This Starbucks lemon loaf cake copycat recipe is undoubtedly a treat that you won’t want to miss! Before I was diagnosed with Celiac disease, I would emphatically buy a slice of lemon loaf with every trip I took to the famous coffeehouse. After years of fine-tuning my recipe, and much lemon loaf longing, I've finally perfected the recipe for this slice of citrusy heaven. Surprisingly, my husband was absolutely convinced I was feeding him the real deal!
The overall key to bringing out the sunny flavors in this cake is the lemon infused olive oil, that I've added to the fresh lemon juice and zest, commonly used in a lemon cake. It gives a surprisingly bright boost to the lemon flavor and subsequently makes this cake moist and delicious like it's storebought twin.
Lastly, this recipe includes dairy but certainly can easily be made dairy-free by swapping the dairy for dairy-free alternatives (my husband eats dairy, yes, we are a "dairy divided" household). Similarly, you can use all-purpose flour, instead of gluten-free 1:1 flour if you're looking for a traditional style loaf cake. Whichever option you choose, undoubtedly you'll be able to have your cake and eat it too!
If you definitively love loaf cakes AND chocolate, try my Double Chocolate Banana Mini Loaf Cake recipe.
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Ingredients
- gluten-free 1:1 flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- butter
- vegetable oil
- sugar
- eggs
- sour cream
- vanilla extract
- lemon olive oil
- lemon zest
- fresh lemon juice
- powdered sugar
- heavy cream
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Cake
- First, Preheat oven to 345° F.
- Next, grease and line loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Afterwards, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl
- In mixer, mix sugar and eggs for 2 mins on medium.
- Mix in butter and oils.
- Simultaneously add vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix on medium until combined.
- Mix in sour cream.
- Slowly combine dry with wet and mix until combined.
- Pour into pan and bake for 45-50 mins until toothpick comes out clean.
Lemon Frosting
- In bowl whisk powdered sugar, lemon and heavy cream until combined.
- Pour over cooled cake.
Substitutions
Feel free to substitute your favorite all purpose flour for gluten-free 1:1 flour.
Variations
Try using your favorite fruit juice instead of lemon.
Equipment
A 2-pound loaf pan is recommended, you may use an 8X8 square baking pan, but adjust the baking time to 20-25 minutes, or until the toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 7 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
📖 Recipe
Starbucks Lemon Loaf Copycat Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free 1:1 flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter melted and cooled to room temp
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs room temp
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Lemon Frosting
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 345° F.
- Grease and line loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In mixer, mix sugar and eggs for 2 mins on medium.
- Mix in butter and oils.
- Add vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix on medium until combined.
- Mix in sour cream.
- Slowly combine dry with wet and mix until combined.
- Pour into pan and bake for 45-50 mins until toothpick comes out clean.
Lemon Frosting
- In bowl whisk powdered sugar, lemon and heavy cream until combined.
- Pour over cooled cake.
Nutrition
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Liz Satkowski says
This was one of the best gluten free treats we have had. So much delicious lemoney flavor and the best consistency. We served it at a baby shower and no one had any clue it was gluten free and everyone devoured it. My husband said it tasted just like the Starbucks lemon loaf cake! Definitely a new regular recipe we will be making.
NKendrick says
Hi Liz, this makes me so happy to hear that you enjoyed the lemon loaf. It's honestly one of my favorite treats, and now I can actually enjoy again it because it's gluten-free. Thanks again for your feedback!
Amy says
After being diagnosed with celiac, I was really missing out in some of my favorite desserts. The Starbuck’s lemon loaf was at the top of my list.
I decided to take the plunge and give this a try and was floored with how much it tasted the the real thing. Loved it so much! My daughter even said she couldn’t tell it was GF.
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
I used cup for cup flour because that's what I had in hand.
NKendrick says
This truly makes me so happy, and is why I do what I do. As a celiac we feel like we are going to miss out on so much when we are diagnosed and it’s recipes like this that make us feel like we can live a normal life again. Thank you so much for sharing!
Jamie says
Fantastic recipe! I loved and missed having the lemon cake from Starbucks until I made this!!!! Tasted great!
Jamie says
I’ve been missing the lemon cake from Starbucks until I made this!!! It tasted incredible.
Gina Bruner says
You honestly are amazing!! I made this recipe and it was delicious and so easy to follow!! Yummy and thank you!!!
NKendrick says
Thank you! So happy to hear you enjoyed!
Mark says
I love this recipe. It turned out delicious! This is going to be on my top ten list of desserts. I personally think it tastes better than the Starbucks version and this way I can have so much more of it right at home. I can't tell that it's GF and I'm noticing that with every recipe I try from Golden Grace Kitchen. This lemon loaf cake is a major go. Thank you so much!
NKendrick says
Mark, thank you so much for your feedback! Love to hear that this recipe worked out for you!
Kristin says
This turned out amazing!! From start to finish, this was so easy to make! Thank you so much for making GF- Celiac life that much easier!!!
NKendrick says
So happy to hear this. Thank you for sharing.
Sarah Souverain says
When I became gluten free about 3 years ago I was bummed that I would miss out on some of my favorite baked goods (ie Starbucks loafs). I LOVE lemon so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it!! Wow! So moist and flavorful! Now I get to enjoy one of my prior fav Starbucks treats but without all the gluten and tummy problems! Thanks for sharing all these amazing GF recipes for us to enjoy!
Kim Russo says
All I can say is I LOVE LEMON. I'm usually to intimidated and short on time in my life. But when I saw this, I knew this was one I wanted to try. Easy to make and love the fact that I don't have to buy a lemon loaf anywhere else. I get more for my money. And I have given some as gifts. A sure winner. 🍋
NKendrick says
SO happy to hear it worked out for you!
Chelsea says
Nicole’s recipes always hit!! I love baking and recently (but not so recently) have stopped eating gluten. This was delicious because I LOVEEEEE lemon and a good breakfast cake. It’s nice to know there’s fun ways to have what I want without the gluten. ❤️
DK says
This lemon loaf was exactly like the Starbucks version! Even the lemon glaze was spot on! Great recipe!
Elizabeth says
This was such a joy to bake! The cream frosting really finished the cake off perfectly too - I’ve not actually made it with cream before and will be doing so again!
Oscar says
This lemon loaf cake is a winner! It has that perfect tangy lemon flavor and a moist crumb. It’s just like the one I used to get from Starbucks, and I’m so glad to have a gluten-free version.
Jacqueline. says
Wow! This is a fantastic gluten free lemon loaf cake! Easy to make and seriously delicious! Thank you!
Swathi says
Love this lemon loaf, I like that I can make this cake at home. My family loved it .
Anonymous says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!