The Best Lemon Loaf with Lemon Glaze (Starbucks Copycat)

We are living in crazy times right now, and when life hands you lemons, make a lemon loaf! Better yet, make a Starbucks inspired copy cat lemon loaf with lemon glaze. That's right, you guessed it... this lemon loaf tastes just like the one that love so much at Starbucks. So now, you can have a taste of Starbucks from the comfort of your own home! And I am not just saying that, I literally can't even taste the difference.

This cake is super moist, dense, and has the perfect sponginess to it. It's packed with lemon flavour, and has the perfect balance between sweet and tangy. Plus, you can't beat the extra pop of flavour from the lemon drizzle on top. So so good!

Lemon Loaf Ingredients

To make a Starbucks-copy cake lemon loaf cake, you will need to gather these ingredients:

• all-purpose flour - adds substance
• baking powder - adds lift
• salt - adds flavour
• eggs - adds flavour, lift and structure
• Greek yogurt - keeps the cake moist
• sugar - adds flavour and texture
• vegetable oil - keeps the cake moist
• lemon extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice - adds flavour

How to Make Super Moist Lemon Loaf

Making a lemon loaf is a lot easier than you think.

1. First, you simply combine eggs, yogurt, and sugar and beat together until smooth. Then add in oil, lemon extract, lemon zest and lemon juice and continue to beat until smooth.
2. Next, gradually add in your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt), and beat for about 30-60 seconds until just combined. You have to be careful to not overmix. The batter will have some lumps and that is okay!
3. Lastly, pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes in a 350 F oven. Remove from the oven, place pan on a wire rack and allow it to cool in the pan for an hour. Then remove from the pan and allow it to cool for another 1-2 hours on the wire rack, until completely cooled.

The Secret to Super Moist Lemon Cake

It's the yogurt. Adding Greek yogurt to the cake batter keeps the cake extra moist. Yogurt is also a really good source of fat, and I mean the good fat, the kind that your body and brain need to function.

How to Make Lemon Glaze

Making lemon glaze is really simple. All you need is lemon juice and confectioners' sugar (icing sugar). You slowly add the lemon juice to the sugar and stir until smooth and desired consistency is reached. The consistency that we are looking for is thick but can still easily be poured. So if your icing is too runny, simply add more sugar. If it is too thick, add some more lemon juice, until you get it just right.

How to Store Lemon Loaf

Lemon loaf cake is best stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, and consumed within 2-3 days. It stays moist and fresh for days. To store longer than 3 days, wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Note that when stored in the fridge, the loaf will dry out slightly and it will not retain the same level of moistness as when stored at room temperature. Thus why room temperature is recommended.

You can also freeze lemon loaf for up to 3 months, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.

This loaf is a huge hit in our home and never lasts more than two days. The worst part is that my husband is not a big lemon guy so he barely has any. It's basically all me... stuffing my face... for a full two days... Don't just please, I can't help it!

Lemon loaf goes especially well if you are huddled up under a blanket on your couch reading a good book or entertaining guests after a dinner party. You may need to just brew up a nice, warm pot of tea to go along with it.

More Copycat Recipes

Craving to make some other restaurant favourites. Check out some of my other copycat recipes:

• Szechuan Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Mayo (Cactus Club Copycat)
• Baked Mashed Potato Spring Rolls (Joey Copycat)

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Recipe

This recipe was originally published in December 2015 (my first month of blogging). It has been completely updated with new photographs and content.