Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf
This Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf is soft, dense, and incredibly moist with bright lemon flavor and a rich, buttery crumb. Finished with a thick vanilla icing that sets on top, it’s a bakery-style treat that tastes just like the original.
Servings: 10 slices
Ingredients
For the loaf cake:
- 10 tbsp salted butter room temperature
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp lemon zest zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice juice of 1 small lemon
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3.4 oz box instant lemon pudding mix
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For the vanilla icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-4 tbsp heavy cream room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the loaf cake:
- Preheat your oven to 325°F and line a standard 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang so it’s easy to lift out later.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Mix in the lemon zest and vanilla extract, then add the oil and mix until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, lemon pudding mix, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the batter in batches, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined, then stir in the lemon juice.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. If you want that classic crack down the middle, run a thin line of cold butter straight down the center of the batter. I put it in a piping bag and pipe it down the center but this isn't required!
- Bake for 60–80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, loosely tent it with foil partway through baking. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15–20 minutes, then lift it out and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the icing:
- To make the icing, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth. The icing should be thick and spreadable, not runny. Once the loaf is completely cooled, spoon the icing over the top and gently spread it, letting it settle naturally. Allow the icing to set before slicing.