Starbuck's Lemon Loaf Cake

By á-49077

Ingredients

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 5.1 ounce instant or cook and serve Lemon pudding mix (can be replaced with instant vanilla pudding & 2 tsp lemon emulsion)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 2-3 lemons)
• 1/2 stick butter, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon emulsion/extract

Details

Servings 9
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 60mins
Adapted from letthebakingbeginblog.com

Preparation

Step 1

Another thing that all those other cake had a problem achieving, was that very lemony flavor, without the sourness that comes with it. The addition of the lemon did not produce the correct flavor profile. I was really frustrated as there usually is not a recipe I am not able to reproduce, at least close to the original. I have seen a recipe that used Yellow Cake Mix and pudding all along but closed the page as soon as I saw that it used a store-bought Mix. I just don’t like using something that comes from a box if I am going to go through the trouble of making it at home. But, when all of those other recipes did not work, I decided that I had nothing to loose, so I was going to try it.

I can not tell you how happy I am that I did! While I would rather use all natural ingredients that do not include a box of a store bought mix, I am able to get past that fact ONLY because this recipe produces an amazing, exact copy of the Starbucks Lemon Cake Loaf! The lemony-ness in this cake comes from the artificial lemon flavoring in the Lemon Pudding, but you can use plain Pudding and add 2-3 teaspoons of lemon emulsion & 2-3 drops of the lemon oil to achieve the same taste. I made my own version of what I think the glaze should look and taste like, but the rest of the recipe comes from

1 box yellow cake mix

5.1 ounce instant or cook and serve Lemon pudding mix (can be replaced with instant vanilla pudding & 2 tsp lemon emulsion)

Make Lemon Loaf

Combine all the wet ingredients and whisk until well combined.

Place all dry ingredients in a bowl, add about 1 cup of wet ingredients, beat with a mixer !on low speed! for about 15 seconds, then add the rest of the ingredients and beat on low speed for another 15-20 seconds. DO NOT over beat, or your cake will deflate.

Place in the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, until golden in color or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Make Icing

Beat butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice & lemon emulsion until smooth and supple.

This recipe can be used to make a cake, cupcakes or even small individual squares like I did using a brownie square pan (see link to picture below the post).

Don’t forget to add me on

Mine both fell like I have never seen!!!!! Yikes …. Cooked 50 minutes … will have to cook longer next time !!!! Plus used a 3.4 oz pudding and it was not a lemoney as I would have liked … Will add more lemon next time too!!!! But was SUPER moist!!! Definite re-try!!!!!

When you do try again, please read my updated instructions to prevent deflating. I have revised the recipe and instructions a little bit to help with deflating. I looked at the original gal’s post and she shows a large box of the instant pudding, but says that she uses the little one, so I attempted using the large box and it came out fine. Also I read the instructions on the cake mix and it says not to mix it for more than 30 seconds, and I think this is the main culprit for everyone whose cake deflated.

So try using the large cake box mix and do not overbeat, or do not beat (on low speed) for more than 30 seconds. Hope this helps.

Oh and add lemon emulsion if you want more lemony flavor. Adding more lemon juice will not give you the lemony-ness you’re looking for as most of it will evaporate when baking.

I really like lemon/blueberry bread – this looks like a simple-to-make base for that!

I posted a comment earlier, but it didn’t show up, so I’m trying again. I tried the recipe this morning and it turned out perfectly except for the glaze. I used 1/2 of 1 stick of butter. It says to beat until it is smooth. It never got smooth. It was very powdery, as though there was no butter or not enough. I continued following the recipe and the glaze separated, and never “set” like it should have. The flavor was wonderful but the appearance was not good. Any thoughts of what could have gone wrong? I definitely want to make it again but want it to look better.

I’ve made this cake 4-5 times and my husband just gobbles it up. I do have one problem though. Using the exact same ingredients for the icing two times at my house and twice at my moms, the icing is grainy and runny at my house and thick and perfect at my moms… Could it be the bowl I’m mixing it in? The mixer? The weather? It’s driving me crazy!!! Help!

Hi Brittany, happy to hear that you like the cake! I think the only thing that I can think of is difference in humidity. Next time add half of the lemon juice and continue adding more until it’s perfect consistency and stop adding when you see the first sign of it going runny. That should do it

It is a powdered ingredient that you just add dry to the cake mix. Follow to the original poster’s blog and you will find a picture of it there

I haven’t made this yet but will soon.. this looks so good. I just wanted to say that another way to get more lemon flavor is to add the zest from the lemon. I can’t wait to try. Thanks for the recipe!

