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Soft Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf with Icing That Stays Moist for Days
A soft citrus loaf with real lemon flavor: Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf
Soft lemon loaf with coconut oil, fresh lemon juice, and a simple lemon icing baked until tender and moist. Easy homemade lemon loaf is perfect for tea time, brunch, or a light dessert.
Why You Will Love and Enjoy Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf
You’ll love how soft and balanced this loaf is, with lemon flavor that’s fresh but not sharp. It slices beautifully, keeps well, and works just as nicely for brunch as it does with afternoon tea.
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Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cooling time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 depending on size 1x
- Category: Cake, Cookies and Tarts, Cupcakes
- Method: Easy
Description
This soft lemon loaf is bright, tender, and just sweet enough, with a gentle coconut note that sneaks in quietly. It’s the kind of bake that smells like sunshine and disappears slice by slice while it cools.
Ingredients
Lemon Loaf
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup castor sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temp
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 tsp lemon essence
- 1/3 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly Vegetable oil works too if that’s what you’ve got
Lemon Icing
- 1 cup icing sugar, sifted
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp lemon essence
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a medium loaf tin really well, especially the corners.
- Sift together 1 1/2 cups cake flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl and set it aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat 3 eggs, 1 cup castor/caster sugar, 2 tbsp softened butter, 1 tsp vanilla essence, 1 tsp lemon essence, and 1/3 cup lemon juice on medium speed until pale and slightly thick. Don’t rush.
- Add the dry ingredients gradually, mixing on low speed just until combined.
- Stop as soon as the flour disappears so the crumb stays light.
- Pour in 1/2 cup coconut oil and mix briefly until smooth and glossy. Scrape down the bowl once so everything blends evenly.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and gently tap it on the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Bake for about 45 mins, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the loaf cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn it out onto a rack and cool completely before icing.
Lemon Icing
- Mix 1 cup sifted icing sugar, 2 tbsp milk, and 1/2 tsp lemon essence until smooth and pourable.
- Spoon the icing over the cooled loaf and let it drip naturally down the sides.
- Give it a few minutes to set before slicing.
Notes
Created, prepared, tried, and tested Gail
This Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf is light, citrusy, and just sweet enough. It’s the kind of bake that disappears while it’s still warm. A cozy lemon bake worth revisiting.
Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf is tender, flavorful, and effortlessly bright. Its soft crumb and subtle coconut note make it a treat you’ll want to bake and share immediately.
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