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, lemon juice, and lemon extract.
Pour the glaze over the top of the lemon bread.
Let the glaze harden for 30 minutes. Slice and enjoy!
Pack a few slices to go!
Mimic Starbucks Lemon Bread
Learn how to make this Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf in your own kitchen. It’s like the best pound cake you’ve ever tasted: rich, moist, and buttery.
Preparation time: twentyminutes
cool down/rest time: 1hour
Time to cook: 55minutes
Total time: 2hoursfifteenminutes
It serves:8
Ingredients
Cake:
½cupbuttersmoothing
2large eggs and 1 large egg yolk
1cupsugar
1.5teaspoonvanilla
1Tablespoonlemon extract
1 ½cupsflour
1teaspoonbaking powder
¼teaspoonsalt
½cupbuttermilk
Ice formation:
1 ¼cupspowdered sugar
1Tablespoonmilk
1.5Tablespoonlemon juice
1teaspoonlemon extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9×4 loaf pan with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla, and lemon extract.
Mix slowly until just combined, then mix on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
Stir in flour mixture until just combined.
Add the buttermilk.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool in pan 20 to 30 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, lemon juice, and lemon extract.
Pour the glaze over the top of the lemon bread.
Let the glaze harden for 30 minutes. Slice and enjoy!