You are right, lemon zest is a way to add more flavor

I made this vegan by substituting soymilk, Ener-G egg replacer, Tofutti “Better Than Sour Cream,” and making sure that the cake and pudding mixes did not contain dairy or eggs. It turned out sooooooooooooo well. I brought it to my Dad for his birthday and he loved it!!!

Is the yellow cake mix lemon flavoured, or just yellow in colour? Would a white cake mix work?

I am not sure how they’re (white and yellow cake mixes) different in texture (once cooked) so I am not sure if white cake mix would produce the same thing. But I am sure it’s not going to be bad, since both are cake. Let me know if you do try it

Sorry, but the crumb on this copy-cat recipe is nowhere near Starbuck’s Lemon Pound Cake. That is one of the things that make this cake so wonderful. Keep trying.

I’m preparing to make this for my honey this afternoon. that cake is the only reason he stops at starbucks… and he never shares! lol. let u know how much he loves me after he has some.

Did you change the recipe to make two loafs? I used this recipe to make one loaf…maybe that was a different recipe from a different site?

I followed the cake recipe instructions and did not change anything except for adding lemon zest. Like others, this cake did not rise in the middle like a “loaf” typically would. However, I think that since it’s made with a cake mix as the base, the end result tends to resemble what a cake mix cake looks like, a little flat. Flavor was yummy though. The texture of the cake was moist and porous. The Starbucks cake is more dense, like a pound cake. I think this recipe would be a great cake to make in round pans and then add a lemon or raspberry filling to it, then frost it.

Can you make this in a cupcake pan or a normal cake pan?

I’m not a baker, but I tried making this recipe last night. It was delicious, I would even say better than Starbucks, at least my husband thinks so. I followed all instructions and I didn’t have any deflating issues and I didn’t use the lemon emulsion/extract for the frosting and it still tasted amazing, I did add a bit more lemon juice to make up for the extract. Thank you very much for sharing, this will definetly be a repeat!

By the way, adding lemon juice in place of the extract does not do the same thing. Lemon juice ads acidity without the flavor, which disappears once baked. If you do not have the lemon emulsion it’s better to use a tad more of the lemon zest.

I love lemon and came across your recipe. And i must say it’s the nicest moistest i’ve had in a long time, very good. The only thing i did different was use a lemon cake mix. So Thank you for sharing! I will definately be baking these again.

What a fabulous job you did with cake as well as with pictures. Thanks a lot for sharing it. I am wondering what is the weight of the yellow cake mix? And should I still use pudding mix if I am going to bake with Lemon Drizzle Cake Mix from Home Cook? Thanks in advance for your reply.

Thanks so much Natalia! It says that it’s 18.25 oz package. I am not sure if your brand and type of cake mix will work the same, but do let me know how it goes when you use it :

Hi Marina. I’ve searched for a true copycat recipe for a long time.. and finally found it here!! thank you so much. My husband said it tasted better than starbucks!!! I was skeptical at first cause I only had a lemon cake mix and a small pudding box. but it turned out very moist and flavorful! thank you so much, will def do again!!! blessings to you!

Made this yesterday but used lemon cake by accident. This cake was unbelievable moist and delicious. I’ll try it with the yellow cake mix next time so I can compare.

This cake recipe turned out AWESOME! I made some errors and left out a few things but all to my benefit. I used lemon cake mix by accident…win! I bought the wrong size pudding so I added some vanilla pudding mix with the lemon…worked! I didn’t use extract or emulsion just fresh lemon juice…another win! I baked in Bundt pan for 40 minutes…turned out perfect! Thanks for the recipe!

So you added the large vanilla pudding?

Made this last evening and following your instructions as written it was good. But today after setting overnight it was even better! Thank You for a delicious recipe I am sure we will make at get togethers. Both my daughter and granddaughter and I love lemon recipes and this is at the top!

I LOVE this recipe, but I substitute the yellow cake mix for a LEMON cake mix and DOUBLE the lemon juice in the cake recipe to almost 12 tablespoons and use lemon extract for the emulsion. It is PERFECT!

Hi, I wanted to thank you for the Starbucks Lemon Bread recipe. I followed your exact directions and it turned out fantastic. I made it in 2 mini glass bread pans and one large. I gave my daughter a mini loaf to take in to work with her and she said her boss loved it too. I rose up perfect and I did what you said about only beating it for a few seconds. Everyone that wasn’t wild about anything that wasn’t Chocolate loved this. Thanks for a great recipe! Kim

[…] is an ennmous number of these recipes out there on this topic.  The one i liked started “i ignored everyone that used a yellow cake mix… until i found that it worked […]

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